PLANT HYBRIDIZATION BEFORE MENDEL loi 



stigma reaches maturity, when the "germen" generally ceases to 

 grow, and unless it receives the "congenial dust" it fails. Herbert 

 then raises the question, how it is that a seed can draw from the 

 plant the nourishment necessary for its growth up to a certain 

 point, and yet be unable to obtain the further support necessary 

 to bring it to maturity. His opinion follows : 



"I suspect the fact to be," he says, "that as long as the style remains 

 fresh the seed receives a portion of its nourishment by a return of the 

 sap from the style and stigma ; and thus continues to advance rapidly 

 in growth without any fecundation : but I apprehend that, during that 

 period, it is only that part of the seed, which is to form the cotyledon, 

 or seedling leaf, that grows, and that the actual germ of the young plant 

 does not exist completely till after the fecundation of the stigma, when 

 I conceive it to be actually formed by an union of the substance trans- 

 mitted through the vessels of the style, and that which was already 

 with the cotyledon, and thus partake of the type of both parents." 

 (2a, p. 29.) 



"If," Herbert further comments, "the fecundation only gave 

 the embryo a stimulus to excite it to draw nourishment," then, the 

 male type would not be evident in the offspring. He further de- 

 cides upon the necessity of the pollen as the source of the male 

 contribution, on the basis of the fact which he had observed that, 

 in the case of seeds apparently perfect, where the stigma had not 

 been pollinated, or had been pollinated with pollen from a plant 

 not sufficiently related, 



"on opening such seeds, there is a total deficiency of the germ, the 

 seed being an inert lump, which cannot vegetate." (2a, p. 29.) 



Herbert alludes to the idea, which he says was somewhat 

 prevalent, that if plant hybrids are fertile, their progeny will re- 

 vert to the type of the female parent. (2a, p. 40.) This he holds 

 to be extremely improbable, and, if true, almost inexplicable, the 

 reason being that, if fertile, they can be fecundated by pollen 

 from either parent. 



The careful perusal of the entire body of William Herbert's 

 contributions shows the operation of a careful, logical, strong, and 

 able mind, which, within the entire limit of its opportunity, made 

 thorough and conscientious efforts in the breeding of plants, and 

 secured considerable results of much interest, and made many 

 acute and shrewd observations of a botanical nature. 



The services which Dean Herbert rendered plant breeding, con- 

 sisted notably in the clear and intelligent manner in which he 



