Hybridizing the Grapes, 



129 



go to the useless expense of planting 

 as stated ? 



But the most important point is, 

 that we ma}' not spend our time try- 

 ing to introduce foreign pollen into 

 the stigma of a grape that is alreadj' 

 fertilized and the stigma has become 

 DRY, and then go on for years, plant 

 and watch Avith care, and at last find 

 that we have onl}^ the natural varia- 

 tion or tendency to sport, as the re- 

 sult of our labors. 



Now I will give a process for hybrid- 

 izing that will succeed. 



Observe the approach of the flower- 

 ing season, and wait until some petals 

 have fallen, so as to be sure that 

 the time has arrived for operating. 

 Select a bunch well located for con- 

 venience, and cut away or thin out 

 the berries ; choose a berry that shows 

 a yellowish line at the base of the 

 petals; applv the point of a sharp knife 

 and remove the petals, and with a pair 

 of small scissors clip off the stamens, 

 and if your subject was near casting 

 its petals, naturally you will not have 

 to wait more than five minutes before 

 a. slight moisture will appear on the 

 etigma; then apply the pollen 3-ou 

 wish to introduce, either by a camel's 

 hair brush, or better by taking hold 

 of the anther with a pair of small 

 tweezers, leaving the stamen attached 

 with its load or covering of pollen, 

 and rub or touch the stigma until the 

 pollen is clearly seen on the stigma. 

 If the pollen has dropped from the 

 stamens and is in a paper or some 

 little vessel suitable for the purpose 

 then take a thin blade of steel or 

 wood and carefully pour on the pol- 

 len. I often use the point of my 

 knife blade to applj' the pollen ; any 



way, so that you get it on when the 

 stigma is moist, for then and only 

 then is the stigma in season to receive 

 fertilization, for after this viscid mat- 

 ter returns into the pistil to the ovules, 

 the stigma never again becomes moist, 

 and hence no fertilizing matter can en- 

 ter, and that berry must fail. This is 

 not a difficult operation ; it will only 

 be necessary to remove the petals at 

 the proper time by knife, scissors, or 

 any other instrument, and apply the 

 pollen at the time stated, by brush, 

 blade or otherwise. And I ask every 

 man who has a grapevine, to examine 

 the flowers and make a trial, and 

 then say if he believes that accidental 

 crossing or h^'bridizing is a ■possibility. 

 Of the advantages of hybridizing it 

 is useless for me to add anj' thing, as 

 much has been said and written, and 

 all intelligent persons are convinced 

 of its importance, but of the useful- 

 ness of studying the structure of the 

 flowers, the habits and mode of fertil- 

 izing, etc., there has not been enough 

 importance attached, as by doing so 

 we may be able to remedy some of 

 the failures in setting fruit that cer- 

 tain varieties are liable to. 



A. B. Roberts. 



[We would like to '' argue the point" 

 with our friend, but our space will not 

 permit for this number. We know 

 from personal observation that Tay- 

 lors have been impregnated by Clin- 

 tons, and also by male plants stand- 

 ing beside them, and produced much 

 more perfect bunches. We do not 

 know noil) it was done, but we have 

 observed the fact in its results, 

 and "facts are stubborn things." — 

 Ed.] 



