268 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
The bags when once used can be used again repeatedly, so far, at 
least, as the possibility of adherent pollen to the immer side carries no risk 
with it. I utilise the bags also for collecting such kinds of seed as might 
easily be blown away. Tothis end the flower stems concerned are simply 
enveloped in the bags before the seed is ripe. Later on the entire bunch or 
stem is cut away with the bag upon it. In this way, for instance, I have 
almost always harvested the seed of my fasciated races of Composite, 
Taraxacum officinale, Aster Tripoiium, Crepis biennis, and Picris Ier- 
acioides. The gathering takes thus but little time, and there is practically 
no loss to speak of. 
In view of the experiences above described, I recommend all who 
have to carry out crossing or self-pollination experiments in the open to 
cover the flowers of their trial plants with bags of parchment paper.* 
* Thanks to the kind co-operation of the manufacturer, Mr. P. J. Schmitz, in 
Diisseldorf, specimens of these parchment paper bags of all sizes were exhibited 
at Chiswick, and placed at the disposal of the visitors. 
