PLANT HYBRIDIZATION BEFORE MENDEL 97 



of delicacy in its markings, of fragrance, or stature, or profusion of 

 blossom, and he may anticipate with tolerable accuracy the probable as- 

 pect of the intermediate plant which he is permitted to create ; for that 

 term may be figuratively applied to the introduction into the world of a 

 natural form which has probably never before existed in it." (2c, p. 346.) 



With regard to the matter of inheritance of winter-hardiness, 

 Herbert did some experimentation, as the result of which he found 

 that the hybrid offspring held an intermediate position, being : 



". . . less hardy than the one of its parents which bears the greatest 

 exposure, and not so delicate as the other; but if one of the parents is 

 quite hardy and the other not quite able to support our winters, the 

 probability is that the offspring will support them, though it may suffer 

 from a very unusual depression of the thermometer or excess of moisture 

 which would not destroy its hardier parent." (2c, p. 347.) 



Regarding the matter of acclimatization, he held substantially 



the same view which generally obtains among plant physiologists 



of the present day, that: 



"it does not appear that in reality any plant becomes acclimated under 

 our observation, except by crossing with a hardier variety, or by the acci- 

 dental alteration of constitution in some particular seedling; nor that 

 any period of time does in fact work an alteration in the constitution 

 of an individual plant, so as to make it endure a climate which it was 

 originally unable to bear." (2c, p. 347.) 



Entering into details regarding hybrids of his acquaintance, 

 Herbert notes in fact that the first hybrid among liliaceous plants 

 appearing in English gardens was the cross between Hippeastrum 

 vittatum and H. regium. The next being the cross between Crinum 

 capense, and Crinum zeylanicum in the greenhouse of the Earl of 

 Carnarvon in 1813. 



"It is to be observed," he remarks, "that in some cases, the seminal 

 varieties of plants preserve themselves almost as distinct in their gen- 

 erations as if they were separate species" (2c, p. 366), 



and instances the cases of the orange, yellow, white, black, red, 

 and pink hollyhocks, which come true from the seeds, although 

 planted adjacent in the garden. He speaks also of the tendency 

 among carnation seedlings to follow-the color of the parent plant. 



"j have had greater success," he says, "than any other person in rais- 

 ing from seed double camellias of various tirtts and appearance, and 

 some of the best have been produced either from single flowers, or plants 

 raised from single ones, impregnated by the pollen of double flowers, 

 preferring, where it can be got, the pollen that is borne on a petal." 

 (2c, p. 367.) 



He notices the curious fact that the striped sorts of camellias 



