June 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
157 
I 
threes in this flower; each flower invariably having 
only three stamens, which hold rip the anthers. When 
the pollen is ripe, the anthers burst from top to bot¬ 
tom, and there is a furrow down the centre of each 
opening, so that the anthers arc each in two parts. 
The easiest way of applying this pollen to the stigma 
is to cut off the flower whose pollen you are to use, 
then with a penknife cut off first the petals down j 
as far as they are split, then you will only have the 
tube of the flower to which the bottom of the stamens 
are attached; then, with the point of the knife, single 
out one of the stamens with a ripe anther, keeping 
hold of it between the knife and your thumb, and in 
that position apply the anther backwards and for¬ 
wards on the stigma, when you will see the dusty 
pollen adhering each time to tire stigmas, and then 
the work is done. It is always a good plan, however, | 
to apply the pollen twice, say in the morning and i 
afternoon; or, after the interval of a day or two, with 
some flowers whose stigmas remain fresh for several I 
days. Where a cross is difficult to he obtained, it is I 
a good plan to use pollen from two or three flowers, 
and from as many plants, if they are at hand; but 
the pollen plants must always be of the same kind, 
as no flower will yield to the influence of two kinds 
of pollen at the same time. If it did so breed from 
two kinds, the process woidd be called superfeetation, 
a monstrous doctrine, so repugnant to nature that 
few of the more learned physiologists countenance it 
now, though some of them leaned that way till the 
labours of the cross-breeders proved how untenable 
it was; of course, different kinds of pollen may be 
used for the different flowers on a given plant, and | 
the same kind of pollen may be used with advantage 
from two or three flowers of the same kind, but from 
different plants; thus giving two or more chances 
against failure, as the pollen may be deficient in one 
plant from various causes: it may he too ripe, or 
not ripe enough, and wet or too much dampness may 
have access to it, which would cause the pollen grains 
to burst and so prevent its full action. We may 
exemplify in the gladiolus a very mysterious point, 
which was but very recently cleared up, and that by 
the late Dr. Herbert. I have already said that the 
one style of the gladiolus is divided on the top into 
three stigmas; the seed vessel is also divided into I 
three divisions, each of them holding several winged 
seeds. Now, for a long time, it was believed that 
each division of the stigma impregnated only the 
seeds in the corresponding division of the seed vessel, 
anfl that if the other two divisions of the stigma were 
cut out or left without pollen, their share of the seeds 
could not be fertilized. But it is not so; one of the 
three divisions is equal to the task of conveying the 
pollen to all parts of the seed vessel, which is fatal 
to the theory of the pollen being conveyed in long 
tubes spun out of its own substance. It occurred to 
me, some years since, that if three kinds of pollen 
were applied to the three divisions of the stigma—see¬ 
ing that each of them were capable of fertilizing all 
the seeds—that if there was any truth in the theory of 
superfoetation, this would be the most likely way of 
proving it, and 1 suggested the experiment in 1837. 
After a great number of experiments, Dr Herbert 
was enabled to answer the question in the negative 
ten years subsequently. Another feature will meet 
the young beginner in the gladiolus, perhaps, for the 
first time. There is no trace of a calyx or outer 
covering in any of them, nor, indeed, in any of the 
lily-like flowers. Their corolla is mostly divided into 
six parts, and three of these are the true petals; the 
other three representing the calyx in a petal-like form. 
But the most cmiotts of all is the fact disclosed in the 
stamens of the gladiolus and of all the iris tribe, of 
which this forms a part. You are aware this name 
gladiolus is taken from gladius, a sword, on account 
of their leaves being shaped like a two-edged sword. 
They are, therefore, gladiators or swordsmen, if there 
is anything “in a name.” The stamens, being the 
male organs, are the knights of the order, and 
military knights are proverbial for gallantry; but 
there is no rule without an exception, and here is a 
marked exception, both in a military and botanical 
point of view: for in the whole order of irids, gay and 
beautiful as they are, the knights invariably turn 
their backs on the ladies. So if ever you meet with 
a lily-like flower, with three stamens only, and the 
anthers holding the opening for the pollen opposite 
to the style and stigma, you may depend on it the 
stranger belongs to the iris tribe, of which our gladi¬ 
olus is one family. D. Beaton. 
THE KITCHEN-GARDEN. 
Borecole, and also all the other varieties of the 
kale family, should now be planted out in full crops, 
as well as the drum-headed cabbage and savoys. All 
these are most profitable and wholesome vegetables 
for the cottager; and the refuse, if boiled in the pot 
liquor, will not only provide the pig with hearty food 
but lessen the mealman’s account at the same time. 
Those who have no ground to spare may plant the 
above-named crops between the rows of peas, beans, 
and early potatoes, where they will grow and become 
well established by the time that these last are 
cleared away : and as soon as they are removed, the 
ground must be well forked and scarified, and liberal 
soakings of liquid manure applied to the different 
crops of kales and cabbages. The small kinds of 
cabbage should be pretty liberally planted, and suc¬ 
cessions sown. Those who have plenty of ground 
to spare may still sow peas , beans, dwarf kidney 
beans, and scarlet runners for autumn use, always 
bearing in mind that those already planted may be 
made doubly productive by the application of liquid 
manure and the constant use of the hoe. 
Routine Work. — Celery and leeks should now be 
planted in succession, and attended to as described 
above for other crops. Early potatoes , onions, and 
shedots may be harvested, and the ground forked up 
into ridges ready for the planting of cape and other 
sorts of brocoli, cauliflowers, cabbage, endive, lettuce, a 
few radishes, another sowing of parsley, a few onions 
for piffling young in autumn, and some more celery, 
as well as all winter kales . Cucumbers on the ridge 
should be duly mulched, stopped, trained, and as¬ 
sisted by manure water, and the samo remarks also 
apply to those in frames or pits, as well as to melons. 
Another sowing of each may be made. Peas, beans, 
kidney beans, scarlet runners, caulifloicers. and many 
other garden crops, may, at this season of the year, 
if hot dry weather prevails, be greatly assisted by 
slight mulchings with any kind of refuse matter, 
which is beneficial by preventing evaporation, and 
consequently keeping the soil about the roots moist. 
James Barnes. 
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION. 
ALLOTMENT GARDENING FOR JULY. 
We have now arrived at that part of the summer 
when, in the productiveness of many of his garden 
