ARTIFICIAL FERTILISATION. 27S- 



Cross-pollenisation does not show itself in the fruit or flower that 

 has been so fertilised, but in the plant that is produced from that 

 cross-pollenisation. You may discern an egg that has been laid 

 by a Cochin hen that is running in a yard of mixed fowls by its. 

 colour, but from the egg you cannot tell what the cross-bred chick 

 will be ; that will only show itself in the progeny resulting from 

 the crossing. So it is in cross-pollenisation — the blossom or fruit 

 does not show it, but the crossing is seen in the succeeding genera- 

 tion. 



The way bees transfer the pollen grains from the anther to- 

 the stigma has been already described, and the simplicity of the- 

 method must be apparent to all. 



The action of conveying pollen from place to place is in no way 

 injurious, neither does the instrument used interfere with its; 

 vitality. An artificial instrument is as useful to convey it from 

 flower to flower as a natural one, and the action would produce 

 the same result. We have seen that pollen removed from tne male; 

 flower and placed on the receptive organ of a female flower produce 

 fertile fruit. In members of the pumpkin family the sexual flowers. 

 are situated on different parts of the same plant, and the sexuality 

 of the 'blossom is -very readily distinguished. Taking that class, 

 of plant for our model, let us see how easily artificial fertilisation 

 can be accomplished. The first step will be to secure in both 

 sexual flowers immunity from visits of bees and other insects. To 

 do this, if the saime strain of pumpkin, &c, is to be retained, select 

 two blossoms (male and female) on the same vine whilst in bud_ 

 form — that is, some days before the flower opens. Enclose them 

 with fine mosquito netting. Gauze-wire is better, because it can- 

 not come into close contact with the ppening flower. Care must 

 be taken that the netting is sufficiently large to permit the full 

 expansion of the flower. When the essential organs are mature — 

 that is, in the case of the male flower, when the pollen comes, 

 away freely with the instrument used in its removal ; and in the 

 female when the central organ has a viscid appearance — remove, 

 the net covering from the male bloom first, and with a soft downy 

 feather, or, better still, a small camel-hair pencil (brush), gently 

 brush over the essential organ. If the instrument used be dark, 

 in colour it will be noted that a quantity of yellow dust (pollen) 

 is adhering to it. Carry the brush gently to the the female flower, 

 remove its covering also, and softly apply the brush with its pollen, 

 to its 'central organ. As soon as the operation is completed be 

 sure to re-cover the bloom that has been artificially fertilised. Toi. 



