Experiments in the Hybridization op Cereals. 423 



SOME EXPERIMENTS IN THE HYBRIDIZA- 

 TION OF CEREALS. 



BY C. G. PRINGLE, OF CHARLOTTE. 



When agriculture shall have been long enough to school 

 to the natural sciences, and, under encouragement from the 

 State, and under the lead of intelligent and devoted pat- 

 rons, shall have taken its true rank among the pursuits of 

 man, keeping pace with the progress of the world, and 

 holding its own against the aggressions of every other inter- 

 est, perhaps no art, of all those which it will make contribu- 

 tory to its use, will do it greater service than the one which 

 I bring to notice to-day. 



Then hybridization, in the hands of those who will devote 

 their lives to its study and practice, will be in constant 

 Tequisition to furnish to the cultivator in field, garden and 

 forest such plants as will best supply his wants, or gratify 

 his fancy. Instead of being employed as now by a few 

 scattered experimenters, and very much as we handle some 

 magic toy, to amuse or astonish us by its unexpected or 

 brilliant displays, it will in that day be practiced systemati- 

 cally and judiciously to produce sure and definite results. 

 None of the higher orders of plants, upon the cultivation of 



