298 
Breeding  Medicinal  Plants. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
\       July,  1913. 
the  many  species  and  varieties  medicinally,  but  also  to  determine 
their  relative  yield  of  crude  material,  ease  of  culture,  hardiness, 
flowering  period  and  effects  of  hybridization  upon  these  respective 
characters. 
Thirty-two  forms  (see  Figure  III)  consisting  of  both  species 
and  varieties,  are  under  observation.    These  have  been  started 
Fig.  in. 
Various  species  and  varieties  of  Digitalis. 
from  seed  purchased  of  commercial  seedsmen.  The  most  prominent 
trade  catalogues  from  this  country,  England,  Germany  and  Japan 
have  been  examined,  and  all  forms  of  the  foxglove  listed  in  them 
have  been  obtained.  Some  of  these  were  started  in  the  green- 
house as  early  as  December  in  an  effort  to  bring  as  many  of  them 
as  possible  into  flower  the  first  year.  The  following  table  shows 
the  date  planted,  number  of  plants  in  flower  on  given  dates,  arid 
total  number  of  plants,  both  flowering  and  non-flowering,  at  end 
of  growing  season : 
