﻿13 
  

  

  sum 
  total 
  of 
  the 
  knowledge 
  which 
  we 
  wish 
  to 
  acquire 
  as 
  

   rapidly 
  as 
  possible. 
  First, 
  in 
  collecting 
  pollen; 
  it 
  is 
  important 
  

   to 
  shake 
  our 
  pollen 
  into 
  dry 
  paper 
  boxes. 
  If 
  we 
  try 
  to 
  preserve 
  

   the 
  pollen 
  in 
  glass 
  or 
  in 
  metal, 
  it 
  is 
  attacked 
  by 
  various 
  mould 
  

   fungi 
  and 
  is 
  rapidly 
  destroyed. 
  We 
  have 
  to 
  remember 
  that 
  pol- 
  

   len 
  consists 
  of 
  live 
  cells 
  which 
  have 
  quite 
  as 
  active 
  a 
  place 
  in 
  

   the 
  organic 
  world 
  as 
  a 
  red 
  squirrel, 
  and 
  the 
  pollen 
  grains 
  need 
  

   to 
  breathe 
  quite 
  as 
  much 
  as 
  a 
  red 
  squirrel 
  needs 
  to 
  breathe. 
  

   Therefore 
  they 
  must 
  not 
  be 
  placed 
  in 
  glass 
  or 
  metal 
  or 
  tightly 
  

   sealed. 
  Further, 
  the 
  pollen 
  grains 
  need 
  to 
  be 
  kept 
  cool 
  in 
  order 
  

   to 
  avoid 
  attacks 
  from 
  the 
  greatest 
  enemy 
  of 
  all 
  organic 
  life, 
  

   the 
  microbes 
  or 
  the 
  lower 
  fungi. 
  Probably 
  we 
  may 
  keep 
  

   pollen 
  for 
  a 
  longer 
  time 
  than 
  it 
  could 
  ordinarily 
  be 
  kept, 
  if 
  it 
  is 
  

   placed 
  in 
  cold 
  storage, 
  but 
  practically 
  I 
  have 
  tried 
  the 
  experi- 
  

   ment 
  on 
  only 
  one 
  occasion. 
  Last 
  year 
  I 
  wished 
  to 
  cross 
  the 
  

   chinkapin 
  with 
  the 
  white 
  oak. 
  The 
  white 
  oak 
  blossoms 
  more 
  

   than 
  a 
  month 
  in 
  advance 
  of 
  the 
  chinkapin 
  in 
  Connecticut, 
  and 
  

   the 
  question 
  was 
  how 
  we 
  could 
  keep 
  the 
  white 
  oak 
  pollen. 
  Some 
  

   of 
  it 
  was 
  placed 
  in 
  paper 
  boxes 
  in 
  cold 
  storage; 
  some 
  in 
  paper 
  

   boxes 
  in 
  the 
  cellar 
  in 
  a 
  dry 
  place. 
  Pollen 
  which 
  had 
  been 
  kept 
  

   in 
  the 
  cellar 
  and 
  pollen 
  which 
  had 
  been 
  kept 
  in 
  cold 
  storage 
  

   were 
  about 
  equally 
  viable. 
  It 
  is 
  quite 
  remarkable 
  to 
  know 
  that 
  

   pollen 
  can 
  be 
  kept 
  for 
  more 
  than 
  a 
  month 
  under 
  any 
  circum- 
  

   stances. 
  Hybridization 
  occurred 
  in 
  my 
  chinkapins 
  from 
  this 
  

   white 
  oak 
  pollen. 
  Sometimes, 
  where 
  the 
  flowering 
  time 
  of 
  such 
  

   trees 
  is 
  far 
  apart, 
  it 
  is 
  important 
  to 
  know 
  how 
  we 
  may 
  secure 
  

   pollen 
  of 
  one 
  kind 
  for 
  the 
  female 
  flowers 
  of 
  the 
  other. 
  Two 
  

   methods 
  are 
  possible. 
  In 
  the 
  first 
  place, 
  we 
  may 
  secure 
  pollen 
  

   from 
  the 
  northern 
  or 
  southern 
  range 
  of 
  a 
  species 
  for 
  application 
  

   upon 
  pistillate 
  flowers 
  at 
  the 
  other 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  range 
  of 
  that 
  

   species. 
  Another 
  way 
  is 
  to 
  collect 
  branches 
  carrying 
  male 
  flowers 
  

   before 
  the 
  flowers 
  have 
  developed, 
  place 
  them 
  in 
  the 
  ice 
  house 
  

   or 
  in 
  a 
  dark, 
  cold 
  room 
  without 
  light 
  until 
  the 
  proper 
  time 
  for 
  

   forcing 
  the 
  flowers, 
  and 
  if 
  these 
  branches 
  are 
  then 
  placed 
  in 
  

   water, 
  the 
  water 
  changed 
  frequently 
  as 
  when 
  we 
  are 
  keeping 
  

   flowers 
  carefully, 
  the 
  catkins 
  or 
  other 
  male 
  flowers 
  will 
  develop 
  

   pollen 
  satisfactorily 
  a 
  long 
  time 
  after 
  their 
  natural 
  time 
  of 
  fur- 
  

   nishing 
  pollen, 
  when 
  they 
  are 
  brought 
  out 
  into 
  the 
  light. 
  In 
  

   protecting 
  pistillate 
  flowers 
  from 
  the 
  pollen 
  of 
  their 
  own 
  trees, 
  

   with 
  the 
  nut 
  tree 
  group 
  where 
  pollen 
  is 
  wind-borne 
  rather 
  than 
  

   insect 
  borne, 
  I 
  find 
  that 
  the 
  better 
  way 
  is 
  to 
  cover 
  the 
  pistillate 
  

   flowers 
  with 
  paper 
  bags, 
  the 
  thinner 
  the 
  better, 
  the 
  kind 
  that 
  

  

  