38 REPORT OF THE CONFERENCE ON GENETICS. 
5. A red garden variety of tuberous begonia x B. coccinea, the plant 
eight years old, showing the habit of growth partaking of both tuberous 
and shrubby characters. This hybrid has never flowered. 
B. foliosa x B. fuchsioides.—The reciprocal hybrids are alike. The 
progeny of this cross to show that Mendelian segregation does not occur. 
B. vitifolia x B. sanguinea and the reciprocal cross to show the great 
similarity of the reciprocals. 
B. Dregei x B. heracleifolia.—This hybrid refuses to flower. 
B. heracleifolia x B. coccinea.—An infertile hybrid. 
B. hydrocotylifolia x B. coccinea, also infertile. 
6. Centaurea ragusina candidissima x C. Scabiosa.—F lowers freely, 
but is infertile. 
Exuisit oF Hyprip PINEAPPLES BY W. Fawcett, Director of 
Public Gardens, Jamaica. 
Coloured drawings of several hybrids were shown. These drawings 
had been made by Miss H. A. Wood at Hope Gardens, Jamaica, where 
the pineapples were grown. 
This exhibit was shown as an indication of one of the experiments in 
hybridisation and plant-breeding which are being carried out in the 
Botanic Gardens, Jamaica. The object of this special experiment was to 
get an improved variety of pineapple. The drawings showed crosses 
between the ‘Ripley’ and the ‘Smooth Cayenne.’ The ‘ Ripley’ is a 
small fruit with an insignificant top, but of very fine flavour. The 
‘Smooth Cayenne ’ is a larger fruit with a fine top and no prickles on 
the edges of the leaves, but the flavour is not nearly so good as that of 
‘Ripley.’ The drawings showed some of the results attained. The 
flavour of all the hybrid fruits was excellent. The leaves and tops 
showed various intermediate stages between the two parents, and one 
drawing was very remarkable, showing that the fruit had neither top, nor 
slips, nor suckers, but it is said to have had a very fine flavour. 
Fig. 5 illustrates the method of cross-pollination. 
No. 1. Flower-head with a few open flowers (nat. size). The corolla 
has been removed from one of these, and the stamens pinched off with 
the foreceps. The same thing is done to the variety with which it is to 
be crossed, but the stamens of the flowers of this plant are held with the 
forceps and the anthers brushed against the stigma of the first so that 
the pollen adheres to it. (A shows this process more clearly). 
No. 3. Enlarged flower with surrounding bracts. 
No. 4. Petal, pistil, and stamen—natural size. 
No. 5. Pistil and stamen with vertical section of ovary—much 
enlarged. - 
No. 6. Transverse section of ovary—much enlarged. 
No. 7. Vertical section of ovary, greatly enlarged, showing attach- 
ment of ovules. 
A. The process of cross-pollination. 
* * 
* * * * Pal 
