3<J2 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE. 



is very closely related. This resulted 

 in failure as likewise did attempts to 

 cross with the rose of Sharon, Hibiscus 

 Syria cus. 



Among" the extensive collection of 

 plants on the nursery was a mallow of 

 a very brilliant color, Hibiscus cocci- 

 nens. This was not hardy so far north 

 as Philadelphia and so of course had 

 to be grown in the greenhouse. The 

 color was so brilliant that it really 

 suggested itself as a likely subject to 

 hybridize with the common mallow, 

 with a view to making it hardy enough 

 to withstand the northern winters. 

 Having failed with attempting too vio- 

 lent a cross, such as by use of the hol- 

 lyhock and althaea, the pollen of a 

 very hardy Hibiscus, (Militants,) with 

 a closer botanical relationship was 



used. The pollen of the latter was used 

 to fertilize the brilliant-colored one 

 with the hope that the progeny result- 

 ing from the cross would retain the 

 color and be hardy in the northern 

 states, or, in other words, combine the 

 hardiness of the pollen parent with the 

 brilliant color of the seed parent. 

 This proved a success ; the pod of seed 

 ripened and was sown in the open 

 ground. One of the seedlings bad the 

 dazzling, brilliant color and proved to 

 be quite hardy, standing out unpro- 

 tected. In fact, the original plant is 

 still growing on the nursery. 



With such a plant to work with il 

 was possible to set to work in earnest 

 to improve the swamp mallow. 



In iqoo the flowers of the new hy- 

 brid were pollenized with Hibiscus 



LUXURIANT GROWTH OF MALLOWS 



