Bei den Versuchen über dieses Merkmal wurde der sicheren Unterscheidung wegen stets die lange Axe von 6 – 7′ mit der kurzen von ¾ bis 1½′ verbunden.
In the experiments on this trait, the long axis of 6 – 7′ was always joined with the short one of ¾ to 1 ½′ in order to achieve a safe distinction.
6 – 7′ Bateson translates “ft”. Mendel’s manuscript indeed uses Fuss (“foot”) here, and this Austrian linear measure used to be symbolized with a prime. It measured 31.61 cm, however, rather than 30.48 cm as the English foot does. The metric system was adopted by Austrian law in 1871 only. Tschermak’s 1901 edition of Mendel’s paper incorrectly replaces the prime with Zoll, which is 2.63 cm only; see Franz Weiling, “Geschichte des Textes der ‘Versuche’ sowie textkritische Bemerkungen”, in: Gregor Mendel, Versuche über Pflanzenhybriden, Ostwalds Klassiker der Naturwissenschaften, Neue Folge, Band 6 (Braunschweig: Vieweg, 1970), p. 19.
joined = verbunden Both Bateson and Sherwood have “crossed”. Verbunden derives from the verb verbinden; see p. 10, s. 14.