MAY 10, 1900. 



The Weekly Florists* Review. 



727 



were made were taken of the same 

 relative size. We will also find in this 

 liunch of seeiiling.s lioforc us a num- 

 l)er of these single petaled blooms. 



Possibly a brief description of the 

 process of hybridizing may be of in- 

 terest. You will see projecting above 

 the flower two horn-like growths. 

 'These are the pistils, or female or- 

 gans of the flower. Where the petals 

 and pistils have been removed, you 

 will notice the anthers, which con- 

 tain the pollen. In hybridizing, this 

 pollen is removed from one flower 

 and spread upon the pistils of the 

 flower which we wish to bear the seed. 

 This is done by tweezers or a camel's- 

 hair lirush. and in some instances by 

 simply taking the flower and scatter- 

 ing the pollen over the pistils. 



When the flower has commenced to 

 wither and the petpJs are closing to- 

 gether, it is an indication that fer- 

 tilization has taken place, and it will 

 be seen that the ovary or seed pod 

 is commencing to enlarge. After fer- 

 tilization has taken place this pod 

 continues its growth for four or five 

 weeks and usually ripens its seed 

 within six or eight weeks after the 

 date of fertilization. Seed ripening, 

 however, takes place much more rap- 

 idly in April, May and .June than 

 during the winter months. After the 

 seeds are ripened they are carefully 

 sown and treated the same as the 



Fig. 6. 



Fip. 7, Weal White Seedling. 



seeds of any choice greenhouse plant. 



In a week or ten days after germ- 

 ination the root system has i cached 

 considerable proportions and Lhe nrst 

 true leaves are beginning to form. 

 When the seedlings reach this stage 

 they are taken from the seed lieds 

 and pricked off into flats, where they 

 remain three or four weeks .and are 

 then potted up in small pots, from 

 which they are planied in the open 

 ground about the first to the tenth 

 of May. where they cc-me into 'iloom 

 during the months of August and 

 September, at which time the plants 

 bearing promising flowers are lifted 

 and planted on the greenhouse 

 benches, and thereafter treated the 

 same as in ordinary carnation culture. 



While this growing of seedling car- 

 nations is an intensely interesting 

 work, and one well worthy the care- 

 ful attention requisite to obtain ma- 

 terial results, it is not only tedious 

 but expensive, and the seedling grow- 

 er who produces a distinct advance 

 upon the existing type of carnation 

 is well worthy the plaudits of his 

 fellow carnation men and richly de- 

 serves the praise of all those who are 

 interested in or imliued with the love 

 of flowers. 



In figures t'l and 7 we have a snow 

 white seedling which for beauty of 

 form and purity of color was un.sur- 

 passed. but, unfortunately, it was not 

 sufliciently free in blooming lo war- 

 rant its commercial introduction. In 

 the front view of the flower the petals 

 are not crowded, but there are suffi- 

 cient of them to give the effect of n 



