CHAPTER V 



CROSS-FERTILISATION 



FOR very many years I have given much attention to the 

 raising of seedling Carnations by cross-fertilisation. This 

 is one of the most interesting operations in the culture of 

 Carnations, or indeed any garden plants. Cross-fertilisa- 

 tion may be practised in the case of any type or strain ; 

 for example, I should like to see some improvements made 

 in the delightful class of Bizarres and Flakes. The old 

 variety known as Admiral Curzon has remained the best of 

 the former class for about sixty-five years. It may still be 

 possible to raise one with equally good qualities by cross- 

 ing Admiral Curzon with pollen from the variety Robert 

 Houlgrave. It is always advisable to make this, or any 

 other cross both ways ; by this I mean that in one case 

 the variety Admiral Curzon may be the seed-bearer, and 

 in the other case the same variety should be used as 

 the pollen-parent. Cross-fertilising should be carried out 

 in fine weather, when the pollen is in a powdered, not a 

 granular condition. There are always two horn-like pro- 

 cesses in the centre of the flowers ; these are furnished 

 with short, very delicate hairs, and are the stigmatic or 

 female parts of the flower, to which the pollen or male 

 fertilising agent must be conveyed with a fine brush. The 

 pollen will be found amongst the petals of the flowers in 

 the form of small, yellow globules. If these are touched 



