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if the specimens are crowded, they must be taken out frequently, 

 and the paper dried before they are replaced. Some vegetables 

 are so tenacious of their vital principle, that they will grow be- 

 tween papers ; the consequence is a destruction of their proper 

 habit and colours. It is therefore necessary to destroy the life of 

 such by immersion in^ boiling water, or by the application of a hot 

 iron such as is used for linen, after which they a^e easily dried. 

 The herbarium should, be kept in as d.ry a place a,& possible, and 

 free from insects. 



HYBRIDIZATION. The process thpugh very simple requires 

 much care and attention as well as patience. 



In the first instance, it consists merely in applying the pollen 

 pf the flowers of one variety to thos^e o,f another of the same 

 species. The strange, pollen grain resting on the stigma of one 

 of the latter flowers, in process of time, puts forth a microscopic 

 tubule, and penetrating the tissue of the stigma it finely reaches 

 ^he ovule to, which it communicates the principle of life. The 

 ovule finally matured is a, $e,ec( in this instance a seed borne 

 pf one flpwer and receiving the vital principle of another. Seve- 

 ral precautions are necessary to a successful issue. The flower 

 in which the operation is to be performed, must be deprived of its 

 pwn anthers before the pollen they secrete is matured and fitted 

 for its functions in the vegetable organism,. In some flowers, in. 

 which the ripening of ^he pp.llen takes place before the expansion 

 pf the flower, this is almost impossible, as th,e flower in such case 

 must be torn open while it is yet unexpanded ; in others it may 

 be managed by using a very delicate pair of lady's scissors. Se- 

 lecting a flpwer of another variety of the species the pollen' pf 

 which is just ripe or nearly so, it may be removed by a fine camel's 

 Hair brush from the anthers and transferred to the stigma of the 

 first flower. It is then customary amongst some cultivators to tie 

 a little bag of fine gauze or muslin over the flower thus treated toy 

 prevent the application of any other farina, by the intervention 

 of insects, or the wind which, might interfere with the result. 

 Others are again content witfy the simple ticketing so as to be able 

 at seed time to distinguish the flower. The usual process then 

 goes on, the flower fades, and in time ripens when it must be? 

 carefully collected and stored up in a marked box. 



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