1880 . j 
CAMELLIA MANARA.-EXPERIMENTS IN THE HYBRIDISATION OF FLOWERS. 
129 
CAMELLIA 
[Plate 
UR thanks are due to Messrs. W. Paul 
and Son, of Waltham Cross, for the 
opportunity of figuring the superb 
variety of Camellia japonica represented in the 
accompanying plate. As will be seen from 
Miss Regel’s portrait, it is a variety of the first 
rank, so far as regards depth and form; while 
its bright rose-crimson colouring, with the white 
stripe on the centre of the petals, which are 
cupped and somewhat pointed, is very pleasing 
and attractive, and its constitution, habit, and 
MANAEA. 
521.] 
foliage are all that can be desired. Mr. Paul 
describes it as a grand Camellia, taking a very 
high rank amongst the varieties forming his 
extensive collection, which is certainly the finest 
set of these plants now existing in the neighbour¬ 
hood of London, and will well repay a minute 
inspection during the blooming season. 
The cultivation of the Camellia has been so 
often referred to in our pages, that we need 
not repeat the instructions which have formerly 
been given under this head.—T. Moore. 
EXPERIMENTS IN THE HYBRIDISATION OF FLOWERS. 
S HE following experiments were not 
undertaken originally for any scientific 
purpose, but simply to assist myself, and 
to satisfy a natural curiosity in connection with 
an old pursuit, to which I have been addicted 
for many years—the raising of seedling florists’ 
flowers. The conclusions which I have arrived 
at by an analysis of these experiments, as well 
as some of the facts which experience has taught 
me in the pursuit of my hobby will, I fain 
would hope, be of some interest to many of 
your readers. 
The plant on which the experiments were 
carried out was the Zonal Pelargonium, or the 
Scarlet Geranium, in its more popular appel¬ 
lation. I selected this plant because my gar¬ 
dener, at that time, was a novice in seedling 
growing, and I thought the cultivation of this 
plant would give him less difficulty. It proved, 
however, too great a difficulty for him. Such is 
the kind of gardener often recommended to us. 
Much of my own work, I fear, and much of the 
value of the following remarks have suffered in 
consequence of this man’s lack of skill. 
The number of varieties on which I operated 
was 142. They consisted of the best of the 
older varieties of the period, and of about 60 
of the latest introduction, selected from the 
English and French nurseries. The hybridising 
was performed on these during the summer of 
1877. The number of different successful 
crosses, or of crosses from which I gathered 
seed, was 391 ; the number of seeds procured 
was not accurately noted, but the number of 
plants growing at blooming-time was about 
2,000. Of course, under ordinary treatment, 
No. 33. IMPERIAL SERIES. 
plants from seeds sown in 1877 should flower in 
1878. I was much vexed to find that none did. 
In the following autumn, therefore, I changed 
my gardener, and was fortunate enough to 
secure the services of a veteran at the work, 
whose zeal was at least equal to my own, and 
who has been a successful raiser of florists’ 
flowers for many years,—Mr. H. Eckford. 
Under Mr. Eckford’s treatment, the plants 
at once revived, and we began to reap the re¬ 
sults. Unfortunately, many of the plants by 
this time had become “ leggy,” or drawn, so 
that one of the characters which I should have 
liked to investigate more fully, the influence 
of the parent on the “habit,” has been noted 
only in a small number of the experiments,— 
in 85 cases only out of 550. 
In the hybridisation, the plants to be operated 
on were deprived of their anthers, either so soon 
as, or in most cases before, the pollen was de¬ 
veloped, and in every case before the stigma of 
the pistil had opened, and was ready to receive 
the pollen. In the Pelargonium, it is an invari¬ 
able rule, so far as my observation goes, that the 
floret is never impregnated by pollen of the 
same floret, and hence arises a natural disposi¬ 
tion of self-set flowers to give variation in the 
offspring, or, in florists’ terms, “ not to come 
true from seed.” The formation of the pistil 
in the Pelargonium is such that its fitness for 
reception of pollen can be readily ascertained. 
The stigma is formed of five segments, which at 
first lie parallel like the closed ribs of an um¬ 
brella, and in an upright position, and as the plant 
grows these spread backwards or open laterally, 
forming a kind of cross. The inner side of the 
K 
