CROSS-FERTILISATION 6i 



ripened and sown, in due course produce fresh plants. 

 The application of the pollen of one flower to the 

 stigma of another individual is called cross-pollination, 

 and the fertilisation consequent upon it is cross-fertilisa- 

 tion. 



When in a natural habitat where the Narcissus has 

 been established for centuries a flower is either self- 

 fertilised or fertilised by pollen from another similar to 

 itself it may be expected to reproduce its own character- 

 istics in its ofi^spring. But when the pollen is from a 

 flower of another species, or of a quite distinct type, the 

 offspring will be found to be intermediate between the 

 two parents, though in such cases seeds from the same 

 seed-pod will generally produce flowers differing much 

 from each other — reproducing in different degrees of 

 resemblance the peculiar characteristics of their parents. 



But cross-fertilisation may be effected artificially by 

 the hand of man, as well as naturally by wind or insect. 

 And seeds of naturally fertilised flowers may be collected 

 and sown, and a selection made of good new varieties 

 resulting from them. The earliest mention of Narcissus 

 seedling raising would seem to be that by Theophrastus 

 of Eresus (e.g. 374-285). But it is only of compara- 

 tively late years — since Dean Herbert began both to 

 practise this important work and to urge it upon others 

 — that artificial cross-fertilisation and seedling raising 

 have been carried on on a large scale and with such 

 magnificent results as we are now enjoying. Most of the 

 fine standard named varieties of garden hybrids, which 

 make the choice daffodil gardens of to-day so much 

 richer and more beautiful than were those of Parkinson 

 and the old gardeners, are the result of the labours of 

 the daffodil enthusiasts of the last half century, especi- 

 ally of Mr W. Backhouse, of St John's, Walsingham, 

 Mr Leeds, of Longford Bridge, Manchester, and in a 

 less degree the Rev. Mr Nelson, of Aldborough, and 



