ILLINOIS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 237 



HYBRIDIZATION OF PLANTS. 



Mr. McAfee then proceeded to give an account of some experi- 

 ments in relation to the hybridization of plants. The different colored 

 grains he said, in regard to corn, will appear although the self-colors are 

 planted. He showed a deep red ear of uniform color even to the trunk 

 and pith of the cob. This result he obtained from pure white corn. In 

 this case no variegated colors can appear; they will be either white or 

 self-colored. He then selected grains of variegated corn and planted 

 them ; all the produce was variegated. His object was to show that in 

 hybridization all the colors were either self or variegated. Again he 

 showed an ear of white corn containing a few yellow grains at the tip. 

 These are the results of foreign pollen, they never begin found at the butt 

 of the ear. This was to illustrate the influence of female plants, on even 

 the husk and the grain. Therefore, to improve your corn, select the low- 

 er ear, that being always the nearest approximation to the genuine. 



Dr. Pennington called attention to the subject of acclimation and 

 hybridization. He said we know as little of this as of electricity. The 

 most useful plants were exotics. They have been modified, as in the 

 case of the peach, which he thought would yet be acclimated so that it 

 will be grown constantly in this latitude. 



Dr. I'ennington warmly indorsed Mr. McAfee, and hoped that the 

 subject would receive the attention of the Society. 



On the subject ol the acclimation of plants, the Doctor took the 

 ground that the theory is a practicable one. He had no doubt that we 

 would yet produce a race of peach-trees that would bear a greater de- 

 gree of frost than any that we now had in our orchards. 



Mr. Harrison objected to all these new things; he stood by the 

 old, for these had proved valuable. 



.Mk. l)i)i glass. — It is niy belief from my experiments, that Siberian 

 Arbor \itce is only .i sport of tlic .\nierican Arbor Vitte. 



Mr. Douglass thought the gentleman did not understand the paper 

 of Mr. McAfee, as it in no way prevented the classical gentlemen from 

 going on with their old-time theories to their hearts' content, lie was 

 ready to learn from Nature as well as books, and did not wish to be shut 

 out from new fields of investigation. Mr. 1). went on to describe the 

 very (vw changes in cross-tireeding, or hybridizing, of forest-trees. There 

 are a few sports; but these must be propagated by cuttings, as the seed- 

 lings are not like their sporting parents. 



