58 



PRACTICAL PLANT PROPAGATION 



Fig. 12. Squash blossoms. A, The female flower; note the bulge beneath the corolla; 



this is the undeveloped Squash. B, The male flower. All such plants as Melons, 



Cucumbers, Gourds and Pumpkins bear these sorts of flowers (See page 57) 



pistil of another. It is best not to depend on its producing seed 

 without this "artificial" pollinating. Pollination may be accom- 

 plished with a camel's hair brush, or the whole staminate flower 

 may be picked and shaken over the other flower. 



Better results will be attained by most persons if the above 

 method is used rather than an attempt to cross two different plants. 

 Crossing diverse plants will give surprising results, but they are not 

 always commercially valuable. Hybridizing is a different process 

 from saving seed of a known good variety. The good variety may, 

 frequently, be intensified by "crossing it upon itself." 



In saving seeds of Asters, Cinerarias, Gerberas, Calendula, 

 Cosmos, Ageratum and all the Daisy-like flowers, merely place a 

 bag over the flower and it will ripen its seed without crossing. Each 

 Daisy-like flower (see fig. 13) is really a bunch of small flowers which 

 will shed pollen upon each other. 



Do not make the mistake of saving seed of Lettuce, Radishes 

 or Celery from any plant which goes to seed too rapidly. It is apt 

 to inherit this quality. The fact that the Radish often goes to seed 

 rapidly is associated with its failure to produce a good root. We 

 grow Radishes for the root, not the seed. 



Seed should thoroughly mature before it is gathered and must 

 be kept rather cool in storage. 



