The Effects of Cross & Self-Fertilisation in the Vegetable Kingdom — John Shaqi
The Effects of Cross & Self-Fertilisation in the Vegetable KingdomDarwin, Charles
Science
The Effects of Cross & Self-Fertilisation in the Vegetable Kingdom
Darwin, Charles
Fertilization of plants; Plants -- Variation; Pollination
The average height of the six crossed plants is here 87.5, and of the
six self-fertilised plants 63.16, or as 100 to 72. This large difference
was chiefly due to most of the plants, especially the self-fertilised
ones, having become unhealthy towards the close of their growth, and
they were severely attacked by aphides. From this cause nothing can be
inferred with respect to their relative fertility. In this generation we
have the first instance of a self-fertilised plant in Pot 2 exceeding
(though only by half an inch) its crossed opponent. This victory was
fairly won after a long struggle. At first the self-fertilised plant was
several inches taller than its opponent, but when the latter was 4 1/2
feet high it had grown equal; it then grew a little taller than the
self-fertilised plant, but was ultimately beaten by it to the extent of
half an inch, as shown in Table 2/7. I was so much surprised at this
case that I saved the self-fertilised seeds of this plant, which I will
call the “Hero,” and experimented on its descendants, as will hereafter
be described.
Besides the plants included in Table 2/7, nine crossed and nine
self-fertilised plants of the same lot were raised in two other pots, 4
and 5. These pots had been kept in the hothouse, but from want of room
were, whilst the plants were young, suddenly moved during very cold
weather into the coldest part of the greenhouse. They all suffered
greatly, and never quite recovered. After a fortnight only two of the
nine self-fertilised seedlings were alive, whilst seven of the crossed
survived. The tallest of these latter plants when measured was 47 inches
in height, whilst the tallest of the two surviving self-fertilised
plants was only 32 inches. Here again we see how much more vigorous the
crossed plants are than the self-fertilised.
CROSSED AND SELF-FERTILISED PLANTS OF THE SEVENTH GENERATION.
These were raised as heretofore with the following result:--
TABLE 2/8. Ipomoea purpurea (Seventh Generation).
Heights of Plants in inches:
Column 1: Number (Name) of Pot.
Column 2: Crossed Plants.
Column 3: Self-fertilised Plants.
Pot 1 : 84 4/8 : 74 6/8.
Pot 1 : 84 6/8 : 84.
Pot 1 : 76 2/8 : 55 4/8.
Pot 2 : 84 4/8 : 65.
Pot 2 : 90 : 51 2/8.
Pot 2 : 82 2/8 : 80 4/8.
Pot 3 : 83 : 67 6/8.
Pot 3 : 86 : 60 2/8.
Pot 4 : 84 2/8 : 75 2/8.
Total : 755.50 : 614.25.
Each of these nine crossed plants is higher than its opponent, though in
one case only by three-quarters of an inch. Their average height is
83.94 inches, and that of the self-fertilised plants 68.25, or as 100 to
81. These plants, after growing to their full height, became very
unhealthy and infested with aphides, just when the seeds were setting,
so that many of the capsules failed, and nothing can be said on their
relative fertility.
CROSSED AND SELF-FERTILISED PLANTS OF THE EIGHTH GENERATION.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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