In Pot 2, one of the self-fertilised plants was for
a long time taller by two inches than its opponent, but was ultimately
beaten by it, so that all the crossed plants exceeded their opponents in
height. Of twenty-eight capsules produced by the crossed plants
fertilised by pollen from a distinct plant, each contained on an average
4.75 seeds; of twenty-seven self-fertilised capsules on the
self-fertilised plants, each contained on an average 4.47 seeds; so that
the proportion of seeds in the crossed and self-fertilised capsules was
as 100 to 94.
Some of the same seeds, from which the plants in Table 2/5 had been
raised, were planted, after they had germinated on damp sand, in a
square tub, in which a large Brugmansia had long been growing. The soil
was extremely poor and full of roots; six crossed seeds were planted in
one corner, and six self-fertilised seeds in the opposite corner. All
the seedlings from the latter soon died excepting one, and this grew to
the height of only 1 1/2 inches. Of the crossed plants three survived,
and they grew to the height of 2 1/2 inches, but were not able to twine
round a stick; nevertheless, to my surprise, they produced some small
miserable flowers. The crossed plants thus had a decided advantage over
the self-fertilised plants under this extremity of bad conditions.
CROSSED AND SELF-FERTILISED PLANTS OF THE FIFTH GENERATION.
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