HYBRIDIZATION AND CROSS FECUNDATION OF PLANTS. 
81 
with a letter from the secretary of this society, in 
relation to the same. 
On motion of Mr. Cheever, of Saratoga, it was 
Resolved , That a committee of three be appointed 
to apply to'the Canal Board for a reduction of tolls 
on agricultural implements, fences, seeds, and ma¬ 
nures. 
On motion of Mr. S. A. Foot, of Ontario, it was 
Resolved , That the society petition the Legisla¬ 
ture to pass a law directing the publication of a 
large edition of the Natural History of this state, 
and the sale of the same to the citizens thereof, at 
the cost price of publication, and that the president 
and secretary prepare such petition, sign the same 
in behalf of the society, and present it to the Legis¬ 
lature. 
On motion of Mr. B. P. Johnson, it was 
Resolved , That the society most cordially approve 
of the recommendation of His Excellency, the 
Governor, on the subject of Agricultural Schools, 
and would respectfully and earnestly urge its con¬ 
sideration, and the early action of, by the Legisla¬ 
ture. 
An analysis of Indian corn, for which the soci¬ 
ety had offered the sum of $300, was presented by 
Mr. James H. Salisbury, of Albany, which was 
referred to a committee for examination. 
HYBRIDIZATION AND CROSS FECUNDATION OF 
PLANTS. 
Hybridization, strictly speaking, is the art or act 
of obtaining an offspring or progeny between two 
different species of animals or plants; and cross fe¬ 
cundation or cross breeding is the production of a 
progeny or race between varieties of the same spe¬ 
cies. It was maintained by Buffon, Hunter, and 
other naturalists of the last century, and is yet as¬ 
sumed by many scientific men of the present day, 
that the hybrid offspring or progeny of two distinct 
species of animals or plants is incapable of beget¬ 
ting or reproducing its kind ; thus making hybridity 
the test of specific character. From this we may 
infer, that the progeny of hybrid plants cannot pro¬ 
duce seeds; but that produced by cross fecunda¬ 
tion may be regarded as fertile. 
The observations and experience of practical 
gardeners and florists would seem to justify the 
following maxims, as affording some guide to the 
production of new varieties or races :— 
1 . The existence of sexes in plants is now uni¬ 
versally acknowledged, as occurring in the same 
flower,—in separate flowers on the same plant, or 
tree,—as well as in those of trees distinct from one 
another. 
v 2. Plants nearly related, that is, closely similar 
in the structure of their several parts, are those 
only which will immediately impregnate with each 
other ; but it is impossible, at present, to say what 
families of plants may or may not be brought into 
fertile union through intermediate crosses. Not 
long ago, the azalea and rhododendron were thought 
to be incapable of such union ; but this opinion is 
now exploded; for the Pontic rhododendron, (R. 
ponticum,) has been fecundated with the pollen of 
the Chinese azalea, (A. sinensis ,) and the progeny be¬ 
tween that evergreen and the last-named deciduous¬ 
leaved shrub, is the previously-unknown phenom¬ 
enon, a yellow rhododendron. In like manner, the 
brassicas, (cabbages, turnips, &c.,) mix freely with 
brassicas in all their gradations, as well as the cu- 
curbitaceae (melons, pumpkins, gourds, &c.) There 
are some exceptions, however, to this rule ; for 
the beautiful pelargonium and the scarlet gerani¬ 
um, though nearly allied, according to the clasifica- 
tion of modern botanists, have not, hitherto, been 
able to mix. Again, the raspberry and strawberry 
are regarded as first cousins; yet, after several at¬ 
tempts, they have not hybridized. The gooseberry 
and currant, too, are nearly related ; still their al¬ 
liance seems invincible, though tried by skilful 
hands. 
3. The color of the future blossoms, (not of those 
first hybridized,) seems to be most influenced, 
though not invariably, by the male plant, if its 
seeds and flowers are darker than those of the 
female. Mr. Knight found, that when the pollen 
of a colored-blossomed pea was introduced into a 
white one, the whole of the future seeds were co¬ 
lored. But when the pollen of a white blossom 
was introduced to the stigma of a colored blossom, 
the whole of the future seeds were not white. 
Captain Thurtell, from lengthened observation and 
experiment, also informs us, that he has al ways found 
the color and spot of the petals of the pelargonium 
to be more influenced by the male than by the fe¬ 
male plant. On the contrary, however, he obser¬ 
ved that the form of the petals follows most closely 
that of the male plant. 
4. Large stature and robustness of habit, accord¬ 
ing to Mr. Knight, are transmitted to the progeny 
by either of the parent plants. Therefore, it does 
not absolutely matter, for obtaining this character¬ 
istic, whether the plant, male or female, be large; 
but he generally found that the most robust female 
plant produced the finest result. When a good fruit 
or culinary vegetable is wanted, he recommends that 
the largest seed from the finest fruit or plant, that 
has ripened earliest, and most perfectly, should 
always be selected. In stone fruits, if two kernels 
are in one stone, these give birth to inferior plants. 
The florists of the present day, however, are oppo¬ 
sed to Mr. Knight in their practice, as regards the 
hybridization or cross fecundation of ornamental 
flowers; for they recommend the weakest plants, 
and those that germinate last, where chastity of 
form and beautiful marking are required, to be 
taken the greatest care of, as they are sure to pro¬ 
duce the most valuable flowers. 
I Mode of Obtaining Varidies. —The most suc¬ 
cessful mode of obtaining good and very distinct 
varieties, is to employ the pollen of a male flower, 
grown on another plant, from a distance, and not that 
bearing the female, or that in which the fecunda¬ 
tion is to take place. When the plants are in 
flower, carefully extract with a pair of sharp- 
pointed scissors the anthers, if any, from the female 
flower from which you intend to produce seed, and 
also destroy all male flowers, or those having 
anthers, of the same species that are in the imme¬ 
diate vicinity, before they arrive at maturity, or 
your attempts will be of no avail; for Nature will 
have performed her part, and instead of a hybrid, 
you will have a natural progeny. In order further 
to avoid previous and undesired impregnation, the 
female flower should be inclosed in a case covered 
with gauze, and thus continued until the process 
