﻿Unbalanced 
  Crosses 
  273 
  

  

  cies, 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  almost 
  incredible 
  number 
  of 
  

   combinations 
  which 
  are 
  possible 
  between 
  their 
  

   characters. 
  The 
  first 
  of 
  these 
  crosses 
  was 
  

   made 
  in 
  the 
  nursery 
  of 
  Veitch 
  and 
  Sons 
  near 
  

   London 
  by 
  Seden, 
  and 
  the 
  first 
  hybrid 
  is 
  ac- 
  

   cordingly 
  known 
  as 
  Begonia 
  sedeni 
  and 
  is 
  still 
  

   to 
  be 
  met 
  with. 
  It 
  has 
  been 
  superseded 
  by 
  sub- 
  

   sequent 
  crosses 
  between 
  the 
  sedeni 
  itself 
  and 
  

   the 
  veitchi 
  and 
  rosiflora, 
  the 
  davisii, 
  the 
  

   clarkii 
  and 
  others. 
  Each 
  of 
  them 
  contributed 
  

   its 
  advantageous 
  qualities, 
  such 
  as 
  round 
  flow- 
  

   ers, 
  rosy 
  color, 
  erect 
  flower 
  stalks, 
  elevation 
  of 
  

   the 
  flowers 
  above 
  the 
  foliage 
  and 
  others. 
  New 
  

   crosses 
  are 
  being 
  made 
  continuously, 
  partly 
  be- 
  

   tween 
  the 
  already 
  existing 
  hybrids 
  and 
  partly 
  

   with 
  newly 
  introduced 
  wild 
  species. 
  Only 
  

   rarely 
  is 
  it 
  possible 
  to 
  get 
  pure 
  seeds, 
  and 
  I 
  

   have 
  not 
  yet 
  been 
  able 
  to 
  ascertain 
  whether 
  the 
  

   hybrids 
  would 
  come 
  true 
  from 
  seed. 
  Specific 
  

   and 
  varietal 
  characters 
  may 
  occur 
  together 
  in 
  

   many 
  of 
  the 
  several 
  forms, 
  but 
  nothing 
  is 
  as 
  

   yet 
  accurately 
  known 
  as 
  to 
  their 
  behavior 
  in 
  

   pure 
  fertilizations. 
  Constancy 
  and 
  segregation 
  

   are 
  thrown 
  together 
  in 
  such 
  a 
  manner 
  that 
  ex- 
  

   treme 
  variability 
  results, 
  and 
  numerous 
  beauti- 
  

   ful 
  types 
  may 
  be 
  had, 
  and 
  others 
  may 
  be 
  ex- 
  

   pected 
  from 
  further 
  crosses. 
  For 
  a 
  scientific 
  

   analysis, 
  however, 
  the 
  large 
  range 
  of 
  recorded 
  

   facts 
  and 
  the 
  written 
  history, 
  which 
  at 
  first 
  sight 
  

  

  