342 THE SELF-FERTILIZATION OF PLANTS. 



of the many variations in the quantity of the effects. 

 He traces many of the phenomena to the action of 

 the conditions ; but, he truly recognizes that such are 

 but conditions. 



On page 1 36, Vol. ii, Animals and Plants, &c, he 



says : 



" I raised a number of purple-flowered, long-styled 

 seedlings (of Primrose) from seed, kindly sent me by 

 Mr. Scott, and though they were all in some degree 

 sterile, they were much more fertile, with pollen taken 

 from the common Primrose, than with their own 

 pollen." 



To understand the philosophy of this, we .need only 

 turn to Darwin's statements, showing that, in plants, 

 valued alone for their flowers (as is the Primrose), the 

 development of this especial excellence, is pushed to 

 an extreme point, while the other portions of the or- 

 ganism, viz., the seed, seed-capsules, ovules, ovaries, 

 leaves, roots, &c, are neglected, reduced, or suppressed. 

 The true ratio of the development of the characters, is 

 vitiated by the abnormal disproportion of the flowers. 

 When a cultivated variety of the Primrose is crossed 

 with the common Primrose, good results, because 

 some of the characters which, in the cultivated plant, 

 are reduced or suppressed, are supplied; and the evil 

 is also remedied, by means of the abatement, in the 

 extreme and disproportionate development of the Flow- 

 ers, which ensues. 



Again he says (page 164, Vol. ii, Animals and 

 Plants, &c.) : 



" It has recently been discovered, that certain plants, 



