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JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



potent agent in hybridisation, but it has also been crossed with 

 other species of a very different character — for example, the 

 Brazilian species B. insignis and the Indian species B. Bex. 



Among our various experiments in the hybridisation of 

 Begonias some very curious and unexpected results have been 

 obtained. Thus B. socotrana crossed with B. Froebelii produced 

 seedlings that were all socotrana, the influence of the pollen- 

 parent being nowhere perceptible ; and when B. Froebelii was 

 crossed with one of the brilliant dwarf hybrids in the parentage 

 of which B. Davisii had participated, the resulting progeny was 

 entirely Froebelii apparently unmixed. An opposite result 

 occurred in crossing B. gogoensis with B. albo-coccinea, when 

 none of the seedlings were distinguishable from the pollen-parent 

 (albo-coccinea). Thus in one case out of three the pollen-parent 

 predominated, while in the other two it was quite lost. A very 

 interesting cross is seen in " Novelty," which was obtained from 

 one of the B. Davisii seedlings crossed with B. lineata, a species 

 from Java ; and a still more remarkable one has been raised from 

 B. socotrana x B. Bex. 



Although the subject is far from being exhausted, I believe 

 I have adduced sufficient instances to show the important 

 place occupied by the Begonia in its collective sense in the 

 horticulture of the present day. Let us hope that when in 

 the years to come we again discuss the genus in its hor- 

 ticultural aspects, many further experiments and trials will 

 have been made and borne good fruit ; but let me particularly 

 impress on all who shall interest themselves in such experiments 

 the great — the paramount — importance of carefully recording at 

 the time every step taken and every result obtained. 



