188 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
]SIarch  3,  1904. 
both  cultivated  and  uncultivated,  every  one  of  which  had  beeii 
grown,  and  its  respective  peculiarities  observed  and  investigated 
through  several  generations.  By  judiciously  incorporating  the 
dominating  influences  exhibited  by  the  respective  pollens  they 
have  succeeded  in  producing  grand  varieties  of  wheat,  etc. 
How  did  the  breeder  of  new  varieties  fix  the  permanent  out¬ 
standing  qualities  of  the  breeds  which  he  had  called  into  exis¬ 
tence?  Assume  that,  as  the  result  of  the  first  year’s  work,  he 
had  been  successful  in  crossing  the  flowers  of  a  plant  with 
extraneous  pollen  which  had  duly  matured  its  seed.-  merely 
inspecting  these  .seeds  no  one  could  tell  that  there  wa.s  hidden 
away  within  them  a  dominating  potency  resulting  from  the 
application  of  specially-selected  pollen  used  in  their  formation. 
In  the  seconcT  year,  the  first  progeny  of  the  cross  was  sown  out 
in  spring  under  suitable  conditions,  and  harvested  in  due  course. 
All  the  seeds  Avere  different,  each  plant  producing  its  oavu  special 
kind  of  seed,  this  being  the  result  of  the  infused  neAV  vitality. 
In  other  words,  it  meant  that  the  first  progeny  of  the  crossed 
plants  were  sportive.  However,  the  seed  Avas  gathered  from  each 
indivichial  plant  and  kept  separate.  In  the  third  year,  in  order 
to  keep  the  Avork  Avithin  due  bounds,  equal  samples  of  seed, 
representing  each  of  the  individual  plants  of  the  first  progeny, 
were  taken  and  mixed,  and  then  soAvn  out  in  single  roAVS,  but 
sufficiently  apart  to  alloAV  of  selection  taking  place  Avhen  the 
plants  matured,  all  the  plants  Avere  Ausiblj^  sporting,  as  evinced 
bj'  the  numerous  variations.  No  selection,  hoAvever,  Avas  made 
until  harvest,  Avhen  those  individual  plants  Avhich  shoAved  evident 
character  in  the  Avrong  direction  Avere  remoA-ed,  and  throAvn 
aside. 
On  the  other  hand,  plants  shoAving  the  greatest  amount  of 
reaction  in  the  direction  desired  Avere  selected,  the  resulting  seed 
being  thoroughly  examined,  and  all  small  seeds  removed.  This 
Avas  the  second  progeny  of  the  cross.  The  fourth  year  the  seed 
Avas  again  sown  ottt  in  roAvs  after  having  been  thoroughly  mixed, 
and,  a.s  before,  the  plants  Avere  still  found  to  be  sporting.  No 
one  could  tell  Avhat  the  XAltimate  result  Avould  be ;  but  Avhen 
harvest  arrir^ed  evident  deteriorations  Avere  again  throAvn  out, 
and  those  plants  alone  Avere  kept  Avhich  exhibited  the  combined 
qualities  and  improA’ements  desired.  The  resulting  seeds  of  each 
plant  Avere  now  harvested  and  kept  separate.  This  Avas  the 
third  progeny  of  the  cross.  In  the  fifth  year  the  separate  parcels 
of  .seed,  the  produce  of  the  previous  year’s  crop,  Avere  soavu  out, 
but  the  contents  of  each  part  set  Avas  confined  to  its  OAvn  roAv, 
and,  as  the  crop  matured,  it  Avould  be  seen  that  in  some  of  the 
roAvs  all  the  plants  were  identical  in  their  habit  of  groAvth,  and 
the  resulting  seeds  Avere  similar. 
Thus  each  roAv  of  similar  plant.s  represented  a  neAv  fixed  type, 
and  it  followed  that  the  individual  plant  AAhich  prodxAced  the 
parcel  of  seed  must  haA^e  been  fixed  the  previous  year ;  but  this, 
of  course,  could  not  be  determined  until  the  seed  had  been  soavu 
and  matured.  This  Avas  the  fourth  progeny  of  the  cross.  The 
proof  of  fixity  of  character  Avas  that  the  progeny  from  that  seed 
repeated  and  reproduced  in  all  re.spects  the  characters  of  the 
parent  Avhich  gax'e  it  birth.  Having  thus  far  procured  the  fixed 
types,  it  Avas  on  their  respective  merits  that  they  Avere  judged, 
and  only  tho.se  Avere  selected  and  preserved  Avhmh  shoAved  the 
greatest  amount  of  the  desired  improvement. 
- - - - 
R.H.S.  Lectures  in  1904. 
January  26:  ‘‘Oranges,”  by  H.  Somers  Rivers. 
February  23:  “Pomology  as  a  Study,”  by  R.  LeAvis  Ca.stle. 
March  8:  “Cottage  and  Allotment  Gardens,”  by  Alex.  Dean. 
March  22 :  “  Heredity  of  Acquired  Characters,”  by  Professor 
Henslow. 
April  .6:  “Villa  Gardens,”  by  Hugh  P.  C.  Maule.  April  19: 
“  Diseases  of  the  Potato,”  by  George  Massee,  V.M.H. 
May  3:  “Enemies  of  the  Apple  Ti’ee,”  by  Mons.  Chas.  Baltet. 
May  17  :  “  The  Horticultural  Phase  of  Nature  Study,”  by 
R.  Hedger  Wallace. 
June  14  :  “  Floral  Metamorphoses,”  bj’  Professor  HensloAv.  June 
28  :  “  Hybridi.^ation  of  Roses,”  by  Mons.  ViA’iand  Morel. 
July  26  :  “  Oi’chid  Varieties  and  Hybrids,”  by  John  Bidgood. 
August  9  and  23  :  As  yet  undecided. 
September  6:  “Gourds,”  by  J.  W.  Odell.  September  20: 
Methods  of  Employing  Roses  in  the  Decoration  of  Gardens,” 
by  George  Gordon,  V.M.H. 
October  18:  “Vegetable  Sports^”  by  Professor  HensloAv. 
November  1  :  “Plantmg  Woods  for  Winter  Effect,”  by  the  Hon. 
Vicary  Gibbs.  NoA^ember  1.5:  “Orchard  ^Management  from 
a  Commercial  Standpoint,”  by  Profe.'^sor  Craig.  NoA'ember 
29  :  “  Hollies,”  by  E.  T.  Cook.'^ 
June  the  lectures  Avill  be  giA^en  at  3  p.m.,  in 
the  Drill  Hall,  Buckingham  Gate,  S.W.  ;  after  June,  at  the  same 
hour  in  the  Horticultural  Hall,  Vincent  Square,  Westminster. 
Apple,  Lord  Burleip. 
Someone  inquired  about  this  variety  recently.  The  fruit  is 
excellent,  -probably  the  best  late  do.ssert  Apple,  but  the  tree 
itself  is  the  Avorst  groAver  that  I  knoAV.  It  cankers  Avorse  than 
Cox's  Orange;  it  turns  mossy  sooner  than  any  other;  the  bark 
rots  and  the  spurs  canker  right  off,  and  nothing  appears  to  be  of 
any  avail  to  check  it.  I  have  about  seA^enty  trees,  and  no  matter 
Avhat  the  soil,  or  position,  or  treatment,  it  remains  a  monument 
of  ingratitude. — C.  C.  Elli.sox,  Lincolnshire. 
- - 
The  Gardeners’  Association. 
All  Avho  are  connected  Avith  gardening,  and  have  read  the 
report  of  the  latest  meeting  on  page  164  Avill  have  experienced 
a  feeling  of  satisfaction  that  the  project  has  noAv  isome  pro¬ 
spect  of  being  presented  in  a  tangible  form.  The  Avriter  of 
the  report  in  iiuestion  .says  Avith  truth,  “The  matter  is  one  of 
the  mo.st  important  gardeners  have  before  them  at  this  juncture, 
and  on  the  success  of  the  new  form  of  the  scheme  Avill  largely 
depend  the  Avelfare  of  the  gardeners  of  the  future.”  Yes  truly, 
the  form  of  the  scheme  contains  the  crux  of  the  situation. 
Judging  from  the  discu.ssion,  the  cjuestion  of  remuneration 
bulked  largely  in  the  vieAA'  of  those  present  at  the  meeting,  and 
here  lies  the  greate.st  possibility  of  failure.  Employers  as  a 
body  neA’er  haA'e,  and  at  the  risk  of  being  accused  of  pes.simism, 
I  A^enture  to  assei’t  nev’er  aaTII  be,  dictated  to  upon  the  subject 
of  Avages.  There  are  hundreds  Avho  do  not  pay  more  than  2.5s. 
per  Aveek,  and  many  less,  aird  Avhenever  a  vacancy  occurs  there 
is  usually  a  more  than  sufficient  number  of  applicants.  Hoav 
Avages  are  to  be  generally  raised  by  means  of  the  operations  of 
any  association  or  .society  in  the  face  of  such  facts  a.s  these  I 
fail  to  see.  I  admit  that  such  an  association  is  greatly  needed 
by  gardener.'^,  and  it  may  in  time  effect  changes  in  the  life 
conditions  of  many,  and  may  by  continuous  and  prolonged 
effort  cause  better  treatment  to  be  meted  out  to  employes. 
It  is  not  possible  to  disagree  Avith  the  remarks  Avhich  fell 
from  some  of  the  speakers  in  connection  Avjth  commercial 
gardeners,  especially  Avhen  one  feels  that  more  and  more  to 
these  men  Avill  be  entrusted  the  gardening  of  the  future, 
those  also  Avho  note  the  signs  of  the  times  cannot,  I  am  sure, 
fail  to  see  that  the  supplies  from  our  colonies  and  abroad  of 
alniost  every  kind  of  produce  during  the  periods  Avhen  from 
climatic  reasons  our  oAvn  supplies  are  nil  or  but  scanty,  must 
be  reckoned  a.s  a  factor  in  the  employment  of  greater  or  lesser 
numbers  of  men  in  priA’ate  gardening.  Let  us  have  “a  fence 
round  the  profession  Avith  only  one  door  ”  if  AA'e  can  prevent 
another  body  from  groAving  up  outside;  but  can  Ave?  We 
shall  see,  but  I  fear  not ;  but  then  I  am  only — A  Pessimist. 
The  Toad  Flax  and  the  Window  Tax. 
Coincidental  Avith  the  repeal  of  certain  Imperial  taxes  of  the 
present  era,  it  has  occurred  to  me  that  the  folloAving  romantic 
incident  related  in  an  old  number  of  “The  Gardeners’  and 
Farmers’  Journal,”  dated  December  31,  1852,  might  proA’e  in¬ 
teresting  to  some  of  the  readers  of  the  Journal  of  Horticulfnrr. 
My  late  father  Avas  a  reader  of  the  journal  in  question  at  that 
period,  and  recently  I  came  acro.ss  the  aboA'e  number  amongst  a 
pile  of  other  old  papers,  including  also  ‘‘  The  United  Gardeners’ 
and  LandsteAA-ards’  Journal”  of  1846.  Extract:  “The  following 
incident  may  be  remembered  by  some  of  our  reader.s,  namely, 
that  during  the  agitation  consequent  upon  the  abolition  of 
the  AvindoAv  duties  in  18.50,  it  Avas  discoA'ered  that  a  jilant  of 
Linaria  Cymbalaria  liA'ed  for  some  years  in  a  closed  case  on  the 
top  of  a  model  of  a  portion  of  Tinterne  Abbejx  It  Avas  found 
that  the  branches  of  this  plant,  Avhich  grew  nearest  to  the  light, 
produced  leaves  of  the  ordinary  .size,  producing  perfect  floAver.s 
and  fruit,  Avhilst  the  branches  AA’liich,  at  a  distance  from  the  light, 
produced  neither  floAvers  nor  fruit,  and  the  leaves  Avere  extremely 
diminutive.  This  circumstance  was  regarded  as  so  A’ery  remark¬ 
able  an  illustration  of  the  ill  effects  resulting  from  the  Avant  of 
light  on  vegetable  life,  the  .same  cau.se  Avas  also  thought 
applicable  in  its  effect  to  human  life  ;  the  inference,  therefme, 
Avas  a  natural  one,  that,  if  the  Avant  of  light  produced  these  very 
small  and  feeble  leaves  on  the  little  trailing  plant,  so  must  the 
same  cause  produce  the  like  depressing  effect  on  human  beingis 
