ORIGINATING NEW VARIETIES. 111 
quarter of a century. It also owes a great deal to 
LeMoyne for improvements in the gladiolus; to Crozy, 
for his improvements in cannas and to Bruant for im- 
provements in pelargoniums. , 
The foregoing cases, which have been enumerated out 
of many others equally as interesting, will suffice to 
illustrate the progress being made in plant improvement. 
There are other grand opportunities surrounding us 
everywhere. In fact, the possibilities are limitless, as, 
owing to the tendency of nature to vary and modify, 
any sort of plant may be improved or changed in its 
character either as to shape or color of any of its parts, 
pod or root, flower or stem, the acidity or flavor of the 
seeds, flesh or fruit, sugar content of the root (as in 
beet), protein content (as in corn and wheat), character 
of the staple, length, strength, texture (as in cotton), ete. 
Crossing.—Through crossing, new types are secured 
of greatly differing allied species‘ or races. By its 
means, the undesirable characters of two distinct varie- 
ties may be entirely gotten rid of, while at the same 
time all the desirable points and features of both are 
joined in combination. 
This is accomplished by pollination, that which 
nature performs in a chance sort of way by insects or 
the wind. The breeder in addition to using nature’s 
method, applies an intelligent system or purpose. 
Having seiected the two plants to be crossed, he care- 
fully transfers with a camel’s-hair brush, a spoon, or 
by using his thumb nail, the pollen from the anthers of 
one plant to the stigma of the other which is to bear the 
seeds. He then covers the pollenized flower with a 
small bag of gauze or mosquito netting to prevent ac- 
cess to it by insects carrying pollen from other plants. 
The rest is left to nature. 
