Propagation by Seed. ~ 15 
ing part of the flower, and they alone should be 
dusted with pollen from the other intended parent. 
The pollen is contained in little sacs at the end of 
slender, white filaments, and in a perfectly or fully 
double flower they have to be searched for amongst 
the petals, that constitute the showy part of the 
flower. The handiest instrument for transferring. 
the pollen from these sacs to the seed bearer is a 
small camel’s-hair brush, which should be carefully 
washed before using it on any other set of intended 
parents to avoid mixing the pollen. To facilitate 
the work a number of these brushes should be kept 
at hand. Some varieties produce pollen very 
sparingly or not at all, and these may rank amongst 
the best varieties. © Semidouble flowers are most 
likely to bear pollen in greater quantities, but it 
should only be used where the colours are so distinct 
and well defined as to warrant it. The middle of 
bright days is the best time to look for pollen and 
to effect crossing. The pollen grains should be care- 
fully gathered up with the point of the brush, and 
applied to the tip and upper sides of the thread- 
like, curved stigmas. 
Cross-fertilisation may be effected in open air 
cultures, and this is sometimes practiced, but those 
who carry it out on an extensive scale grow their 
plants in pots and house them, at least when they 
come into bloom, in properly constructed, well- 
lighted and ventilated houses. Not only are the 
conveniences greater, but insects are less trouble- 
some, if at all, and the seed is far more likely to get 
properly ripened by the heat and shelter from rain 
thus afforded. A small label bearing a number 
should be attached to the stem of every flower 
fertilised, and this number should be entered in a 
notebook, recording the name of the seed bearer 
and the variety from which the pollen was taken. 
The operation may not in every case be successful, 
but the operator should make a point of examining 
the flower next day and if still quite fresh the 
operation should be repeated. If the pollen has 
taken, the petals will be drooping and limp or the 
-flower partly closed up. As soon as the flower is 
completely withered up the petals should be care- 
fully pulled out so as to avoid injury to the seed 
vessel and to facilitate the expansion of the same. 
If allowed to remain the petals would most likely 
harbour moisture and cause the seed vessel to rot. 
