PLANT HYBRIDIZATION BEFORE MENDEL 155 



able to sow their seeds under different conditions of climate, tem- 

 perature, soil, moisture, etc. When, after several such sowings, a 

 case occurs where individual seedlings show more or less remark- 

 able changes, varying more or less, showing that stability or 

 habit has been unsettled, the seeds of the varying plants are to 

 be gathered, since from these, new varieties are to be expected. 

 The seeds of such new forms are sown over again and so on con- 

 tinually. Such changes Lecoq considers "purely morphological 

 phenomena, that is to say, changes of the natural form without 

 hybridization." 



Once arrived at this point, hybridization of the thus newly- 

 obtained varieties was to continue, and still other new ones thereby 

 again obtained. Such was the simple formula of this genial friend 

 of plants and gardening, for the breeding and improvement of 

 plants. After a brief botanical discussion of natural fertilization, 

 Lecoq devotes the remainder of his book to a discussion of 

 artificial fertilization, first in its general aspects and applications, 

 and then in ^detail, as applicable to the various more important 

 families of the seed plants, of which he brings into discussion 

 seventy-five, including two hundred and ninety species. 



Speaking of the hybrid offspring of the crossing of plants of 

 different genera or different species, Lecoq says : 



"In general, the product of such a fertilization . shows at the same 

 time the characters and peculiarities of the father and of the mother; 

 but I have noticed that in a very great number of crosses achieved by 

 myself with all conceivable foresight, the hybrids or products have 

 almost always taken more from the mother plant than from the father." 

 (3b, p. 41.) 



The reason for this might possibly be attributed to frequent 

 cases of accidental self-fertilization. 

 Again Lecoq says : 



"The most difficult thing was and always is the shattering of the 

 stability of the first type, the breaking of its habit; just as soon as an 

 impulse thereto is present, then variation begins to know the limits of 

 which no human eye and no human understanding suffices. With the 

 mighty lever of hybridization in the hand, the power of the gardener is 

 an almost unlimited one." {ib., p. 45.) 



Lecoq comes now to the discussion of special objects in the 

 breeding of plants. Speaking of breeding for double flowers, he 

 makes a remark that has genetic value. 



