272 
Garden Work 
is, have some seed-bearing flowers on each of the plants, 
taking the pollen from the one to pollinate the stigmas of 
the other, and vice versa. 
There are rules we should always remember in the 
hybridization of plants. 
1. Never cross two plants of weak constitution, however 
few the other varieties may be, as this wall only intensify 
the weakness, and so make them easy victims to the attacks 
of disease. 
2. Never cross two plants which have been badly 
diseased, as this will only hand down the weakened con- 
stitution to the young plants, and render them more liable 
to attacks of disease. 
3. If a plant has a weak constitution, stronger qualities 
should be infused into it by crossing with a plant of stronger 
constitution, though perhaps not so good. If the young 
plants are not what is desired, cross again. 
4. If a plant has good cooking qualities — e.g. the Potato 
— but is a poor cropper, then cross with one of good cropping 
quality. 
5. If a plant whose flowers are of fine form and sub- 
stance lacks colour, then cross with a plant whose blooms 
are of finer colour, though of coarser form and substance, 
and so on. 
When should pollination take place? Of course when 
the pollen is in the proper condition, which is always the 
case when the anthers open or dehiscence takes place; 
and when the stigma is properly matured, which is not so 
easily judged, though, as a rule, when the flowers have 
newly opened fully the stigma is in the proper condition. 
This, however, is not an absolute rule, and the pollen 
