HYBRID INTERMIXTURES. 
355 
from another flower, which is in perfection and not beginning 
to wither, must be applied to the stigma as soon as it is quite 
developed and mature, or rather sooner. The success of 
such experiments is always most probable when the plant, 
which is to be fertilized, has been forced, and no natural 
pollen can be brought to it accidentally from other plants, 
and, by forcing one of the intended parents, those, which 
flower at different seasons, may be made to intermix. But 
it should be always remembered that, except in cases where 
the anthers are very accessible, and not mature till after the 
expansion of the flower, it is almost impossible to be quite 
certain that no particle shall escape from them in the opera- 
tion. It is incorrectly stated that we cannot cross plants 
which do not ripen seeds with us, for their dust may be used 
to fertilize one that will ripen its seed ; for instance, the 
pollen of Zephyranthes carinata, which I have never known 
to bear seed in England, lias fertilized Z. tubispatha. It is 
also very possible, if the fruit of one species is apt to perish 
immaturely from the unsuitableness of the climate, and the 
germen of another is not usually fertilized with us, in conse- 
quence of an imperfect formation of its pollen, that it may 
be effectually fecundated by the pollen of the other species, 
though neither would have borne seed separately. The 
deficiency of pollen is of frequent occurrence in the American 
Azaleas from the fault of our climate ; but the p lien of 
Sprekelia and of Z. carinata is abundant, and their sterility 
does not arise from its defect, but from the temperature or 
exposure in which they are placed not being exactly adapted 
to the growth of their fruit. 
The first hybrid amongst our liliaceous plants that ap- 
peared in our gardens was the mule between Hippeastrum 
vittatum and regium, which was circulated under the name 
of Amaryllis Johnsoni, having been raised by a nurseryman 
named Johnson. It was, perhaps, an accidental production, 
for it was offered to the public with an incorrect statement, 
that it had been raised by impregnating H. vittatum with 
the pollen of Sprekelia formosissima. He might, however, 
have made various trials, and have been deceived as to which 
of them had been successful. That statement has been since 
disproved by the failure of every attempt to fecundate any 
species of Hippeastrum by the pollen of Sprekelia, of which 
the separate generic character is thereby confirmed, and also 
by the facility with which plants exactly similar have been 
2 a 2 
