S12 APPLICATION OF PRINCIPLES. 



ripen their fruit, even in unfavourable seasons and 

 situations, without the protection of a wall, because, 

 in many experiments made with a view to ascertain- 

 ing the comparative influence of the male and female 

 on their oflfspring, he had observed in fruits, with few 

 exceptions, a strong prevalence of the constitution 

 and habits of the female parent. Unfortunately, 

 however, this is precisely the reverse of the result at 

 which Mr. Herbert has arrived in the very great 

 number of experiments performed by himself on that 

 subject, he believing that the male parent generally 

 influences the character of the foliage, and the female 

 that of the flowers {AmaryUidacece, p. 348, 877) ; and 

 although it does appear to me that, in the majority 

 of cases, Mr. Herbert's opinion is the more correct of 

 the two, yet I fear there is too little certainty in the 

 results of hybridising to justify the establishment of 

 any axiom upon the subject. 



This power of muling, properly so called, is con- 

 fined within very narrow limits, and can hardly be 

 said to exist at all between species of different genera, 

 unless under that name are comprehended some of 

 the spurious creations of inconsiderate botanists. 

 Til ere are, indeed, many cases of species very closely 

 allied to each other which it is either impossible 

 to mule, or so difficult that no one has yet succeeded 

 in effecting it. Mr. Knight never could make the 

 Morello breed with the common Cherry. I have in 

 vain endeavoured to mule the Gooseberry and Cur- 

 rent, and we do not possess any garden production 

 known to have been produced between the Apple 



