PROPAGATION OF PLANTS 159 



apple trees ; of Ephraim Bull, of Concord, who originated 

 the Concord grape ; and of Luther Burbank, " the wizard 

 of plants," who has given to every garden in the land 

 some of its choicest varieties of fruit. ^ 



The theory and method of procedure are comparatively 

 simple. Select the two plants, trees or flowers, that you 

 wish to breed. Be sure they are healthy, vigorous, and 

 grown to the highest perfection possible. In general, it 

 is best to have the female of a kind preeminent for robust 

 growth, while the male possesses the color, fragrance, or 

 flavor that you wish to perfect. Next choose a well-placed 

 bud, or cluster of buds, about equally advanced on both 

 plants. Before they open, carefully tie a paper bag over 

 the buds from which you intend to take the pollen. 

 From the female flowers, also before they open, remove 

 all the stamens, and in like manner cover them with a 

 paper bag. When the anthers of the male flower open, 

 indicating that their pollen is ripe, remove the pollen 

 with a clean soft brush and dust it thoroughly over the 

 stigma of the other flower. Replace the paper bag over 

 the female flower. Let it remain covered until the seeds 

 begin to grow, when the bag should be taken off. Then 

 make a careful note of exactly what you have done, giv- 

 ing the varieties used, which one was taken for pollen and 

 which for stigma, and the date and methods of culture given 



^ For *' Johnny Appleseed," see Ohio Archceological and Historical 

 Quarterly, January, 1901, p. 303. 



For references to Mr. Bull, see Massachusetts Agricultural Reports, 

 1850-1860; ;;!30 article on "Progress of Plant Breeding in the United 

 States," Yearbook, Department of Agriculture, 1899. 



For a recent note on Luther Burbank and his work, see American 

 Gardening, vol. xxi, p. 35, 1900. 



