424 



NOTES ON HYBRIDIZING VEGETABLES. 



quently, and generally loioer in the scale of 

 vegetable organization than the parents 

 from which they sprung ; their floral devel- 

 opment being very often imperfect, and 

 even monstrosities. A hybrid may be 

 higher in the scale of perfection for our 

 purposes, and yet incapable of reproduction 

 by fructification, and without possessing 

 any recognized rank in the scale of com- 

 plete vegetable developmen'. 



It has been sufficiently proved that hy- 

 brid productions can be made to partake 

 of the properties of both the species from 

 which they sprung, almost at the will of 

 the hybridiser. This fact has been stri- 

 kingly illustrated in the hybridization of 

 fruits and flowers ; but less attention has 

 been paid to this branch of horticulture in 

 the case of culinary vegetables, and there- 

 fore it is chiefly when the fecundation of 

 flowers on plants havingdistinct characters, 

 have occurred by insects, that the nume- 

 rous varieties have peen produced. By 

 artificial hybridization, carefully performed, 

 we find an invariable similarity in the re- 

 sults, which holds good at least in a conside- 

 rable number of families of plants, espe- 

 cially among florists' flowers, and which 

 has led to the production of colours and 

 other characters almost as the operator may 

 choose. Thus, in a number of subjects, 

 the hybrid generally partakes in its flowers 

 of the forms and colours of the male, 

 while the habit and foliage resembles that 

 of the female. In hybridizing geraniums, 

 calceolarias, fuschias, &c, I have seldom 

 failed in obtaining the colours I desired, in 

 a greater or less degree, according as the 

 operation had been carefully or negligent- 

 ly performed ; I tried this experiment re- 

 peatedly on the fuschia, and the results 

 were invariably the same. I impregnated 

 the F. serratifolia with several globular 

 varieties, and every seedling produced had 



the foliage and habit of serratifolia, but 

 their flowers were various. In many other 

 instances I obtained similar results. 



To hybridize with any reliable prospect 

 of success, it is necessary to destroy the male 

 organs of the seed-bearing flowers which 

 are to be fertilized, taking particular care 

 not to injure the stigma. This must be 

 1'one before the blossoms are fully de- 

 veloped. In the fertilizing flowers I take 

 away the stigma, leaving the stamens un- 

 injured, and when the blossoms have 

 attained a mature state, I impregnate the 

 stigma of the former with the pollen of the 

 latter. In most plants it is very easy 

 to distinguish the precise time when the 

 stigma is ready for the reception of the fe- 

 cundating powder, and in some this period 

 passes away in a few hours, while in others 

 it remains for some days; and I am of 

 opinion that success in hybridization de- 

 pends pretty much upon the fertilizing of 

 the organs at the period which nature has 

 designed them to act. If too early, the 

 organs of the flowers are not susceptible 

 of fecundation ; — the ovary is not prepared 

 to receive, nor the anther to part with its fer- 

 tilizing power. If too late, the anthers have 

 already discharged their pollen, the stigma 

 is fertilized, and subsequent impregnation 

 has no effect. The stigma and pistils grow 

 and come to maturity precisely at the same 

 time ; accordingly they also decay together ; 

 they lose their susceptibility of action im- 

 mediately on the bursting of the pollen 

 sacs ; their respective functions having 

 been fulfilled, the flower from that moment 

 commences to decay. 



In order to effect the impregnation of the 

 seed, it is not necessary that the stigma 

 should be loaded with the pollen ; a very 

 slight portion of the fructifying powder is 

 sufficient, and the only material point is 

 that the flower is mature, and that the 



