HYBRIDISING AND CROSS-BREEDING. Ill 



ant operations connected with hybridising, since it is next to 

 impossible to fertilise with foreign pollen i.e., of another 

 species or variety if the pollen of the same species or form 

 gains access to the stigma. For example, it is useless to 

 expect successful results from crossing Lilium auratum with 

 pollen from L. speciosum, or pollen of any other species of 

 Lily, unless the six anther-cases of L. auratttm are carefully cut 

 away before they open, and before the strange pollen is applied 

 to the glutinous stigma. The exceptions to this rule are very 

 few ; yet in some Passion - flowers (Passiftora) and Breeze- 

 flowers (Zephyranthus) the native pollen is impotent, and that 

 of other species, or varieties of other species, prepotent. The 

 only safe rule is to remove the unopened anthers as early as it 

 can well be done that is, without injuring the essential organs 

 of the flower, more especially the ovary and style. Some flowers, 

 as Ericas, many Papilionaceous or Pea flowers, many Amaryllids, 

 Lilies, Crocus, cereal grasses, composite plants, and many 

 others, require to be cut open when in the bud state. To do 

 this, make a clean slit with the point of a keen penknife, and 

 insert the fine points of a pair of hybridising scissors, or a bit 

 of finely-hooked steel bouquet -wire, and cut or drag out all 

 the anthers, which in many cases requires a deal of patience 

 and skill. The flowers to be operated on should be selected 

 on the freshest and healthiest portion of the plant, those about 

 the middle of the shoot or cluster being generally the best. In 

 some cases, the most forward buds produce the finest flowers, 

 and earliness is an advantage, so as to allow the seeds plenty 

 of light and sun-heat to ripen ; and when this is the case, these 

 should be selected, and all the others cut away. The next 

 consideration is to place the plant where there is no chance 

 of pollen of the same species, or indeed any other species in 

 the same genus, obtaining access to the stigmas, either through 

 the agency of the wind or insects. This is much more diffi- 

 cult in practice than it appears at first sight ; and one of the 

 surest ways of avoiding accidental fertilisation is to force the 

 seed-bearing and pollen plants, so as to have them in bloom 

 before any other allied species are in flower. In the case of 

 monoecious plants intended for bearing hybridised seed, the 

 male flowers are all removed when in the bud state, and as 

 soon after their sex is visible as possible ; while in the case of 

 dioecious plants, all that is necessary is the complete isolation 

 of the female plants from all those which bear male flowers, 

 excepting, of course, the one intended as the male or pollen- 

 bearing parent. 



Application of the Pollen. The act of fertilising the flower is 



