CHAPTER XII 



CROSSING AND HYBRIDIZING. 



The production of new varieties will certainly engage 

 a portion of the attention of every person who is inter- 

 ested in the subject of fruit culture. He will not be sat- 

 isfied simply to propagate the varieties produced by ac- 

 cident, or through the labors of other men, but will feel 

 a desire himself to become instrumental in the produc- 

 tion of something new. It is sometimes the case that 

 we find two varieties of fruit, each of which possesses, 

 in a marked degree, the qualities that are wanting in the 

 other. For instance, one may be large, but poorly fla- 

 vored, while the other is finely flavored, but inferior in 

 size. By crossing these two we may obtain a new varie- 

 ty, partaking of the qualities of both, but superior to 

 either. Crossing or hybridizing has not been practiced 

 largely a great many years, but some of our finest varie- 

 ties of fruit are known to owe their origin to this process. 

 It is now well understood by experienced horticulturists, 

 and through its agency we expect many valuable new 

 varieties to be obtained. The process of crossing is very 

 readily performed, and consists in fertilizing the pistil 

 of one variety with the pollen from another. 



Fig. 68 represents a flower of the pear ; a, style of pis- 

 til; b, stigma; c, ovary or seed vessel ; d, anther, and e, 

 filament of stamen. The anthers, when matured, dis- 



