THE WHEAT CULTUKIST. 



while a particle of this is near. Impregnation takes 

 place best when the weather is dry and warm, as a pecu 

 liar warmth, and a certain electric state of the atmos 

 phere, prepare the parts for this process, which always 

 occurs on a dry day. The opinion, indeed, has been ex 

 pressed, that the pollen of the male conveys hydrogen 

 to the ovules of the female ; that oxygen is received from 

 the atmosphere, and carbon, in the form of carbonic 

 acid gas, from the roots ; and that, when the pollen is 

 destroyed by the rain, or from any other cause, the 

 carbon alone is found in the ear ; and this is the well- 

 known smut in wheat. That pollen of the stamen is 

 essential to impregnation is at least certain ; and it is al 

 most as certain, from what has been stated, that the total 

 destruction of the reproductive power of a particular 

 race of wheat must be effected, before the influence of 

 another can be felt. Two races being placed together, 

 therefore, a cross can only be certainly effected by clipping 

 the anthers from all the stamens of one variety, and leav 

 ing the work of impregnation to be effected by those of 

 the other exclusively. This may be done by any person 

 capable of distinguishing between the two races ; but, 

 perhaps, the safer guide to this distinction consists in 

 sowing the two in separate drills, very near each other, 

 say nine or ten inches apart ; and to render the work 

 still more sure, there should be no other growing wheat 

 within at least a quarter of a mile of that experimented 

 upon, the affinity between the pollen and the ovules 

 being of almost incredible force. 



&quot; As soon as the anthers show their first rudiments, 

 in a race upon which the cross is to be made, they 

 should be carefully removed, or clipped with a pair of 

 sharp scissors, leaving the female organs undisturbed. 



