130 HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK. 



supplied with blossom buds a few days before the pollen is needed, placing 

 them in water and exposing them to heat and sunlight in a greenhouse. 



In working with grape blossoms the pollen may be collected by holding 

 closely under the flower clusters recently opened a piece of blue paper, when 

 bv a sharp tap with the finger on that portion of the branch a cloud of pollen 

 dust will be liberated, which will settle on the paper below. By repeating this 

 operation several times the quantity of pollen on the paper may be materially 

 increased. The caps of the grape flowers will also fall plentifully, but )\ 

 carefully removing them the pollen may be seen spread on the surface of the 

 paper below. With a camel hair pencil, slightly moistened, this pollen can b'^ 

 collected and easily applied to the pistils of the variety to be fertilized. 



In applying the pollen from the raspberry and the blackberry it has been 

 found better to break off the expanded blossoms, and, having removed the 

 petals and the central bunch of pistils, carry the mutilated flower on which 

 the fringe of the stamens alone remains, and twirl these about among the 



In operating on such cereals as wheat, barley and oats the process is 

 many pistils in the flowers previously prepared for crossing, 

 much more difficult. In working with wheat the head should be selected soon 

 after it has pushed out from the sheath. This head consists of a series of 

 spikelets, which are arranged alternately on opposite sides of the stalk. Later 

 each spikelet will contain from two to five kernels of wheat. In the early 

 stages of its growth the kernels in the head are not formed, but the hollow 

 centres which they are destined to fill are occupied by the more or less de- 

 veloped flowers of the plant. 



In the accompanying figure, drawn from nature, we have a portion of a 

 wheat ear from which all the spikelets but one have been removed, and on 

 one side of this, one of the floral chambers has been opened. The outer 

 covering of chaff has been torn off and the inner covering turned down so as 

 to expose the flower of the wheat plant to view. This is seen to consist of 

 three stamens, threadlike at base, with large anthers overhanging a double 

 branched, succulent, feathery pistil. 



In nature fertilization takes place within the tightly closed chaffy case 

 which encloses the flower, where, as the anthers mature, they open and 

 the pollen is shed on the delicate, feathery pistil below. Portions of this 

 pollen remain attached to the surface of the pistil, and from one or more of 

 these minute, microscopic bodies a small, tiireadlike growth proceeds, which 

 pierces the soft tissue of the pistil and, gradually lengthening, soon extends 

 to its base, where it enters the ovary, and fertilization is accomplished, fol- 

 lowed by the rapid growth of a kernel. 



When operating on wheat, to effect a cross the outer layer of chaff is 

 torn off with a pair of finely pointed forceps and the inner coating pulled back 

 by seizing it near the top and bending it downward, which exposes the 

 flower. The anthers are then carefully examined, and if their condition is 

 sufficiently advanced to offer the possibility of any of the pollen having been 

 shed, the spikelet to which it belongs is torn off and other flowers opened, 

 until some are found in the desired condition, with the stamens green, but 

 almost mature. These are removed w'th much care, as the slightest injury 

 to the soft and delicate pistil will cause it to wither. The flower is then 



