KNIGHT'S THEORY. 415 



The conclusions which Mr. Knight drew from a 

 series of experiments in hybridization were, that 

 " new varieties of every species of fruit will generally 

 be better obtained by introducing the farina of one 

 variety into the blossom of another, than by prop- 

 agating from any single sort. When an experiment 

 of this kind is made between varieties of different 

 size and character, the farina of the smaller sort 

 should be introduced into the blossoms of the larger ; 

 for, under these circumstances, I have generally 

 (but with some exceptions) observed in the new 

 fruit a prevalence of the character of the female 

 parent ; probably owing to the following causes : 

 The seed-coats are generated wholly by the female, 

 and these regulate the bulk of the lobes and plan- 

 tule ; and I have observed, in raising new varieties 

 of the peach, that when one stone contained two 

 seeds, the plants these afforded were inferior to 

 others. The largest seeds obtained from the finest 

 fruit, and from that which ripens most perfectly and 

 earliest, should always be selected. It is scarcely 

 necessary to inform the experienced gardener that 

 it will be important to extract the stamina of the 

 blossom from which he purposes to propagate some 

 days before the farina begins to shed. When young 

 trees have sprung from the seed, a certain period 

 must elapse before they become capable of bearing 

 fruit ; and this period, I believe, cannot be shortened 

 by any means. Pruning and transplanting are both 



