I was so much surprised at this great superiority of the self-fertilised over the crossed plants, that I determined to try how they would behave in one of the pots during a second growth. The two plants, therefore, in Pot 1 were cut down, and repotted without being disturbed in a much larger pot. In the following year the self-fertilised plant showed even a greater superiority than before; for the two tallest flower-stems produced by the one crossed plant were only 29 4/8 and 30 1/8 inches in height, whereas the two tallest stems on the one self-fertilised plant were 49 4/8 and 49 6/8 inches; and this gives a ratio of 100 to 167. Considering all the evidence, there can be no doubt that these self-fertilised plants had a great superiority over the crossed plants.
CROSSED AND SELF-FERTILISED PLANTS OF THE SECOND GENERATION.
TABLE 5/71. Lobelia fulgens (Second Generation).
Heights of flower-stems measured in inches.
Column 1: Number (Name) of Pot.
Column 2: Crossed Plants.
Column 3: Self-fertilised Plants.
Pot 1 : 27 3/8 : 32 3/8. Pot 1 : 26 : 26 3/8. Pot 1 : 24 3/8 : 25 1/8. Pot 1 : 24 4/8 : 26 2/8.
Pot 2 : 34 : 36 2/8. Pot 2 : 26 6/8 : 28 6/8. Pot 2 : 25 1/8 : 30 1/8. Pot 2 : 26 : 32 2/8.
Pot 3 : 40 4/8 : 30 4/8. Pot 3 : 37 5/8 : 28 2/8. Pot 3 : 32 1/8 : 23.