REMARKS ON OBTAINING HYBRID CORR^AS, &C. 55 



the different states of developement of the vital principle in the 

 parents. Any facts, therefore, tending to elucidate such laws or 

 states of developement, cannot be but interesting to the physiologist, 

 and of the greatest use to the hybridist. In the attention I have paid 

 to this interesting pursuit, I have found that C. apeciosa or C. pul- 

 chella may be both used for female parents : either of them may be 

 tried with virens ; but clear clean colours in the flowers of this 

 cross cannot be expected, the thing being as much a matter of cu- 

 riosity to ascertain the powers of crossing in this very interesting 

 genus, which, like the fuchsia, is a favourite with every one. Virens 

 and rufa will cross ; but, in this case, virens alone has been used as 

 the female parent, rufa being so insignificant a flower, it would be 

 likely soon to reduce the flowers of virens in the offspring. From 

 this cross, by breeding in and in, as the farmers say, a clear white 

 flowering offspring may reasonably be expected in the third gene- 

 ration ; while, by crossing in and in the highest-coloured varieties 

 from speciosa and pulchella, I have obtained some deep crimson 

 flowers. I have crossed a pure white seedling from virens and rufa, 

 with a deep crimson variety, and procured clear intermediate colours. 

 All the species and varieties I have tried with alba, and have raised 

 some, but they have not yet bloomed. 



The manner of conducting these experiments, may be useful to 

 amateurs and young beginners. Take the healthiest plants you can 

 procure ; and, unless you have very healthy vigorous plants, go 

 directly to the nursery, and procure a few of each sort, with plenty of 

 blossom buds on the strongest leading shoots ; this is the grand 

 secret of the whole business. A practical gardener may take these 

 from the greenhouse, or even cold frame, into 15 degrees of heat at 

 once ; but those not conversant with the treatment of plants would 

 soon kill any plant by such a sudden transition. From the middle 

 of February to the end of March is the best time to take the plants 

 into the stove. Pinch off all the leading buds on the lateral shoots, 

 but not on the leading shoots. As soon as the flower expands, extract 

 the anthers from the intended female parent ; and next day, or as 

 soon as you perceive the pistils getting moist, apply the pollen, at 

 the same time making two or three slits in the whole length of the 

 corolla, to let out the sweet secretion often lodging on the germen. 

 See that the decaying corolla does not damp off the style, which 



