104 PROPAGATION OF PLANTS. 



self-fertilizatioa^ jliT^a^lithej^^ them falling 



upon the female organ or sii^maT^^^^tKen procure 

 pollen from the flowers of the other variety or species, 

 and apply it to the stigma of the first, or \Vhite Lily. The 

 stigma, when in the proper condition for fertilization, is 

 coated with a viscid substance to which the pollen grains 

 will adhere quite firmly, consequently there is little 

 danger of their removal while handling the flower. ^To 

 prevent insects from visiting the flowers, and interfering 

 with our operations, the flowers should be^nclose^in bags 

 made of muslin, mosquito netting, or some similar material 

 soon after opening, and kejDt enclosed until fertilization 

 is assured ; then removed to relieve them from further 

 restraint. It is always Advisable to repeat the application 

 of pollen, because the first may not "take," owing to the 

 immaturity of the stigma, pollen, however, is not such 

 a delicate material that its potency is readily destroyed 

 by rough handling, and that produced by some kinds of 

 plants may be preserved in good condition far use several 

 days, or even weeks, if excluded from the air. This fact 

 should be kept in mind, for it often occurs that the plant 

 from which we desire to obtain pollen blooms in ad- 

 yance of the one on which we desire to use it. 



In the application of pollen a small camel's hair pencil 

 is the most convenient implement, but where the anthers 

 are large, as in the Lily, a pair of forceps, or even the 

 fingers, may be used^for trajigferrjng it torn one, jDlapI^ 

 tjiestigrnn of another. 



TH^polJen grains plaQgd^on thejstigma ^burst^opep and 

 discharge their contents upon~iC where they may be said 

 to germinate, sen^l^g down lon^ flexible, filarnfints or 

 ' < pQ^eB^Jbu^es5" tjirpujgh the loose tissues of t\e stigma 

 and style to the ovary or true seed-vessels, where the 

 completion of the act of fertilization takes place. The 

 exact nature of this act is not. fully known, but the 

 mechanical part of the operation is as stated, as may be 



