WINTER MEETING, 1880. 19 



pears, peaches, quinces, gooseberries, grapes, currants, raspberries, strawber- 

 ries, are all multiplied by one of the processes named above. 



Our Peachblow, Early Rose and all potatoes are multiplied in a similar man- 

 ner. We plant the tubers which are thick underground stems covered with 

 buds or eyes, which make branches. In the greenhouse we propagate bouvar- 

 dias by cutting up pieces of the roots which produce buds freely. Varieties of 

 the geranium, coleus, heliotrope, verbena and rose are propagated by cuttings. 



RACES. 



If we plant the seed of a variety by itself and continue to select seed from 

 plants of certain styles or types, we shall after a time induce the variety to 

 reproduce itself true from seed. This selection and raising by seed has already 

 been done with our so-called varieties of squashes, cucumbers, melons, seed 

 onions, beets, turnips, cabbages, lettuce, beans, carrots, corn, radishes, 

 tomatoes, and many others. Among plants cultivated for their flowers we 

 have asters, zinnias, and certain colors of phlox Drummondii. In field crops 

 we have wheat, oats, rye, sorghum, etc. In time there is no doubt but what 

 we could multiply Rhode Island Greening trees by seeds as certainly as we 

 now do our squashes and cucumbers. It would take several generations of 

 trees, we do not know how many, to change a variety to a race. We use the 

 term "race" to designate a variety which has become permanent or so fixed 

 that we can raise other plants from the seed. Some peaches have already 

 become, or are fast becoming, races; we can almost multiply them true by 

 seed. 



A HYBRID. 



This term is quite loosely used by many horticulturists and farmers. If two 

 varieties of one species, are united or crossed we get a variety-hybrid ; if two 

 species of one genus are crossed, we get a species-hybrid; if two species of dif- 

 ferent genera are crossed, we get a genus-hybrid. 



Probably the author of the question upon which I am talking wanted to 

 know how to cross or hybridize flowers to produce improved new sorts. On 

 this topic I read a paper which begins on page 51 of the report of our State 

 Pomological Society for 1878. My last two reports printed in volumes of the 

 Michigan Board of Agriculture also contain something upon this matter. 

 Those who want further information on the subject of crossing are referred 

 to these articles. In my papers before the society I am expected to avoid repe- 

 titions, yet I often find an old story is better than a new one, because our 

 reports are not numerous enough for all the reading public. 



In that article I notice that in this matter of crossing plants lies the richest 

 field for discovery in horticulture. 



[Here professor Beal went somewhat into detail explaining the structure and 

 uses of the different parts of the flower of the peach, cherry, apple, strawberry, 

 gooseberry, corn, wheat, melons, and other plants. J 



Our students are all taught how to cross and hybridize plants. 



What is to guide us in selecting the parents for our crosses in plants? Au- 

 thors or experimenters are not fully agreed on this point. To make an 

 improvement we usually select two parents which possess good qualities and 

 defects in different directions. To aid in producing variation we sometimes 

 place the seed producing plant under unnatural conditions by extra cultivation, 

 change of soil or climate. 



He who wishes to become a successful breeder of plants will do well to 



