The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-03-15
The Origin ofDoubIe Flowers.

The production of double flowers is the aim
of every florist, and to such an extent is this
partially carried that no matter how beauti
fu flower may be, its charms are disregard
ed unless its petals are double. A very sue
cessful grower of double flowers says that
when they are produced, it is generally by
change OF the higher parts of the existence OF
stamens and pistils into the lower state OF
petals.
Ii plant is checked by poor soil and
limited supply of water and then stimulated
by rich manure and copious watering, this
treatment will have a tendency to bring back
the pistils and stamens to the grosser aud
lower stage of existence and thus produce
double flowers. The greater the cheek gwen
the more powerful will be the effect OF aiter
uxuriance, when shifted into rich SOIL,
placed in due heat and properly supplied WIN VIII,
water and every requisite attention. Inc
seed for growing double flowers of any kind
can scarcely be too old, il it will grow at all;
ard the weak plants, first stunted and then
uxuriated, will be found most successful.
By such treatment as has been described
the Lacyltrus diurniG has the stamens changed
into red petals, and the pistis into green
leave, and the quantity OF each greatly ln-
creased In the Rhododendron the flowers
are produced from the terminal bud OF the
shoot. IT the summer and autumn have been
warm, the bud swells larger, and we have
branch of flowers instead of branch of leaves
but it is always difficult TO say, till tie BUD
is evolved whether we shall have leaves or
flowers. In raising double flowers from seed,
therefore, we should be guided by experience,
and get it from tie best double flowers, it pos
,ible, as the progeny always bears more or
less resemblance to the parent. In the dahlia,
the flower is not strictly speaking full, as 1t
belongs to the compoud class, in which
great number of forets are arranged on one
common receptacle. In single dahlias and
other flowers of that class, the rag or outer
row of fiorets, has the petals fully evolved and
colored. In the forets of the center or disk,
the petal is only in the state of a small t1be,
| inside of which the stamens are situated.
Plants that are full of double flowers at one
time, when the plant is vigorous, will change
and become more single when checked by
bad weather, or when the plant begins to ri
pen and get woody. Roses, pinks, carnations,
| and ranunculi change the stamens only into
pistils, and sometimes these are only partially
| changed in very full flowers, and seed is COM
paratiyey easy to be obtained from them. In
| the anemone, the psts are changed into
| petals, the stame - unchanged. Seed of these
| can therefore only be obtained from flowers
| that are not full. or by impregnating flowers
| nearly single with the anthers of full flowers.
| In stocks and wall fowers, both stamens and
| pistils are changed into petals. Seed cannot
| be had therefore, from full flowers of these
| sorts. and the only resource Is to have seed
from those in which a tendency to fullness
| has commenced. Alter flowers have once
| been produced double or full, the habit of
| coming double will be retained by rich cult
| walton. Western Rural.