38 THEHYBIDIZATIONOFTHE 



also, of the Abbe Berlese and Mr. Herbert, raised from crosses by C. 

 myrtifolia, were no better than mine, and Mr. H. declares his were " single 

 flowered, and ihe worst he ever raised." To whatever cause this sporting 

 from the accustomed habit may be attributed, and without regard to the 

 agency which the female plant may have in generating double flowers, it 

 is obvious that the pollen in these instances was deficient in the proper 

 ingredient, and further, that the circumstances which induced the blossoms 

 to revert to the primordial stamp, also imparted to the plants a strange 

 retardation of inflorescence ; those of C. myrtifolia not coming to the 

 flowering state, with me, until the seventh or eighth year, and with the 

 Abbe not until the tv/elfth. 



I have alluded in another place to the structure of the flower designed 

 for seed, and although I place great reliance on the kind of poUen to be 

 used, and doubt not that the juices of the style have, also, a corresponding 

 duty to perform ; stiU I attach great importance to its perfection and 

 substance ; for Avhere the style has been feeble, distorted, or so imperfectly 

 developed as to exist in numerous divisions, my success has been quite 

 limited. 



Without, therefore, attempting to explain the mysteries of fertilization, or 

 to define the line beyond which there can be no intermixtures or crosses of 

 the vegetable kingdom, a point on which botanists are much in doubt at 

 the present day, and with no pretensions " to breed to a pattern," or " to 

 Avash out the last tip of black from the pigeon's wing," I submit the fore- 

 going observations, with due deference, to those better skilled in botanical 

 science than myself. 



There have been so many treatises published on the cultivation of the 

 Camellia, some of which are quite elaborate, it would be superfluous to 

 enter on it here. It may not, however, in concluding this article, be 

 considered irrelevant, to add the following brief directions : — 



The plants selected for fructification should be removed from the Camellia 

 house to one of higher temperature ; this will essentially assist fertilization, 

 and in many cases render those fruitful which would not otherwise become 

 so. 



As soon as the floAver to be impregnated is sufficiently expanded, the 

 anthers should be cut out, taking care that this be done before they open, 

 and that the pistil be not injured by the operation. 



The stigma is generally ready for impregnation in twentyfour to thirtysix 

 hours, when the pollen, if mature, may be applied, selecting, if practicable, 

 the middle of a bright sunny day. 



In five to ten days after the ovules are fecundated, the young capsule 

 commences swelling, after which all new shoots should be removed and the 

 plants, once a week, liberally supplied with guano water ; this I have found 

 a great aid in ripening full and perfect seed. 



