XXviii PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
as a by-product of the research into the somewhat abstruse theory of Linkage, 
undertaken first in Cambridge and afterwards at the John Innes Horticultural 
Institution in conjunction with the late R. P. Gregory, who had done most 
of ^the work. About thirty pairs of factors have been distinguished in the 
species, of which four form one linkage group, namely magenta, thrum, light red 
leaf, green stigma, with their recessives red, pin, dark leaf, red stigma. The 
linkage between leaf and stigma colour is extremely close, more than 30 : 1, and 
the cross over combination is consequently very rare. From theoretical con- 
siderations it was nevertheless highly probable that such a combination might 
eventually be produced. Had the original combination been in the form 
red stigma with dark leaf, the abundance of anthocyanin in both organs might, 
in accordance with older views, have seemed a natural correlation, and been 
attributed to a single factor, but this would have been a mistaken inference. 
From the new combination further novelties can now be readily made. Mr. 
Bateson acknowledged the great assistance he had received during more than 
twenty years from Messrs. Sutton, who had allowed him to keep constantly 
in touch with their operations on Primula and other plants, and it was a pleasure 
to be able to send them in return a plant of horticultural interest, from which 
they had worked up the fine group of ' Etna ' exhibited in the Hall. 
Mr. Sutton said the whole field of hybridization for raising new varieties 
of vegetables and flowers has been altered by Prof. Bateson' s Mendelian research 
work, so that we are now at once able to make crosses with a more or less certain 
knowledge of what will result from the crosses — instead of working in the dark 
" and taking the chance of what might turn up." 
Scientific Committee, February 22, 1921. 
Mr. E. A. Bowles, M.A., in the Chair, and six members present, with Mr. E. H. 
Jenkins and Mr. S. Pope, visitors. 
Hybrid Saxifrage. —Mr. E. H. Jenkins showed an interesting hybrid Saxifrage 
called ' The Link.' 
Scientific Committee, March 8, 1921. 
Mr. E. A. Bowles, M.A., in the Chair, and eight members present. 
British Primulas. — Mr. Fraser showed a specimen of the well-known hybrid 
Primula veris X acaulis and of P. elatior, and drew attention to the fact that 
not only is the throat of the corolla open in P. elatior, but the capsule is longer 
than the calyx. 
Variegated Abutilon. — Mr. Hosking showed specimens to illustrate the trans- 
missibility of variegation in Abutilons. The case of A . Thompsoni on A . striatum 
is well known, but Mr. Hosking showed it could also be used to cause variegation 
in A. insignis and other species. 
Scientific Committee, April 5, 1921. 
Mr. E. A. Bowles, M.A., in the Chair, and ten members, with Mrs. Berkeley 
(visitor), present. 
Primrose, effect of selection. — Mrs. Berkeley of Spetchley showed a number 
of primroses of various colours raised at Spetchley, the result of twenty years 
careful selection for size of flowers, many of the flowers being about double 
the size of the common primrose. A Certificate of Appreciation was, on the 
proposal of Colonel Balfour, seconded by Mr. Cuthbertson, unanimously awarded 
to Mrs. Berkeley for her work with these primroses. 
A nemone Pulsatilla forms. — Mr. Fraser showed a series of specimens to illustrate 
the range of variation in Anemone Pulsatilla. In the course of discussion it 
was pointed out that the dark-flowered form (var. tenuifolia) flowers about a 
fortnight later than the paler one and comes true from seed. 
Delphinium Ajacis. — Mr. Fraser also showed a specimen of this species which 
has become naturalized on Kew Green. 
Schizanthus hybrids. — Mr. Cuthbertson showed flowers of a new strain of 
Schizanthus raised by Dr. Badger by selection from a large-flowered plant which 
