HYBRIDISING AND RAISING OF NEW 

 VARIETIES 



. CROSSING or hybridising Chrysanthemums is extremely 

 interesting, and is becoming very popular among our 

 own growers, as evinced by the fact that many of the 

 finest varieties brought out within recent years have been 

 raised in this country. 



Years ago, in the early days of the Chrysanthemum, 

 some enthusiasts went to reside in France for the sole 

 purpose of hybridising, it being thought that this country 

 was too cold and sunless for the experiment. Any amateur 

 may undertake the system of crossing flowers of this 

 family, providing they have a greenhouse supplied with 

 artificial warmth, the latter being a necessity in assisting 

 to keep a dry and warm atmosphere. Dampness or 

 undue cold is fatal to following out this experiment 

 successfully. The bloom that is to be impregnated with 

 pollen, and the one that pollen is obtained from, must both 

 be in a perfectly dry state. Again, heat will be needed in 

 an artificial form to assist in ripening the seeds, should 

 the result of the hybridising warrant a success. It 

 usually takes about ten weeks to ripen seeds from the 

 period of operation, this process going on through the 

 dull months of the year, hence the need of artificial 

 warmth. In choosing varieties to fertilise, there are 

 certain principles to observe, and one should always be 

 guided by them in the raising of new kinds. Even under 

 the best of circumstances the number that are qualified 

 as good is exceedingly small in proportion to the total 

 raised every year. 



