ARTIFICIAL FERTILISATION. 



277 



as the anthers develop they must be lightly removed without in- 

 juring the stigma in the slightest degree, a finely-pointed pair of 

 scissors being used for the purpose. Stamens, as a rule, develop 

 earlier than the pistil. 



The pollenisation of double flowers or blossoms is another 

 delicate work, and needs extra patience. The extra number of 

 petals in these is the result of abnormal treatment, which causes 

 the stamens or pistil, and sometimes both, to fall back to flattened 



leaves. 



Botanically speaking, all flowers are modified leaves. When 

 the stamens only have undergone this transformation it is possible 

 to obtain seeds from double blossoms. The petals are removed 

 in the same manner as the anthers from bisexual flowers, and the 

 result is often effective, i.e.. fertile seeds are produced. Of course, 

 the anthers from a single or semi-double flower supply the pollen ; 

 but where both stamens and pistil have undergone the transforma- 

 tion to petals, perpetuation by seeds is altogether out of the 

 question. The reason is very patent — there are no organs of re- 

 production. 



It will need a deal of patience and experience to be successful 

 in the more delicate operations named, and the results will be very 

 disappointing, for, as a rule, not one seed in a thousand or more 

 will be an improvement on the original. Now-a-days the plant 

 world has a tendency to go back to some earlier form. 



These final remarks do not apply to the cultivation of puinp- 

 kins, melons, cucumbers, &c. The method of artificial fertilisation 

 described will always ensure the best strains of them pure for 

 3'ears to come. To keep any choice strain in health and good 

 heart, a pollen-bearing bloom of the same strain should occa- 

 sionally be introduced from another district ; a plant or seed would 

 be better if the desired strain had also been s-ecured by artificial 

 means. Such plants should be grown away from the main crop, 

 and the anthers and pistils used for reproductive purposes care- 

 fully guarded from any chance of the pollen from an undesirable 

 strain being conveyed to the stigma of the plants to bo used for 

 seed purposes. 



The pollen in all cases contains the cells of life, and ovaries 

 in the pistillate blooms contain the cells of matter. It is the union 

 of these two cells, that of life and that of matter, which produces 

 fertile seeds. 



Remember, in selecting for eross-pollenisation purjx)ses, 

 natural orders cannot be used to produce new or fresh orders ; nor 



