^gilops of t/ic South of France. 
173 
One of these plants, kept carefully clear of weeds, yielded 380 
for one, and another 450. These p;rains, better developed, pro- 
truded throun-h their coverings, and did not remain completely 
enclosed as did those of tiie preceding years. 
Sixth year, 1844. — All the spikelets of the plants obtained this 
year from the seeds sown in the autumn of 1843 were fertile, and 
a tolerable quantity of them contained 3 grains. Tliese grains, 
which were visible through their envelopes, were still concave on 
one side. The ears remained deciduous. The valves of the glume 
had only 1 awn, with an excessively short rudiment of another. 
Seventh year, 1845. — The plants gathered in 1845 were very 
like wheat. Tlieir valves had only 1 awn, accompanied by a mere 
tooth, the rudiment of the other. The glume enclosed 4 or 5 
flowers, of which 3 were fertile, as in good corn. These plants 
may be regarded as truly Trilicmn. 
The experiments which led to the results just detailed, and 
which were conducted during 7 successive years, were made in 
an enclosure surrounded by high walls, far from any place where 
cereals were cultivated, and in which there was no other grami- 
neous plant. 
Eighth year, 1846. — Cultivation in open field. Thinking that 
1 had brought the jEyilops triticoides to its greatest perfection, 
and that I had ultimately obtained a true Triticum, or wheat, I 
determined to cultivate my plants in the open fields, and to sow 
them broad-cast in the ordinary way. Accordingly in 1845 I 
sowed some seeds in this manner in a field near the road to Mar- 
seillan, in a soil like what is called in the country souberbe, and 
enclosed on all sides by vineyards. Care was taken to avoid the 
open fields in which corn was cultivated, in order to prevent any 
pollen from it falling on the Triticum ojjtained from j^^gilops. 
For 4 years successively this was continued, and in each autumn 
I obtained produce similar to that yielded by common wheat grown 
in soils of a like nature : the yield was from 6 to 8 times the 
quantity of seed, varying with the year. 
The plants obtained in 1850 had the following characters : — 
The stems were straight, not bent, from 60 to 70 centim. in height, 
and full of pith. The valves of the glume terminated in a single 
awn, the rudiment of the other being scarcely visible. They 
were very slightly striated, and almost liairless. The 2 valves of 
the florets were membranous, as in ^gilops, but the exterior 
one had only a single awn, and the other had none. The 
ears were composed of from 8 to 12 spikelets, having 2 or 3 
fertile flowers, and each consequently ])roducing 2 or 3 grains : 
these grains were very floury and very little concave. 
Tlie yield of 1850 was inferior both in quantity and in quality 
to that of the 3 preceding years ; but this was evidently the 
