302 SOUTHEBN FIELD CROPS 



269. Directions for crossing cotton. — Near sunset the 

 pollen-cases (anthers) are removed from large flower-buds 

 that would open the next morning. The removal of the 

 anthers is most conveniently done by cutting away the 

 greater part of every petal, and then carefully removing 

 every anther, either with a smaU pair of pincers, a small 

 pair of scissors, or with the blade of a pocket knife, taking 

 care not to bruise the pistil around which the stamens 

 grow. The anthers when removed are still closed ; if 

 any have begun to drop their pollen, the bud is too far 

 advanced for crossing. As soon as the anthers are taken 

 out, a small paper bag is pinned or tied over the mutilated 

 flower to keep insects from Ijringing to the stigma the pollen 

 from some unknown cotton plant. 



Next, choose the plant that is to furnish the jjollen, and 

 over its buds, nearbtr ready to open, tie a paper bag to ex- 

 clude insect visitors. The next morning, usually about 

 nine o'clock, the stigma on the mutilated flower will be 

 ready to receive the pollen from the chosen sire plant. 

 This readiness will be shown by the stickiness of the upper 

 portion of the pistil, that is, the stigmas. At about the 

 same time that the stigmas become receptive, the anthers 

 in other flowers will have begun to burst, setting free their 

 pollen. 



There are several methods of placing the pollen on the 

 flower from which the anthers ha^'e been removed. One 

 way consists in simply pulling the entire flower bearing 

 the pollen, and rubbing its anthers lightly over the stigmas 

 of the nmtilated l)loom, until some of the grains of pollen 

 are seen to adhere to all sides of the pistil. Then the paper 

 bag is again placed in position, to be left over the muti- 



