CROSSING FKLTl' i'l-OWERS. 



Ill 



with a paper bag or a small cloth sack made for the purpose. (Fig- 

 ure 2.) 



About a day after emasculation the stigma will become viscid, 

 i. e., receptive, and we arc now ready to apply our selected pollen. 

 The best way is to pick the flower wanted, just when the anthers 

 arc opening, and to shako its pollen on the stigma of the emasculated 

 tlowcr. Care must he taken not to hurt the delicate stigma. Some- 

 times a camel's hair brush is used to transfer the pollen, but this 

 is too bulky when we arc working with only very small amounts of 

 pollen. 



Pollination is completed, and nature will do the rest. The bag 

 is again replaced and left for a week or so, the flower is labeled, 

 to show parentage and date of the cross. 



If we have been careful and exact in our operations and have 



Cross s ect<oT\ of 



fOfif-ilp blcSSCn\ 



Lr-oS! s ecTton oj 



hi un\ lolosson-i 



Figure 3. 



applied good pollen at the right time, then we will get from fifty to 

 seventy-five percent of the crosses to set fruit. 



The best time to pollinate is in the forenoon from 9 to 1 1 o'clock. 

 Wet weather is not favorable to crossing. Use fresh pollen when- 

 ever it can be had, although most pollen keeps a day or two if in a 

 dry place. After the fruit has ripened it is handled in the customary 

 manner, but the different crosses should be kept separate. 



In conclusion I would like to say that any person who has done 

 any crossing, or who is interested in it and its results, will surely 

 find it a very enticing and fascinating pursuit. 



