CROSSING OR HYBRIDISING. 



321 



for such experiments, a treatise might be written ; 

 but here a few remarks must suffice. 



"As for the sea son of the year, from early spring 

 to midsummer I would account the best period ; 

 but, as I have just observed, I regard all cold, 

 damp, cloudy, and ungenial weather as unfavour- 

 able. On the other hand, when the weather is 

 genial, not so much from sun heat as at times 

 occurs from the atmosphere being moderately 

 charged with electricity, when there is an elas- 

 ticity, so to speak, in the balmy air, and all 

 nature seems joyous and instinct with life, this, 

 of all others, is the season which the hybridist 

 should improve, and above all if he attempt 

 muling. 



" The hybridist should be provided with a 

 pocket lens, a pair of wire pincers, and various 

 coloured silk threads. 



" With the lens he will observe the maturity of 

 the pollen and the condition of the stigma, 

 whether the former has attained its powdery, and 

 the latter (if such is its nature) its viscous con- 

 dition. If he find both the pollen and the stigma 

 in a fit state, he will, with the pincers, apply an 

 anther with ripened pollen, and by the gentlest 

 touch distribute it very thinly over the summit 

 of the stigma. The operation performed, he will 

 mark it by tying round the flower- stalk a bit of 

 that particular coloured silk thread which he 

 wishes to indicate the particular plant which 

 bore the pollen, and at same time tie a bit of 

 the same silk round the stem of the latter, which 

 will serve till recorded in a note-book, which 

 should be kept by every one trying experiments 

 on a large scale. 



" It Avould be out of place here to give even a 

 general outline of the parts of flowers, to show 

 how these differ the one from the other in vari- 

 ous tribes of plants. The experimenter, if he is 

 not a botanist, and even though he is partially 

 acquainted with the science, must, from books 

 and observation, make himself familiar with th& 

 various organs, male and female, of each separate 

 family of plants on which he means to work, 

 otherwise he will be often puzzled where to find 

 them, or even to distinguish the one from the 

 other. 



" As for the time of the day, it may be done 

 almost any hour from 9 a.m. till 4 o'clock p.m., 

 and with equal success. My other avocations 

 have often limited me to earlier and later hours ; 

 but I would suggest from ten till two o'clock as 

 the best time of day, always preferring fair, ge^ 

 nial, and sunny, to chill, damp, or cloudy days. 



"On recurring to my note-book for 1850, 1 find 

 a very favourable state of atmosphere occurred 

 in the beginning of March of that year, when I 

 crossed the Phyllodoce ( M enziesia ) ccerulea with 

 the Rhodothamnus ( Rhododendron ) chamcecistus, 

 sowed on 18th June that year, as above noticed. 

 At this time, too, I succeeded in crossing the 

 above rhodothamnus with a large-leaved white- 

 flowered Nepal species of rhododendron, the blooms 

 of which were 2 inches across the limb. But 

 though I ripened that season three or four pods 

 of this last cross, each pod of seed beautifully 

 ripened, all of which I sowed, I cannot assert that 

 any one seed vegetated ; and though it is now 

 nearly three years since the seeds were sown, I 



still preserve the seed-pot. And I may remark 

 here, from my own experience, that two years is 

 not too soon to despair of vegetation even of seeds 

 from abroad, on which, of course, no cross had 

 been effected. 



" Few seasons have occurred so favourable for 

 the hybridist as the short interval in the begin- 

 ning of March 1850, above alluded to. Singularly 

 enough, happeningto visit Lord Rosslyn's gardens 

 at Dysart House, on the 1st of June that year, 

 with the late Professor Dunbar, Mr M'Intosh 

 (the author), and Mr Sprott, I observed the above 

 rhodothamnus marked as crossed. I found it had 

 been crossed at the above period, and with Rho- 

 dodendron arboreum ! The seed-pods were then 

 fully swollen, and approaching maturity ; but I 

 have not heard that anything has come of them. 



"It is quite unnecessary to offer any directions 

 as to the results to be effected. If it is desired 

 to reproduce the larger, finer formed, or higher 

 coloured bloom of a plant having a tall, strag- 

 gling, or too robust a growth, or having too large 

 or too coarse foliage in a plant without these 

 drawbacks, I need not suggest to select, in an- 

 other species of the same family, a plant of an op- 

 posite character and properties — say of dwarf 

 compact growth, handsome foliage, and free 

 flowering habit ; and if such can be obtained, 

 work with it, making the latter the seed-bearer. 

 Or, if it be desirable to impart the fragrance of a 

 less handsome kind to another more handsome, I 

 would make the cross upon the latter. I cannot 

 speak with certainty from my own experiments 

 how far perfume may be so communicated ; but I 

 have some things far advanced to maturity to test 

 it ; and I entertain the hope that fragrance may not 

 only be so imparted, but even heightened, varied, 

 and improved. Or if it be desired to transfer 

 all, or any valuable property or quality, from a 

 tender exotic species to a native or hardy kind, 

 work upon the latter ; for so far as constitution 

 goes, I agree with those who hold that the female 

 overrules in this particular. I would offer this 

 caution to those who wish to preserve the purity 

 of certain flowers for exhibition, especially those 

 having white grounds, not to cross such with 

 high-coloured sorts. I once spoiled a pure white. 

 bloomed Calceolaria for exhibition by crossing 

 it with a crimson sort ; all the blooms on those 

 branches where the operation had been per- 

 formed, being stained* red, and not the few 

 flowers merely on which the cross was effected. 



" In this note, already too long, I cannot further 

 illustrate my remarks, by recorded experiments 

 in the various tribes upon which 1 have tried 

 my hand ; but I cannot leave the subject with- 

 out inculcating, in the strongest manner, the ob- 

 servance of the rules I have laid down to prevent 

 vexatious disappointments. If any doubts arise 

 about the cross being genuine or effectually se- 

 cured, let not the seeds be sown. Three, four, 

 five, and even six years, must oftentimes elapse 

 with trees and shrubby things ere the result can 

 be judged of ; and if eventually it prove a failure, 

 or even doubtful, it is worse than labour lost, in- 

 asmuch as it may mislead. If there is no great 

 departure from the female parent, the issue is 

 to be mistrusted. It is singular, if well accom- 

 plished, how much of both parents is blended 



