HYBRIDIZING AND CROSSBREEDING I99 



seen what were considered the most promising seedlings 

 lost in the process of transferring from the field to the 

 house. Not so with the pot culture. (It might be well 

 to state here that no seedling should be discarded until 

 it has bloomed unless the plant is seriously diseased, for 

 any one of them might be just the one you aimed at when 

 you made the cross.) 



As soon as a comprehensive idea can be gained from 

 the bloom, the plant should be labeled and set aside if 

 meritorious, or discarded if unworthy. Each plant is 

 given a number, which is written on a label along with the 

 color, the parentage, and the year the cross was made. If 

 space is available, these plants may be planted on the 

 bench, where they will make cuttings freely, frequently 

 throwing up additional flowering shoots, which will confirm 

 or contradict the original estimate of their merits. 



During the propagating season all the good, strong 

 cuttings are struck for testing the following season. Great 

 care should be exercised in the selection of these cuttings, 

 only such as will perpetuate the vigor of the original plant 

 being taken. Over-propagation has caused the downfall 

 of many a promising sort. The number of cuttings taken 

 from each plant will vary accoiding to its habit of growth, 

 but usually from six to a dozen cuttings is considered 

 sufficient for the second year's trial. If the variety is 

 considered worthy of further trial, these 'plants will give 

 enough cuttings to fill a nice block of space on the bench. 



With the second year's trial the real task of selection 

 begins. Many will show characteristics that will cause a 

 complete reversal of the original estimate placed on their 

 value, while others will confirm or even improve on the 

 first year's showing. A good idea, we find, is to keep records 

 on each variety in a pocket notebook. Each variety is 



