Polycephalic Poppies 387 



beds, taking care that the pots were removed, 

 but the balls of earth not broken. 



In consequence of this treatment the plants 

 became very large and strong, with luxuriant 

 foliage and relatively numerous large flowers 

 and fruits. But almost without exception they 

 were poor in anomalous stamens, at least so on 

 the terminal heads. On a lot of some 70 plants 

 more than 50 had less than half a crown of sec- 

 ondary capsules, while from the same packet of 

 seed the control-plants gave in an equal number 

 more than half of filled crowns on all plants with 

 the exception of ^we weak specimens. 



It is curious to compare such artificially in- 

 jured plants with the ordinary cultures. 

 Strong stems and heavy fruits, which otherwise 

 are always indicative of showy crowns, now 

 bear fruits wholly or nearly destitute of any 

 anomalous change. The commonly prevailing 

 rule seems to be reversed, showing thereby the 

 possibility of abolishing the correlation between 

 individual strength and anomaly by an artificial 

 encroachment upon the normal conditions. 



Aside from these considerations the experi- 

 ments clearly give proof of the existence of a 

 period of sensibility limited to the first weeks of 

 the life of the plant for the terminal flower. 

 This knowledge enables us to explain many ap- 



