ORCHID CONFERENCE. 



429 



tion of which should save the breeder a considerable amount of time, 

 trouble, and expense. From what we have shown, it is evident that 

 no useful purpose can be served by the indiscriminate matings of 

 complex hybrids, which are far too common in Orchid breeding. From 

 the economic point of view, it is extremely doubtful whether it is really 

 necessary to go beyond the mating of primary hybrids in Orchid 

 breeding. We have seen that any two good qualities can be combined 

 in this way in the second generation, in a single experiment, with two, 

 three, or four species of genera. 



If more than this be required, other parallel experiments can be 

 carried out at the same time, and the respective results of the separate 

 experiments can, if really necessary, be combined afterwards. For 

 instance. Experiment 1 might be carried out to make a dark scarlet 

 Cattleya from Sophronitis grandiflora, while Experiment 2 might be 

 carried out at the same time to make a light scarlet Cattleya from 

 Laelia harpophylla. When these two shades of the scarlet Cattleya 

 are obtained in the second generation, they might be mated together 

 in order to produce in the third generation a scarlet Cattleya superior 

 to both. 



Another great advantage in the adoption of the method of parallel 

 experiments would be that the special secondary hybrids obtained in 

 this way will oi necessity have a double dose of each of the two good ^ 

 qualities bred for; consequently they will be equally valuable for use 

 as stud Orchids, being homozygous, or pure to the desired characters, * 

 they will breed true to themselves when selfed, and will give more 

 definite and less variable results when crossed with one another. 



The application of the principles of Genetics to Orchid breeding 

 leads one to conclude that, from the economic and eugenic points of 

 view, the only sound method to adopt in Orchid breeding is to make 

 a fresh start by selecting a choice stud of the best individuals of the 

 best varieties of the best species of the best genera, due preference 

 being given to those stud individuals that have already bred winners 

 of the F.C.C. at the E.H.S., and have also proved themselves to be 

 homozygous in their good qualities. These selected stud Orchids should 

 be combined by crossing in every possible way, in order to make 

 superior primary stud hybrids. Finally, these superior stud hybrids 

 can be combined in any way that the breeder may think fit, in accord- 

 ance with the particular objects he may have in view. 



Discussion. 



Mr. DE Barri Craw shay asked how it was possible to ascertain 

 whether a particular plant was homozygous, heterozygous, or zero- 

 zygous for any particular character. Would it be necessary to breed 

 from the plant in several successive years to obtain the information ? 

 Referring to the need for keeping accurate records of all the offspring 

 of any particular mating in order to obtain an accurate basis for future 

 work, Mr. Craw SHAY said he feared the extraordinary mortality among 

 Orchid seedlings would greatly interfere with the results obtained when 



