PRODUCTION OF NEW VARIETIES, 19 



of the nature of both parents, and the trees growing from 

 them bore new and intermediate varieties. 



For the success of such experiments, several precautions 

 are requisite. The flower must be deprived of its stamens 

 before it has fully expanded, or before the anthers have al- 

 ready burst and scattered their dust; the pollen must be pro- 

 cured from a bursting or fully matured anther, when it will 

 be dry and powdery ; the stigma must be inoculated as soon 

 as it becomes adhesive or glutinous, otherwise it may be fer- 

 tilized from another source, and then the intended pollen can- 

 not possibly take effect. For a stigma once inoculated can- 

 not be inoculated again. It is safest, where practicable, to 

 force the trees by artificial heat into flowering a few days 

 earlier than others, so as to be secure from accidental inocu- 

 lations of pollen floating in the air ; and to prevent its spread 

 by bees, to apply a temporary covering of gauze, or thin oil- 

 cloth. A want of attention to these minutiae has led some ex- 

 perimenters to fancy they had obtained crosses, when they 

 had only natural seedlings. 



To obtain new varieties of certain desired qualities, select 

 two which possess those qualities separately, and seedlings 

 from crossing will be likely to exhibit these qualities com- 

 bined. Thus, a very early pear deficient in flavor, as the 

 Amire Joannet, might furnish one of superior quality by a 

 cross with a better and later sort, as Dearborn's Seedling. 

 Or, a small and very rich pear, as the Seckel, might give us 

 one of the larger size by fertilizing the Bartlett. A slow- 

 growing and tender peach, as the Early Anne, might be ren- 

 dered hardier and more vigorous by an intermixture with the 

 Early York or Cooledge's Favorite. But it must be remem- 

 bered, that there is a tendency in such highly improved sorts 

 to deteriorate, and that out of thousands of seedlings, perhaps 

 only one or two may be fully equal to the original. 



The following mode of raising crosses of the grape 

 is described by G. W. Campbell, who has experimented 

 largely : 



" To be certain of success, the grape blossom must be 

 opened artificially, before its natural period of flowering, and 

 all the anthers or stamens removed before the pollen or fe- 

 cundating dust is formed, leaving the bare germ, with the 



