290 Retrograde Varieties 



each other, or they may be artificially pollinated 

 with their own pollen. 



The outcome of the experiments is shown by 

 the spikes, as soon as they dry. Each spike 

 bears two sorts of kernels irregularly dispersed 

 over its surface. In this point all the spikes 

 are alike. On each of them one may see on the 

 first inspection that the majority of the kernels 

 are starch-containing seeds, while a minor part 

 becomes wrinkled and transparent according to 

 the rule for sugary seeds. This fact shows at 

 once that the hybrid race is not stable, but has 

 differentiated the parental characters, bringing 

 those of the varietal parent to perfect purity 

 and isolation. "Whether the same holds good 

 for the starchy parent, it is impossible to judge 

 from the inspection of the spikes, since it has 

 been seen in the first generation that the hybrid 

 kernels are not visibly distinguished from those 

 of the pare starch-producing grains. 



It is very easy to count the number of both 

 sorts of grains in the spike of such a hybrid. 

 In doing so we find, that the proportion is 

 nearly the same on all the spikes, and only 

 slight variations would be found in hundreds 

 of them. One-fourth of the seeds are wrinkled 

 and three-fourths are always smooth. The 

 number may varj'^ in single instances and be a 

 little more or a little less than 25^, ranging, for 



