Column 5: self-fertilised Plants, December 6, 1868.
Pot 1 : 15 4/8 : 26 : 40 : 44.
Pot 2 : 3 : 15 : 6 4/8 : 43.
Pot 3 : 8 : 13 4/8 : 16 : 33.
Pot 4 : 5 : 5 : 11 4/8 : 11.
Total : 31.5 : 59.5 : 74.0 : 131.0.
As the plants did not grow to their proper height in the above small pots in Table 6/84, four crossed and four self-fertilised plants were raised from the same seed, and were planted in pairs on the opposite sides of four very large pots containing rich soil; so that they were not exposed to at all severe mutual competition. When these plants were in flower I neglected to measure them, but record in my notes that all four self-fertilised plants exceeded in height the four crossed plants by 2 or 3 inches. We have seen that the flowers on the original or parent-plants which were crossed with pollen from a distinct plant yielded much fewer seeds than those fertilised with their own pollen; and the trial just given, as well as that in Table 6/84, show us clearly that the plants raised from the crossed seeds were inferior in height to those from the self-fertilised seeds; but only when not greatly crowded. When crowded and thus subjected to very severe competition, the crossed and self-fertilised plants were nearly equal in height.
CROSSED AND SELF-FERTILISED PLANTS OF THE SECOND GENERATION.
Twelve flowers on the crossed plants of the last generation growing in the four large pots just mentioned, were crossed with pollen from a crossed plant growing in one of the other pots; and twelve flowers on the self-fertilised plants were fertilised with their own pollen. All these flowers of both lots produced fine capsules. Ten of the crossed capsules contained by weight 38.92 grains of seeds, and ten of the self-fertilised capsules 37.74 grains; or as 100 to 97. Some of these seeds in an equal state of germination were planted in pairs on the opposite sides of five large pots. A good many of the crossed seeds germinated before the self-fertilised, and were of course rejected. The plants thus raised were measured when several of them were in full flower.
TABLE 6/85. Nicotiana tabacum (second generation).