PIYBRIDIZING. 



13 



Botanic Garden, gives of the Villisneria, as it has 

 been observed in the river Rhone. 



" They have their roots at the bottom of the river, 

 the flowers of the female plant float on the surface 

 of the water, and are furnished with an elastic 

 spiral stalk, which extends or contracts as the water 

 rises or falls. The flowers of the male plant are pro- 

 duced under water, and as soon as the fecundating 

 farina is mature, they rise to the surface, and are 

 wafted by the wind or borne by the current to the 

 female flower." 



The most proper situation for plants to be placed 

 in whilst they are in flower, for the purpose of pro- 

 ducing mule plants, is a dry atmosphere protected 

 by a thin net screen to prevent insects from defeat- 

 ing your object. If the plants are of a hardy na- 

 ture, then place a single light upon four posts and 

 surround it with canvass, if in the greenhouse, it 

 is easy to make a partition ; the same when the 

 plants are in the stove. Observe to keep the plants 

 moist at the roots. 



The fittest season for this operation is from May 

 to August. In selecting plants on which to pro- 

 duce new varieties, first consider the probability of 

 your success and the effect to be produced when 

 you obtain it, that is, what effect the foliage of the 

 male parent will have upon the offspring between 

 it and the female, and vice versa ; so also as to the 

 flowers, T vThen you have obtained the first remove 



