412 Form. of Seeds as a Factor [July, 
of a plant, from the sprouting of the seed to maturity, differs 
greatly in different plants, and the seeds of some plants germinate 
in much less time than the seeds of others. From this cause 
the aspect of the fields changes during the same season ; those 
plants whose seeds start quickly and attain maturity in the shortest 
time, dominate for awhile and give one aspect to the fields in the 
first part of the season, and those plants whose seeds sprout slowly 
only reach maturity after the earlier have passed their prime or 
died, then dominate! and later in the season give to the fields a 
a different complexion or appearance. 
The occurrence of these changes and the domination of this or - 
that plant inside of or within the number of plants which form 
the flora of a certain region, may be conspicuously modified, in 
one year or season as compared with another, by the character of 
the season as previously referred to. As some plants thrive best 
with only a moderate supply of moisture, and are dwarfed, 
decreased in number of individuals or suppressed: by the “ drown- 
ing” of the seeds as the farmers call it, through excess of “ wet” 
—so the latter might be highly favorable to the germination of — 
the seeds and earlier development of the plants of some other 
species, which in normal or ordinary seasons would appear 
much later.” 
The effect of only one such season oldie extend through 
several seasons, and materially modify the landscape features in 
its annual plants for a period of many years. 
Without further enlarging in this direction on certain points 
which have been referred to, as they cannot properly be passed 
unnoticed, attention is called to another class of factors, not 
generally recognized, but of sufficient importance not to admit 
exclusion, wherein ‚natural selection is illustrated as performing 
its part in a different wa 
The domination of “ the fittest,” the character of a season con- 
1 Thus Madia ec popularly or ERT known as “ tar-weed,” and obnox- 
ious to pedestrians on account of its gummy exudation which injures clothing, though 
inconspicuous in e summer, iv in ais season becomes a prominent ae 
In considering this point the PLCS recurring discussion of what may be 
entitled “Cheat vs. Wheat,” is brought to mind; some farmers contending that in 
seasons of unusual “ wet”? the wheat turns to hei: others that the cheat, which in 
ordinary Seasons is kept back, suppressed the wheat (which makes the earliest 
start and quickest after growth, therefore maturing first), in unusually wet seasons 
gets the start of the wheat and dominates the field for that season. (Cheat is the 
local or vulgar name for Lolium temulentum 
ey 
