1449 
great time with the Chinese cabbage (Brassiea peUnensis) , 
the seed of which I obtained from your Department. I 
am sure you will be Interested to hear a word about 
it. It turns out to be a most fascinating plant for 
the investigation pf that type of sterility which I 
have been calling physiological incompatibility . It Is 
especially favorable for such study for I can grow the 
plants in pots and get them to bloom any time in the 
year without heading up. I hope to publish a prelimi- 
nary report on the plant sometime within the next 
year. As 'for growing the Chinese cabbage in garden 
culture, I found I could force them as one does early 
head lettuce and get fine cabbages before the hot 
season comes on. The plants were grown under glass 
until ready for the second transplanting, when they 
were put in the field. I also grew a crop late in 
autumn and banked them with leaves so we had fine 
heads to eat until New dear's dinner used up the last. 
Four plants of the late crop failed to form heads. 
These were left without protection and lived through 
the winter. I shall be interested to see what they do 
this spring. Evidently they will bloom without forming 
heads. My experience indicates that the plant can be 
forced quite successfully in spring. Of course, in such 
a plant as Chinese cabbage, the condition of incom- 
patibility is not directly involved In the commercial 
crop. It might', however, develop during the Isolation 
of certain strains to the extent of Interfering with 
the maintenance of the strain. In plants in which the 
fruit or the seeds constitute the commercial product, 
and especially when the method of propagation Is vege- 
tative, Incompatibility may limit very much the product 
as it does in so many of our fruits." - For photograph 
of an Interesting form of this vegetable see PI. 239. 
