CROSS-BREEDING. 11 



extent. The ^eat number of new and beautiful Roses, Azaleas, 

 Camellias, Fachsias, Dahlias, and other flowering plants so 

 splendid in colour, and perfect in form, owe their origin to care- 

 ful cross-breeding. 



In the amelioration of fruits it is by far the most certain, and 

 satisfactory process yet discovered. Its results are more speed- 

 ily obtained, and correspond much more closely to our aim, than 

 those procured by successive reproduction. 



In order to obtain a new variety of a certain character, it is 

 only necessary to select two parents of well known habits, and 

 which are both varieties of the same, or nearly allied species, and 

 cross them for a new and intermediate variety. Thus, if we 

 have a very early, but insipid and worthless sort of pear, and 

 desire to raise from it a variety both early and of fine flavour, 

 we should fertilize some of its pistils, with the pollen of the best 

 flavoured variety of a little later maturity. Among the seed- 

 lings produced, we should look for early pears of good quality 

 and at least for one or two varieties nearly, or quite as early as 

 the female parent, and as delicious as the male. If we have a 

 very small, but highly flavoured pear, and wish for a larger pear 

 with a somewhat similar flavour, we must fertilize the first with 

 the pollen of a large and handsome sort. If we desire to im- 

 part the quality of lateness to a very choice plum, we must look 

 out for a late variety, whether of good or bad quality, as the 

 mother, and cross it with our best flavoured sort. If we desire 

 to impart hardiness to a tender fruit, we must undertake a cross 

 between it and a much hardier sort ; if we seek greater beauty 

 of colour, or vigour of growth, we must insure these qualities by 

 selecting one parent having such quality strongly marked. 



As the seeds produced by cross fertilization are not found to 

 produce precisely the same varieties, though they will nearly all 

 partake of the mixed character of the parents, it follows that we 

 shall be most successful in obtaining precisely all we hope for 

 in the new race, in proportion to the number of our cross-bred 

 seedlings ; some of which may be inferiour, as well as some 

 superiour to the parents. It is always well, therefore, to cross 

 several flowers at once on the same plant, when a single blossom 

 does not produce a number of seeds. 



We should observe here, that those who devote their time to 

 raising new varieties, must bear in mind that it is not always 

 by the first fruits of a seedling that it should be judged. Some 

 of the finest varieties require a considerable age before their 

 best qualities develop themselves, as it is only when the tree 

 has arrived at some degree of maturity that its secretions, either 

 for flower, or fruit, are perfectly elaborated. The first fruit of 

 the Black Eagle cherry, a fine cross-bred raised by Mr. Knight, 

 was pronounced worthless when first exhibited to the London 

 Horticultural Society ; its quality now proves that the tree was 

 not then of sufficient age to produce its fruit in perfection. 



