362 THE SELF-FERTILIZATION OF PLANTS. 



of the self-impotence, of these plants, when he says 

 above : 



" It would appear, that the pollen or ovules, or both, 

 of the individual plants which are in this abnormal 

 state, have been affected in some strange (!) manner, 

 by the conditions to which they themselves, or their 

 parents have been exposed." 



Had he but eliminated the "strange," and the 

 "remarkable" elements from his problem, he would 

 have found, that the conditions were at the bottom of 

 the sterility, through the reduction, or suppression, of 

 certain parts, in the plants, which they effected. This 

 reduction, or suppression (as he would have found), 

 has reduced the number of characters, in each plant so 

 self-impotent, below the complement necessary to give 

 the reproductive elements their needed capacity. 



Conformably to this idea, it was to be expected, 

 that, when plants of full reproductive power, were 

 placed under conditions which were adverse to the 

 development of certain of their characters, they would 

 become self-impotent, or abate the measure of their 

 fertility, in proportion as they became so modified in 

 their development. The result is due to the absence 

 of certain chemical elements, &c, necessary to the 

 development of some part, or parts, of the organism. 

 Not only may this be the occasion ; but, frequently, 

 of a number of plants, which are comparatively fertile, 

 there are some, placed where the conditions are 

 peculiarly favorable to some one, or more parts only. 

 The proportion of the parts being thereby vitiated, 

 injury results to the reproductive organs ; whilst it 



