RAISING NEW SWEET PEAS 55 



would actually have taken place before foreign pollen could possibly 

 be introduced by insect agency, since at any rate several days 

 elapse between the period of self-fertilisation and the opening of the 

 bloom sufficiently to admit of the stigma being reached by the bees. 

 It is generally admitted that a small beetle which is fond of Sweet 

 Pea blooms can have no part in effecting cross-fertilisation. In fact, 

 I, in common with the great majority of Sweet Pea growers, feel 

 convinced that cross-fertilisation of the Sweet Pea is possible only 

 by artificial means. 



Cross-Fertilisation Explained. It will be gathered from 

 these remarks that when one wishes to impregnate the stigma of one 

 Sweet Pea with pollen from some other distinct variety with a view 

 to effecting a cross, the anthers must be removed from the seed-bearing 

 parent early. In fact it is necessary to do this just as the petals 

 begin to show colour. One first removes" the petals (although when 

 one has become expert in the work this is not found necessary) with 

 a small pair of scissors with long pointed blades. It is then easy to 

 get at the stamens and cut off the anthers which bear the pollen. 

 It is most necessary to make sure that the pollen is not already 

 shed, otherwise the labour will be vain. By stripping off the petals 

 from the flower to be used as the male or pollen parent the anthers 

 are exposed, and all one has to do is to transfer the pollen to the 

 stigma of the flower which is to act as the seed-bearer. That is an 

 explanation of the operation. The proper moment when the stigma 

 is ready to receive the pollen can only be ascertained by experience, 

 and the state of the pollen is also important. It should be used 

 when of a bright yellow colour, invariably to be found in young 

 though properly opened blooms. When it has lost its yellow colour 

 and becomes greyish or white it is useless. In order to make sure 

 that no foreign pollen is introduced by insect agency after cross- 

 pollination has been effected each of the flowers so treated is 

 enclosed in a small muslin bag. 



To those who are altogether new to the practice of raising cross- 

 bred Sweet Peas, the first year's crop of bloom from the seeds of the 

 cross-fertilised flowers will be disappointing, for it usually consists 

 of blossoms of uniform colouring, ugly purple, or maroon or mauve. 

 The colour varies in different crosses, but in my experience seed 

 from the same cross produces flowers of similar colouring. But 

 seed saved from these blooms of disappointing colours gives in the 

 following year a variety of flowers, possibly one or two good and 

 many bad. It is then that one must determine whether or not 



