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Difficulties in obtaining suitable experimental ground hampered and limited
the work of Lidforss. He succeded at last to arrange the matter but died after
short time, working to the last minute.
Lidforss represents the searcher, the problem raiser in the history of Swedish
genetics; he is not in the same degree the solver of problems but his logical in«
telligence, his enthusiasm and great learning gave
a mighty impetus to the study of genetics in
Sweden.
While Lidforss spent his time at the Uni*
versity of Lund struggling against practical ex*
perimental difficulties one of the most important
genetical analysis hitherto made was going on
at the plant breeding institute in Svalöv. Nobody
knew anything about this work before it was
done and published. It was H. NilssonÆhle
who in 1908—1909 presented the results of his
investigations of polymeric factors in wheat and
oats. An analysis of weight had now been worked
out in Sweden. The great importance of this
analysis with regard to the interpretation of
quantitative variation, acclimatization, and other
questions was at once realized. The cogency of
his analysis showed the potentiality of the young
Mendelian science, and, therefore, stimulated
and spurred the study of genetics among Swedish
scientists. It also showed that the intensive study of genetics required special and
good experimental working conditions. These are mainly of two kinds, sufficient
ground and sufficient assistance, and such requirements are better fulfilled at the
plant breeding institutes than at the universities. Most of the Swedish geneticists
are therefore engaged at the plant breeding stations. The material experimented
upon is also mainly cultivated plants.
The valuable contribution to genetics made by NilssonÆhle through his
analysis of polymery in 1909 was renewed a few years after when his extensive
work on the inheritance of quantitative characters appeared. This work rests upon
the polymery analysis and represents a further building up of the theory. Since
then the mutation phenomenon has mainly occupied his interest. He has investig*
ated expecially three groups of mutants, viz. chlorophyll variants in barley, and
fatuoid variants in oats and speltoid ones in wheats. His work on the speltoid
mutants in wheat, where segregations is strongly disturbed by many complications
(coupling, elimination of gametes, partial heterogamy), is especially rich in fresh
suggestions and new ideas. Another study dealing with the resistance of barley
towards the attacks of the nematode Heterodera Schachti is important also from
a practical point of view; the character shows monohybrid segregation, which is
a rare case of segregation among resistance*characters.
A genetical study started already in pre=Mendelian time, or about 1890, has
been made by Hans Tedin in Svalöv dealing with peas, Mendel’s classical experi*
J
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