In all the lots the short-styled plants yielded,
contrary to my expectation, most seed. Taking the lots together, the following
is the result:--
TABLE 1.1.
Column 1: Plant.
Column 2: Number of Plants.
Column 3: Number of Umbels Produced.
Column 4: Number of Capsules Produced.
Column 5: Weight of Seed In Grains.
Short-styled cowslips : 9 : 33 : 199 : 83.
Long-styled cowslips : 13 : 51 : 261 : 91.
If we compare the weight from an equal number of plants, and from an equal
number of umbels, and from an equal number of capsules of the two forms, we get
the following results:--
TABLE 1.2.
Column 1: Plant.
Column 2: Number of Plants.
Column 3: Weight of Seed in grains.
...
Column 4: Number of Umbels.
Column 5: Weight of Seed.
...
Column 6: Number of Capsules.
Column 7: Weight of Seed in grains.
Short-styled cowslips : 10 : 92 :: 100 : 251 :: 100 : 41.
Long-styled cowslips : 10 : 70 :: 100 : 178 :: 100 : 34.
So that, by all these standards of comparison, the short-styled form is the more
fertile; if we take the number of umbels (which is the fairest standard, for
large and small plants are thus equalised), the short-styled plants produce more
seed than the long-styled, in the proportion of nearly four to three.
In 1861 the trial was made in a fuller and fairer manner. A number of wild
plants had been transplanted during the previous autumn into a large bed in my
garden, and all were treated alike; the result was:--
TABLE 1.
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