Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-03-10

which will combine the crispness Of flesh
and the richness Of the Siberian with the
size tnl varied havors Of our greenings
Spys, Swaars, ETC. This mingling Of the
characters Of the two species produces re-
salts tf SUI risirg excellenco. Think have
before remarked to you that "Bailey's
Crimson" which is the issue>of such a union
is the richest and most highly favored apple
ever tasted.
SO far, have only had in mind the quail.
ity Of these ejmiog fruits, for should want
to cultivate them, il for this reason alone, 10
the favored climate ofmy valley where all
the best apples succeed but when l add
that these new hybrids may be bred with n
hardness that will endure the severity OF
the winter on nearly every farm in Vermont,
the Importance of the work Of breeding them
is made far more manifest.
have long beea gratifSd by the attention
which you are bestowing upon improved and
hybrid Siberians, aud | wish earnestly TO
urge you, now tnat you possess such ex.
celent facilities for carrying on the work, to
apply yourself to hybridiEing thoroughly
and patiently. have myself, as you know,
shown my faith in the great good to come to
our horticulture from such efforts by bestow-
ing considerable labor in this direction but
have so many different plants under my
hands, that lack time to deal with these as
| should be glad to see you do.
Your young trees just coming into bearing,
and Standing in we'll cultivated soil, are very
fit subjects for hybribizing. Just before the
central flowers Of the clusters open their
white or rosy petals, you will select your
flowers to be operated upon. They should
be strong ones-the central ones by prefer
ence aud they should be favorably situated
on the branch for receiving the most abund-
aut nourshment From six to ten flowers,
on a large branch or small tree, are enough
for your work; and all the other flower buds
should be carefully picked away, 80 that the
entire strength Of the branch or tree may be
concentrated upoR the development OF the
few seeds which you impregnate artifcially.
Now open the selected flowers (the petals
are not essential organs, aud may be com.
pletely torn away and carefully pick away
every stamen. These are found in a little
ring, Just within the base Of the petals, and
surrounding the center Of the flower, which
consists of tho stamens with their anthus, at
this time curled dOwnwards into the central
cavity Of the flower. The instrument with
which you will best perform this delicate
operation, is a pair Of very small pincers,
as slender as humming-bi birds bill, such as
an oculst uses in his work. While removing
the stamens, yon will need to exercise con.
stant care not to injure the pistils, cluster
of FIVE slender bodies which arse from tie
center Of the flower. each OF which consists
Of club-shaped stigma, borne on the sum
nit Of slender column, called the style
The object of removing the stamens is to
prevent self-impreguation Of the flower; aud
lest pollen brought from other blossoms, by
wind or insects, gets the start Of you in fer
tilizing the pistis, the prepared flowers must
be enclosed in little bags Of thin, close paper
drawn over the blossoms aud leaves at their
foot, and tied closely beneath them.
You have probably prepared your flowers
from one to three days before their natural
maturity and expansion. At the end oI
this time return to them, remove the bag:
cautiously, and you will find the stigmas to
have lost their greenish tinge, and to be
swollen aud visc:d. Having provided your
self with flowers of the variety chosen for
the pollen parent-freshly opened flowers
whose anthers have Just burst in the mora.
iDgs sun aud are loaded with Aoury pollen
with your pincers seize tho staDens by
their styles, aud apply their authers upOr
the stigmas. If these are ready for the
pollen, showing the slightly viscd condition
have mentioned, the pollen will adhere to
them, and fertilization will quite certainly
follow. For two or three days longer the
envelopes should be returned, and when they
are taken off little sacks of thin cloth
cheese sacking is prsferred-should take
their places, to shield the fruit against
attacts Of birds or insects aud guard against
their loss when mature
The seed should be taken out before tbs
decay of the fruit, and should be planted
fresh in the fall, aud properly labelled. By
the second year, perhaps sooner, the young
trees will furnish scions for grating or bud
ding. Several sorts may thus be placed il
the head of a single tree Of bearing age
Whether their fruiting will be accelerated
by this treatment. is quite doubtful. Tn,
testimony of Thomas Rivers, Of England
one of the most extensive raisers Of Seeding
in the world goes to show that the develop
msnt of seedlings, when thus grated OF
older aud bearing trees, progresses no fastel
than when they are planted on their owl
roots. Whether scion or tree, they must he
thinks, pass through juvenile state, show
ing considerable thorniness, and thin, mar
row and finely cut leaves suggestions of wild
ancestors, before they attain their complet,
characters and fruit Yet the practice o
putting them in the heads Of large trees il
to be commended as the easiest way to tes
large number of sorts. g. &. PRIN0LE.