113 
ON ERICjE. 
for perseverance, directed by sound judgment, may, and does do 
things which at first sight appear almost among the chapter of 
impossibilities ; but they do not)—attain that brilliancy Gf colouring 
so remarkable in Arborea. The great and principal object—the 
main desideratum among cultivators of this splendid genus—is the 
production of specimens or varieties bearing the colours and gene¬ 
ral inflorescence of Arborea , combined with the habit or harditude 
of the species inhabiting our flower borders. 
It is with much diffidence I enter on this subject; yet, so anxious 
I feel for the attainment of this desirable object, that with pleasure 
X venture my little experience, in order to draw the attention of 
experimental florists more closely to this subject,-—this being the 
season for immediate action. There is some difference of opinion 
among cultivators on the subject of hybridizing—whether the 
plant raised partakes more of the constitution of the male or of the 
female parent. Now, on observation it will be found, that by far 
the greater part of those hybrids raised from seed of hardy species, 
impregnated by Arborea , or other tender species, are at the best 
but half-hardy varieties, with generally an improved inflorescence. 
By this, it plainly appears, the hybrid plant receives the greatest 
part of its constitutional habit from the male parent, and its flowers 
from the female, or seed-bearing plant; modified or altered in 
both cases by the interchange of pollen. In illustration of this 
I will mention two or three experiments of my own. In the first, 
a plant raised from seed of (I believe) Alba- r purpur ea> crossed by 
Arborea , produced, as before mentioned, a half-hardy variety. 
Many of the plants from the same seed were planted in the open 
border as soon as strong enough to ascertain whether they retained 
the constitution of the female parent, but they all died. 
In the next, the same half-hardy hybrid was again impregnated 
from a hardy species ; the produce of this were perfectly hardy, 
but the flowers were smaller, and the colours less brilliant. In 
the third, the hybrid first spoken of was again crossed with 
Tigrinium. Here the produce was tender, or at most half-hardy. 
What the flower will be remains to be proved ; but that the con¬ 
stitution of the hybrid is received principally from the male parent 
appears beyond controversy ; so that to obtain this much-desired 
variety, it seems that Arborea should be made the female parent, 
fecundating with a hardy species,—a thing which did not occur to 
my mind when the above experiments were tried, from the sup¬ 
position I entertained that the female had the greatest influence 
VOL. ii. no. v. 
Q 
