THE GARDEN AT HOME 



to grow chiefly, if not exclusively, just one kind of plant. 

 It is far easier to fill a greenhouse with one kind than with 

 half a dozen kinds. Those who care for the quaint 

 Cactuses may grow them to perfection in a greenhouse 

 that is slightly heated. The gorgeous blossoms of the 

 winter flowering Geraniums may appeal to others, or the 

 exquisite blooms of the winter Carnation, or the semper- 

 florens Begonias ; these and many others have great 

 charm, and are not difficult to grow. 



Some of the more expert among home gardeners may 

 care to try their hand at raising new flowers by cross 

 fertilisation, and even if they raise nothing very fresh 

 or of great value (although quite possibly they may do 

 both, for many lovely new flowers have been raised by 

 amateurs), they will at least have started a hobby that 

 is as deeply fascinating as it is full of unknown possi- 

 bilities. The act of cross fertilisation is really very 

 simple ; one first removes the anthers (bearing the 

 pollen) from the flower that is destined to become the 

 seed pod, so that it shall not be self-fertilised. Then the 

 pollen from the other flower chosen as the seed parent 

 is applied to the stigma of the first flower. If all goes 

 well, seed will eventually form. This is a bare outline 

 of the proceeding. The worker will soon find that to 

 ensure success the pollen must be transferred at the 

 proper moment generally to be known by the stigma 

 becoming glistening or sticky. He will also discover other 

 matters of moment, and lay in store for himself many 



190 



