1886 . 
TH 15^ 
HOW TO OEOSS-FERTILIZE ERUI'I'S 
11 ; is often rennirkod tln.t w,, . 
viirieties. 8o we l,av,s I.nt surely 
„ave not too nuin.v f.„o(l varieties ‘ ’our 
fruits tliat possess tlie (puilities of |,,,| . 
win Ai'i'l'' '5'"-liett I*,.,,,- are far '|„o 
tow. Untii we linve. so many sueii variel ies 
mat iilll'x’ tleiieions fruits of „u|. IjukI are 
yieiiloil in .siieli ahninianee tliat even ti,e 
ilirifty lalioriufT ,„an siiaii know no lacik, we 
liave not enongii. 
(’ross-fertiii/.ntion of varielies oll'ers (1,,. 
siioi-test iunl surest me.-ins of seeiirine- ini- 
proveniont. 'I'lie iirineiples fiuit appiy {„ 
sioek InwHline; appiy as weil to piaiits. iSy 
orossing two varieties, eaeii of wiiieli inis 
one nr more vainal)ie (pialities iiigiily licoad- 
FIG. 1. CROSS SECTION OF PEAR BLOSSOM. 
oped, we may hope to olitaiii a variety eoiii- 
biningthe desirabie cliaracters of l)oUi, 
It is an easy matter to .seleet varieties that 
liave one or two excellent ipialities. I'or ex¬ 
ample, the Crescent Strawberry iiossesses 
great productiveness and is sulliciently Hrin 
for market purposes, but it is laclcing in size 
and quality, llei-vey Davis, on tlie oilier 
hand, has size and quality Init is lacking in 
lirmuess and productiveness. By crossing 
these, we may hope to obtain a new variety 
possessing the good qu.alities of liot.ii. 
There arc two ways of ci'o.ss-fertili/ing 
varieties. In one, wliich may lie called tlie 
chance method, the varieties intended as 
parents are grown in close proximity, so 
that a portion of tlie flowers will become 
crossed in tlie natural process of fertiliza¬ 
tion. It is a loose method, though it cannot 
he denied that excellent results have often 
been obtained by it. It was by tliis method 
that Prof. Kirtlaud produced nian.v of his 
improved varieties of Clierries. It lias tlie 
advantage of extreme simplicity, but also 
the disadvantage tliat tlie grower is obliged 
to raise niaii}^ uncrossed seedlings, as he has 
00 means of knowing what dowers liave or 
have not been crossed. It lias the furtlier 
objections, that tlic grower can never be 
aiire of the parents of his new variety and 
that it can be practiced only witli varieties 
that arc growing very near togetlicr. 
tile second, which may be called tlic sci- 
ciitific mctliod, requires considerable slciil 
f'Hl patience on the part of the grower, biit 
•t avoids the uncertainties of tlie cliancc 
method, while it inay be jiracticcd between 
"'0 varieties growing an indefinite distance 
opart, even many miles. 
^0 practice tile chance nietliod one .scarcely 
“oeds other directions than tlie liint already 
St'cii. scientific method, liowevcr, le- 
imres some slight botanical knowledge on 
the 
part of the operator. 
The 
.. •■^productive organs of a plant con- 
of the stamens and pistils. !•• 
^chis across section of the blossom of the 
Tear, 
the pistils are the long organs that rise 
AMERICAN 
garden. 
when 
'■nese ail! the stamens. 
l.liSiin ^trawbeny 
Old i,f ii' ^ ol'miiensand pistils grow 
'"•■•■■y- The Stan,oils are mncli 
, 1 7" P>-m.iii.cnt tliaii the pistils. 
allul tlie aiitlier, coiitainsa lliie dust, a nor- 
ol wliicli wlicn iiiiitiirc must be (lc|)os- 
npoii tlie stigiiia-tlie tcriiiiiiiis of tlic 
• or a seed cannot be formed. A instil 
tl>at receives pollen from the stamens of the 
same dower is said to be.se//L/',.,.o7(>,f. \vi,en 
Its receives pollen rnnn anotlier dower it is 
said to be When tlie pistil 
"t one variety is fertilized witli pollen from 
anotlier, tile seed wliicli follows, 
planted, proiliiecs wbat is called a 
i-niss or hi/hriil and usually illustrates 
some of tlic characters of botli 
parents to a greater or less degree. 
It is evident tliat if we desire to cro.s.s- 
lertilizc a dower we nuist first iirevent 
the [listil from being fertilized with 
pollen from tlie same dower. It is 
evident, also, that if we are to bo sure 
that tlie pistil is fertilized witli pollen 
of the variety tliat we desire to be 
crossed witli it, we must prevent the entrance 
of all otlicr pollen. In order to ed'eet this, it 
is best to rcinovc the stamens just before, the 
dower is readv to open its petals, and tlien 
ciielose it in a paper bag. 
Clioosc a dower that is nearly ready to 
open and witli a pair of tine pointed tweezers 
fold back tlie petals and remove the antliers, 
taking care not to injure tlie pistil in any¬ 
way. If desired tlie petals nia.y be removed 
entirely without detriinent to the i-eproduct- 
ive organs. 'J'lien slip a liglit paper bag 
over the prepared dower and tie it about the 
stem. Tlie next da.v, or at longest, the sec¬ 
ond day after, choose a dower from the 
otli(!r I'ai'icty to he used as a parent, upon 
wliieh tlie jiolleii is mature, and after care¬ 
fully removing the bag, deposit a portion of 
tlie pollen upon tlie stigma or top of the 
jiistil of tlie prepared dower. 
If a stamen is mature, a little of the pollen 
will usually adliere to tlie linger when the 
anther is touched. To apply the pollen the 
113 
all 
of eoui-se, necessary to carefully label 
crossed fruits for identideation. 
AVitli strictly pistillate varieties of the 
iSti-awberry, that is, those which form no ]j<!r- 
fect stanieii, of course it is unnecessary to 
remove the anthers, thoiigli it is iin|)ortant 
to enclose the hlossoiiis in paiier bags before 
tile jietals open, to avoid impregnation with 
otlier pidlen. 
'Vitli tlie Grape, the iilossom of wliicli is 
illustrated in dg. d, artidci.al crossing is more 
didiciilt than witli tlic larger fi-nits, owing 
to the Hinallness of tlie dowers. In the blos¬ 
soms of tins fruit tlie jietaIs open from below 
upwards. A reiiresents a blo.s.soni in wliieli 
the petals ai'c opening, and h the same after 
they liave fallen. Tlie pistil is the large, 
fleshy organ sliown in tlie center of h. sur- 
FIG. 2. CROSS SECTION OF STRAWBERRY BLOOM. 
rounded by tlie nmeh smaller stamens. In 
tlie Grape blossom, it is important to re¬ 
move tlic stanieiis liefore tlie petals begin to 
spread at the bottom, as self-fertilization 
often takes place before tliey are fully open. 
“Elm.” 
FIG. 2. GRAPE BLOSSOM. 
Stamens may be carefully rubbed directly 
a-vainst the stigma, or a eaincl-s liair brush 
nmv first he gently rubbed upon the anthers 
.lucl then upon the stigma. I consider the 
first method preferable when it can be used; 
it is well, also, to wet the stigma by depos- 
lEing a minute drop of w.ater upon it with 
the tweezers before applying the 15o'l«'b 
aid the latter in adhering 
rophaec the paper bag. 
Having applied 
the pollen. 
As the stigma may 
not be in a jiropcr con¬ 
dition to assimilate the pollen at the fust ap- 
Dlication, it is well to apply more pollen the 
Liiowim-' day. At the end of a week the 
ban- nia 3 °be removed, when, if the fertihza- 
‘ ” has taken place, the f 
, ....._v,rYimiefid to swell. It IS, 
SHORT CUTTINGS. 
Summer pruning Grape-vines is thouglit 
to be productive of mildew. 
Clias. A. Green is of the opinion that it 
does not injure Apples to become frozen if 
they are not molested and thaw slowly and 
naturally. 
Dr. Hoskins of A’'erinout has well said 
that very few know the productiveness of 
the Strawberiy under good cultivation. 
Grafting Grape-vines is not, as one of our 
readers suggests, “a new-fangled idea,'- but 
was practiced by the ancient Romans 2,000 
years ago witli as iiiiicli, if not more, skill 
and success tlian it is done to-day. 
California's first attempts at Raisin pro¬ 
duction were made 19 j'ears ago. The fol¬ 
lowing j^e.ar about 1500 boxes were made, 
and tlie iudustiy lias rapidly progressed. 
Ten years ago the crop amounted to about 
40,000 boxes. Tliis year it is estimated at 
200,000 boxes. 
The first prize at the New Orleans IVorld's 
Fair for the best and largest colleetiouof 
Apples, not exceeding two hundred varie¬ 
ties, by anjf horticultural soeietj' in the 
northern district, was awarded to the Wis¬ 
consin State Horticultural Society, and in 
the southern district to tlie Missouri Horti¬ 
cultural Society. 
tion 
have already commenced to 
Notwithstanding the very cold weather 
of the past winter. Oranges and Bananas of¬ 
fered in our markets were in better condition 
than in former years. Tlie loss of many 
thousands of dollars has taiiglit the steamsliip 
ooinpaiiies that it does not pay to throw 
cargoes of southern fruits on the piers on 
arrival, regardless of the temperature. 
