NEW VARIETIES BY HYBRIDIZATION. 299 



pollen of every plant to fertilize the ovules of tlic same species, 

 even after apparent impregnation by pollen from another species. 

 It is therefore necessary to remove with peculiar care the 

 stamens of the flower to be impregnated before the anthers are 

 fully developed, sometimes even before the petals expand. After 

 the pollen has been applied to the stigma, several hours, or in 

 some cases days, must elapse before the pollen tubes attain the 

 requisite length to reach the ovules, and hence the stigmatic 

 surface must be carefully protected from the pollen of its own 

 species during all this period, and until the fruit is set. 



The inestimable value to the world of this method of obtain- 

 ing new varieties of fruits, flowers and esculent vegetables, 

 would be amply demonstrated by an eniimeration of some of 

 the more important results attained by skilful horticulturists of 

 Massachusetts, many of whom are now, or have been, members 

 of this Board. 



Such a lis't wo propose to consider, and report to this Board 

 at some future time. 



A normal seed consists of a bud and a certain amount of 

 exceedingly concentrated organic matter carefully enclosed 

 within a double envelope, which is usually of a firm, close text- 

 ure and admirably adapted to protect and preserve the living 

 germ within. The nutritious matter which is designed to serve 

 as food for the germinating plantlet may be in the form of a 

 large bud simply, or it may be associated with a small bud in 

 the form of one, two or more seed leaves or cotyledons, or a 

 portion of it may be in the condition of packing around the bud 

 as albumen. It exhibits a great variety, however, in its chem- 

 ical character, though containing in most cases the same ele- 

 ments. Tlius the milk and flesh of the cocoa-nut are very 

 much unlike vegetable ivory, which forms the substance of the 

 seed of another species of palm, and the oily butter-nut is quite 

 different from the farinaceous grain of rice. These differences 

 in the composition of seeds determine to a great extent their 

 hardiness and ability to preserve their vitality under unfavorable 

 circumstances. As a general rule, dry, hard, farinaceous seeds 

 are least liable to destruction from long keeping, or from the 

 effects of heat and moisture. So great is their power of resist- 

 ance that many of them will lie in the ground one or more 

 years without germinating. A seed of pandanus utilis brought 



