These two lots of seeds--the product of a cross between
distinct seedlings, instead of as in the last case between plants
multiplied by stolons, and the product of self-fertilised flowers--were
allowed to germinate on bare sand, and several equal pairs were planted
on opposite sides of two LARGE pots. At a very early age the crossed
plants showed some superiority over the self-fertilised, which was ever
afterwards retained. When the plants were fully grown, the two tallest
crossed and the two tallest self-fertilised plants in each pot were
measured, as shown in Table 3/28. I regret that from want of time I did
not measure all the pairs; but the tallest on each side seemed fairly to
represent the average difference between the two lots.
TABLE 3/28. Origanum vulgare.
Heights of Plants measured in inches.
Column 1: Number (Name) of Pot.
Column 2: Crossed Plants (two tallest in each pot).
Column 3: Self-fertilised Plants (two tallest in each pot).
Pot 1 : 26 : 24.
Pot 1 : 21 : 21.
Pot 2 : 17 : 12.
Pot 2 : 16 : 11 4/8.
Total : 80.0 : 68.5.
The average height of the crossed plants is here 20 inches, and that of
the self-fertilised 17.12; or as 100 to 86. But this excess of height by
no means gives a fair idea of the vast superiority in vigour of the
crossed over the self-fertilised plants. The crossed flowered first and
produced thirty flower-stems, whilst the self-fertilised produced only
fifteen, or half the number.
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