124 



that the seeds were as 100-94. In one of the latter genera- 

 tions of the fifteen first flowers pollinated from their own 

 pollen, eight dropped off. While out of the fifteen of the 

 self-pollinated of the cross-feitilized plants, only one dropped 

 off. The impaired fertility of self-fertilized manifested itself 

 in producing smaller anthers. 



Darwin gives the following very apt illustration as to 

 the height of self-fertilized plants^ : 



"If all men in a country were on an average six feet 

 high, and there were some families which had been long and 

 closely interbred, these would be almost dwarfs, their aver- 

 age height durmg ten generations being only four feet eight 

 and one-fourth inches." 



In the case of cabbage Darwin found that cross- 

 fertilized plants were to the self -fertilized plants in weight 

 as 100 to 37. When fresh stock was crossed the difference 

 in weight in offspring was as 1,000 is to 22, showing a gam 

 of over 350 per cent. Prof. Bailey also records marked 

 superiority in crossed plants of cabbage. In regard to egg- 

 plants Bailey says: 



"In 1889 several hand crosses were made among egg- 

 plants. Three fruits matured, and the seeds from them 

 were grown in 1890. Some two hundred plants were grown, 

 and they were characterized throughout the season by great 

 sturJiness aad vigor of growth. They grew more erect and 

 taller than other plants near by grown from commercial 

 seeds. They were the finest plants which I had ever seen. 

 Prof. Munson, of the Maine Agricultural College, grew 

 some of this crossed stock in 1891, and he told me that it 

 was better than any commercial stock in his gardens.'' 



' 'In extended experiments in the crossing of pumpkins, 

 squashes and gourds, carried on during several years, in- 



