I 21 
the Grain of Wheat ( Triticum vulgar e). 
probable that this disorganization of nuclei has any bearing on the question 
of strength. As a matter of fact, baking tests do not bear out the idea that 
grain cut green is stronger than that cut dead ripe, the latter more frequently 
proving stronger than the former. 
To a large extent all these observations were repeated later with 
material collected in 1907 from the same plots and of the same varieties, 
with results which corroborated those previously obtained. 
To sum up, it seems that so far only negative results have been 
obtained, and that no cytological distinctions, indicative of strength, present 
themselves between wheat grains of varying strengths, whether of the same 
or of different varieties. 
Although the original investigation yielded very little result, the 
examination of the 1904 material seemed to indicate that it would be 
desirable to pursue the inquiry along different lines, and to study the 
development of the grain from the time of pollination up to maturity, so 
this work was undertaken during the summer of 1907. 
DEVELOPMENT OF THE WHEAT GRAIN. 
{ a ) Preparation of Material. 
For the purpose of studying the development it was essential that the 
grains should be comparable as to age. As is well known, the flowering 
ear of wheat is an inflorescence composed of numerous flowers of different 
ages, which therefore c come into flower ’ and are pollinated in succession, 
and not all on the same day. The varieties chosen for investigation in the 
first place were autumn-sown Square Head’s Master from Broadbalk, 
Plots 3 and 10, and spring-sown Red Fife, from an adjoining field. The 
first flowers to open and protrude their anthers are the ones in the middle 
of the groups of flowering glumes situated about four or five down from the 
tip of the ear. 
The plots were watched as the time for flowering drew near, and 
directly it was seen that the first anthers were hanging out, which always 
begins on the leading shoots, a staff of workers went through the field and 
loosely knotted a piece of red wool immediately below each ear which had 
stamens projecting from one flower. Any ears in which two or three 
flowers were open in a vertical row were rejected, as these were the fore- 
runners of the general flowering, and were probably a day older than the 
chosen ears. Thus all the marked ears which were afterwards cut in 
succession, may be considered to have been of the same age, or with 
a variation of a few hours only. Two days after this collecting began, 
and was continued daily at approximately the same hour right up to the 
time of harvesting, seven weeks later. One grain only was taken from each 
marked ear, and the one selected was that which had been first pollinated ; 
