CITRUS CULTURE IN CALIFORNIA — POLLINATION. 29 



The flowers selected for emasculation and h3'bridization 

 should be full-sized, perfect in all respects, and conveniently 

 situated. Those on the end of a twig frequently set fruit best. 

 All the flowers on the branch which are not used should be 

 cut off. Frequently several flowers of the same age can be 

 selected on the same branch, emasculated, and inclosed under 

 the same bag. 



In hybridizing, many different methods are followed in 

 applying the pollen. In most cases where an abundance of 

 pollen can be secured the freshly burst anthers from one plant 

 may be taken with fine-pointed forceps and rubbed over the 

 stigma of the other until sufficient pollen has been transferred. 

 This is probabl}' the easiest and safest method in most cases. 

 Some hybridizers transfer the pollen with a small ladle or 

 camel's-hair brush, and occasionally' this method may be found 

 somewhat convenient, especially where the pollen is brought 

 from same distance and has largely escaped from the anthers. 



After each pollination it is of the utmost importance to 

 label the bag in such a way that there will be no question as 

 to what it contains. These labels should be allowed to remain 

 after the bag has been removed. As fruits, like oranges, etc., 

 approach maturity it is very desirable that they^be inclosed in 

 gauze bags firmly tied to the branches. Such bags allow the 

 normal development of the fruit, protect it from being picked 

 accidentally, and in case the fruit falls prematurely preserve 

 it in connection with the label. 



WHAT ARE HYBRIDS? * 



The term hybrid is by many applied only to the offspring 

 obtained by crossing two plants or animals sufficiently different 

 to be considered by naturalists as distinct species, while the 

 terms mongrel and cross are used to designate the offspring of 

 two classes or varieties of one species. It was formerly supposed 

 that all hybrids were more or less sterile, in contradistinction to 

 mongrels, which were believed to be very sterile. It has been 

 found, however, that many hybrids, in the narrow sense, are 

 very fertile, and that some mongrels are nearly sterile. Since 

 it is impossible to indicate by any two words, such as hybrid 



* By Walter T. Swingle and Herbert J. Webber, Special Agents Department 

 of Agriculture. Yearbook 1897, p. 384. 



