PROPAGATION. 291 



have succeeded, and the country is likely to be 

 flooded with their hybrids. There is one man, 

 indeed, who claims to have discovered a simple 

 way of hybridizing the grape, which makes the 

 process positively certain : he has learned the 

 " signs" by which we may know that hybridiza- 

 tion has been really accomplished. This man 

 sent to a friend for some Black Hamburgh pol- 

 len. This friend being somewhat of a wag, sent 

 him instead some pollen of the spinach. On 

 being written to for the result, the reply came 

 that " It had taken beautifully !" " There was no 

 mistake about it !" We mention this circum- 

 stance to show how easily one can deceive him- 

 self in supposing that he has hybridized the 

 grape. 



The theory of hybridizing is simple enough, 

 and easily understood ; but its practice in the 

 case of the grape is not without its difficulties. 

 There are two important parts of flowers, the 

 male and female, the latter being the pistil, and 

 the former the stamens ; the last bear at their 

 ends the anthers, which furnish the pollen. It 

 is the pollen from the anthers, falling on the pis- 

 til, which effects fertilization, and the consequent 

 production of seed or fruit. To produce hy- 

 brids and varieties, pollen is taken from the an- 



