Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-02-12
HYBRIDIZATION.
By Peter Henderson,, of New
York.


York.
In plants as in animals the selec-
ton of the fittest, as Darwin terms it,
is indispensable to get at the best
results. 1t is a curious fact, however,
that in many kinds of plants, that the
higher the types of perfection ti,at
are obtained, the individuals are less
fertile. Last season we were FORUM
ate in getting an unusually fine strain
fringed double and single petunnias,
and though we operated on nearly ore
thousand plants that were grown in
seven and eight-inch pots, filling
green house 20 by 100 feet, yet it took
one man from June to November to
get one ounce OF hybridzed double
seed, 60 that this ounce of double
petunia seed cost us in actual labor
$3.50. Our plan Of hybridizing was
the usual one Of removing the unde-
veloped stamens from the single flow
ers SO that there could be no possibil-
ity of self-fertilization, and then
by applying the pollen-fron the finest
double flowers. Done carefully in
this way, we are safe to expect at
least rs per cent. Of double flowers.
We have the same meagre results
of seeding from the new strain of
Mammoth Verbena, again showing
that the higher the type, the greater
the sterility. We planted out twenty
thousand seeding plants of verbenas,
covering nearly four acres, and only
got four pounds of seed, or about one
pound from each acre. Seedlings of
the ordinary strain of verbena would
have given from five to ten pounds of
seed per acre. l may here state
fact not generally known, that seed
ling plants Of verbenas produce seed
much more freely than plants made
from cuttings. In 1885 We set out
over 20,000 Mammoth verbena plants,
made from cuttings, for the purpose
OF obtaining seed, and obtained less
than half pound from the whole lot.
OF course, in such a flower as the ver-
vena, hand fertilization, by the cam
el's-hair brush is impracticable, but
we found it helped the seeding greatly
to brush the flowers lightly every day
or two with feather duster
l have no personal experience
with hybridizing of roses from reed,
but the grand results obtained by
Henry Bennett, of London, we're OBJ
tanned in hybiidization by using, as
far us possible, contrasting colors and
widely different classes thus, crimson
with white in color, and the Hybrid
Perpetual with the ca classes. Mr..
Bennett found that the seedlings, as a
rule, partook more of the character
istics OF the male than the female
parent, and hence in crossing was
careful to obtain the highest standard
of excellence he could procure for
that purpose.
A question was raised, a year
Or two ago, whether or not hybridiza-
ton affects the fruit in such plants as
strawberries, melons, etc. All my ex-
periments so far have gone to show
that such is not the case If you i'm
pregnate dark-colored strawberry
with a light colored, or tart with a
sweet, or vice versa. as far as my OBJ
servation has gone, no percepi-
tible change takes place in
the color, taste or shape if the
fruit. Nutmeg melons carefully i'm
pregnated with cucumber pollen,
shows no change whatever in flavor,
color or shape. That the seed would
be Influenced, there is little question,
but the percarp or fruit case analogous
to the womb IN animals is in no way
affected by hybridization. Conse-
quently you may grow all kinds of
strawberries as close as you please
and if you only want the fruit, you
will get it pr actically pure. So too,
you may grow alongside Of each other,
cucumbers, melons or squashes if
their fruit only is wanted, but if grown
for seed product, keep them as far
apart as practicable. We are go inn
pressed with the necessity from this.
that in Kansas where cucumber and
melon seeds grown, We only have one
variety grown by one farmer, and we
also try that the farms be as far apart
as possible. l beg to be excused for
such brief and imperfect treatise on
such an important subject, but the
multitude of my duties prevents my
giving the necessary time that it
deserves.
PETER HENDERSON.