NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



171 



of animals or plants is incapable of begetting or 

 producing its kind ; thus making hybridity the test 

 of specific character. From this we may infer that 

 the progeny of hybrid plants cannot produce seed ; 

 but that produced by cross fecundation may be re- 

 garded as fertilei 



The observations and experience of practical gar- 

 deners and florists would seem to justify the follow- 

 ing maxims, as affording some guide to the production 

 of new varieties or races : — 



1. The existence of sexes in plants is now univer- 

 sally acknowledged, as occurring in the same flower 

 — in separate flowers on the same plant or tree — 

 as well as in those of trees distinct from one another. 



2. Plants nearly related — that is, closely similar in 

 the structure of their several parts — are those only 

 which will immediately impregnate Avith each other ; 

 but it is impossible, at present, to say what families 

 of plants may or may not be brought into fertile 

 union through intermediate crosses. Not long ago, 

 the azalea and rhododendron were thought to bo 

 incapable of such union ; but this opinion is now 

 exploded ; for the Pontic rhododendron (/?. ponticum) 

 has been fecundated with the pollen of the Chinese 

 azalea, (^A. sinensis,) and the progeny between that 

 evergreen and the last named dcciduously leaved 

 shrub is the previously unknown phenomenon, a 

 yellow rhododendron. In like manner, the brassicas 

 (cabbages, turnips, &c.) mixed freely with brassicas 

 in all their gradations, as Avell as the cucurbitaceaj, 

 (melons, pumpkins, gourds, &c.) There are some 

 exceptions, however, to this rule ; for the beautiful 

 pelargonium and the scarlet geranium, though nearly 

 allied, according to the classification of modern 

 botanists, have not, hitherto, been able to mix. 

 Again, the raspberry and strawberry ar; regarded as 

 first cousins ; yet, after several attempts, thej^ have 

 not hybridized. The gooseberry and currant, too, 

 are nearly related ; still their alliauce seems invinci- 

 ble, though tried by skilful hands. 



3. The color of the future blossoms (not of those 

 first hybridized) seems to be most influenced, though 

 not invariably, by the male plant, if its seeds and 

 flowers are darker than those of the female. Mr. 

 Knight found, that, when the pollen of a colored 

 blossomed pea was introduced into a white one, the 

 whole of the future seeds were colored. But when 

 the pollen of a white blossom was introduced to the 

 stigma of a colored blossom, the whole of the future 

 seeds were not white. Captain Thurtell, from length- 

 ened observation and experiment, also informs us 

 that he has always found the color and spot of the 

 petals of the pelargonium to be more influenced by 

 the male than by the female plant. On the con- 

 trary, llo^vcver, he observed that the form of the 

 petals follows most closely that of the male plant. 



4. Large stature and robustness of habit, accord- 

 ing to Mr. Knight, are transmitted to the jirogcny by 

 cither of the parent plants. Therefore it does not 

 absolutely matter, for obtai]iing this characteristic, 

 whether the plant, male or female, be large ; but he 

 g-.ncrally found that the most robust female plant 

 produced the finest result. "When a good fruit or 

 culinary vegetable is wanted, he recommends that 

 the largest seed from the finest fruit or plant, that 

 has ripened earliest and most perfectly, should al- 

 ways be selected. In stone fruits, if two kernels arc 

 in one stone, these give birth to inferior plants. The 

 florists of the day, however, are opposed to Mr. 

 Knight in their practice, as regards the hybridization 

 or cross fecundation of ornamental flowers ; for they 

 recommend the weakest plants, and those that ger- 

 minate last, where chastity of form and marking are 

 requii-ed, to be taken the greatest care of, as they are 

 sure to produce the most valuable flowers. 



Mode of obtaining Varieties. — The most successful 

 mode of obtaining good and very distinct varieties, is 



to employ the pollen of a male flower, grown on 

 another plant, from a distance, and not that bearing 

 the female, or that in which the fecundation is to 

 take place. When the plants are in flower, carefully 

 extract with a pair of sharp-pointed scissors the 

 anthers, if any, from the female flower from which 

 j'ou intend to produce seed, and also destroy all male 

 flowers, or those having anthers, of the same species 

 that are in the immediate vicinity, before they arrive 

 at maturity, or your attempts will be of no avail ; 

 for Nature will have performed her part, and instead 

 of a hj'brid, you will have a natural progeny. In 

 order further to avoid previous and undesired im- 

 pregnation, the flower should bo enclosed in a case 

 covered with gauze, and thus continued until the 

 process of hybridization is complete, to exclude in- 

 sects, and the effects produced by strong currents 

 of air before the desired pollen is ripe. Another 

 effectual mode of preventing undesired impregnation 

 is bringing the female plant into flower a little earlier 

 than its congeners, and removing the anthers, as di- 

 rected above. For the stigma will remain vigorous, 

 if unimpregnated, for several days. 



After extracting the anthers from the flowers you 

 wish to bear seeds, carefully watch the progress of 

 the stigma, and as soon as you find it in a condition 

 to receive the pollen, select the matured anthers 

 from a distance, and bring them in gentle contact 

 with the stigma, to which a sufficient quantity of 

 pollen will adhere. If a double flower should chance 

 to have a fertile anther or two, these should be era- 

 ployed for fertilization, as the flowers of their pro- 

 geny will almost be sure to be double. Although 

 the fecundity of all the seed in one seed vessel may 

 be secured by applying pollen only to one style, even 

 where there are several, yet the quantity of pollen is 

 by no means a matter of indifference. Koelreuter 

 found, that from fifty to sixty globules of pollen were 

 required to complete the impregnation of one flower 

 of Hi/biscus siriacus ; but in Mirabilis Jalapa, and M. 

 LonriifoUa, two or three globules were enough ; and 

 ill the case of pelargoniums. Captain Thurtell says 

 two or three globules are certainly sufficient. 



In the course of the process, the seed vessel is not 

 altered in appearance by impregnation from that of 

 another plant ; therefore no hasty conclusion of 

 failure is justified by that want of change. It is 

 easy to discern, however, whether the fecundation 

 has been effected ; for, when this is the ease, the 

 stigmas soon wither. The stigmas which have not 

 received the pollen remain for a long time vigorous 

 and green. 



M. Haquin, a distinguished horticulturist at Liege, 

 has impregnated flowers of the azalea with pollen 

 kept six weeks ; and camellias with pollen kept 

 sixty-five days. He gathers the stamens just before 

 the opening of the anthers, wraps them in writing 

 paper, places them in a warm room for a day, collects 

 the pollen they emit, and preserves it in sheet lead, 

 in a cool, dry place. Mr. Jackson, of Cross Lane 

 Nursery, near Bedale, states that he found the pollen 

 of rhododendron Smilhii tigriniim retain its fertilizing 

 power even for twelve months. This property of 

 pollen was verified by experiment, in Persia, by the 

 elder Micliaux, as early as the year 1782, in observing 

 that the male flowers of the date {F/iaenix dacty- 

 lifera) will keep during the j-ear, and yet impregnate 

 the female. 



New York, Feb. 3, 1849. 

 — American Agriculturist. 



D. J. B. 



The right depth and width of the furrow — the 

 right kind and application of the seed — the right 

 times of hoeing, and the right time of harvesting — 

 are all matters depending upon the skill and judg- 

 ment of the farmer. 



