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Experiments in Cross-Breeding Plants,
Professor W. J. Beal, desirous of testing the accuracy of
some of the statements in Darwin's work, "The Effects of
Cross and Self Fertilization of Plants," has been making
some experiments, the results of which he records in the
American Journal of Science and Arts. His first experiments
were with Indian corn, Yellow dent corn was obtained
from two men in different parts of Michigan.
In one case the corn had been kept ten
years or more on the same farm, and in the other
instance fifteen years or more on the same farm.
In both cases the corn was much alike. The
two lots were planted in alternate rows in a plat
by itself. The tops of one set of rows were all
cut off, thus securing a perfect cross on those
stalks. Seed from this cross was saved and
planted to compare with corn not so crossed.
The yield from the crossed seed exceeded the
yield of that not crossed, as 153 exceeds 100.

The next experiment was with black wax
beans, a variety much cultivated for the purpose
of supplying an early crop, and a kind that may
be eaten, pod and all, while young. Eight rows
were planted, alternately old and crossed stock,
and fifteen beans planted in each of the rows.

This was on May 31, 1878. On the 22d of July
the pods on the two lots of plants were about
alike in size, but those fit for cooking numbered
108 on the old stock, and 353 on the crossed; a
difference of over three to one in favor of the
crossed stock. On August 9th the pods fit for
cooking, or past that condition, were 883 on the
old stalk and 1,048 on the crossed. On or before
the 16th of September all were harvested. The
total number of pods was found to be, on the
old stock 818 and on the crossed stock 1,859.
The beans of the old stock weighed 29 -77 ounces,
while those of the crossed stocked weighed 70-33
ounces, or nearly in the proportion of 100 to 
236. Six lots of fifty beans each were taken at
random from the old stock, weighed, and the average for
fifty found to be 269 2/3  grains. A like experiment with the
crossed stock gave an average of 213 1/6 grains. The average
weight of an equal number of beans from each stock was
nearly as 100 to 79 in favor of the old stock.