Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-12-28
SaEEEe3d0Ns s
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POLAR INTERPOLATION.
The Production Of New Tiowering Plants
by Cross breeding.

The Production Of New Fiowering Plants
by Cross Breeding.
When plant is raised from seed it
will always bear q strong likeness to its
parent, and if the species be one which
mas little tendency to variation 1t will
resemble it very closely.
But there are many species which
have great disposition to present de-
viations from what may be considered
their original form, and thus, from seeds
Of the same parent, it is often possible to
produce by difference Of treatment
number of plants differing considerably
from one another.
Whatever such differences may be,
however, these plants are all regarded
as belonging to the same species, since
they are descended from common
stock, and by such experiments it is
often possible to show that plants which
have been considered as distinct species
have no real title to be SO classed
It is often possible, however, to pro-
duce seeds capable of giving origin to
plants that shall combine the character
of two different races. This is done by
placing the pollen of species upon the
stigma of another, so that the germ fur
nisncd by one shall be nursed, as it
were, by the other.
1t is not difficult to understand how
the germ thus influenced should be sub
saquently developed into form differ
ing from that of its own parent, for the
germs Of cryptogcmia, which are not
received into any ovide, but are depend
ent upon the elements alone for their
support, are often developed, especially
among the lower tribes, into forms very
different from that which they would
naturally present. Thus mucor, sort
of fungus concerned in the production
of moldiness, has been seen growing in
water in form so like that of conferva
that it was only recognized as a fungus
when it lifted up its fructifcation above
the fluid.
The plant developed from a seed by
the agency of two races is called hy-
brid.
1t is necessary, in order that the seeds
thus formed should be fertile, that the
parent species should be nearly allied to
each other, and it is very seldom that
hybrid can be produced when they do
not belong to the same genus. Now If
the hybrid bears flowers and its stigma
is fertilized with its own pollen, it may
produce seeds that can be raised into
plants like itself, and these may flower
and produce third generation in like
manner.
But there is no instance in which
hybrid race (and this applies to the ami
NAL as well as the vegetable creation),
which has thus originated in the inter-
mixture of two species really distinct,
has ever been continued without inter
mixture beyond the fourth or fifth gen.
Grafton. The plant, when not fertile by
itself, may bear seed if its stigma be
sprinkled with the pollen OF one of its
parent species, and its pollen may be
fertile when placed on the stigma of
either OF these. In this manner race
intermediate between the hybrid and
one of the parent species is produced,
and this Is continued longer, just in pro-
portion rs 1t is caused. to approach the
pure breed, by a successive intermixture
OF this kind.
The end of all hybrid races, produced
between species really distinct, appears
TO be therefore that either the race be-
comes soon extinct, which it will do il
| kept separate, or it merges into one Of
the parent races If continued by inter-
mixtures with either Of them. This
! principle affords a valuable test for de-
ter,nining what really are and what are
not distinct species, FOR If a hybrid race
can be produced between them, which
continues to be fertile of itself, the
probability is strong that they are only
varieties.
Cultivators Of flowers are constantly
in the habit of producing such new races
between the different varieties Of many
plants, for instance, the South American
amaryllis and the calciolaria. Both
these species are very much disposed to
spontaneous variation, and by selecting
the most beautiful of the new races that
spontaneously originate from their seeds
and causing them TO produce hybrids, a
still larger amount of variety, both in
forui and color, may be obtained.
These hybrids are Of equal fertility
with their parents, since the latter are
not separated by any really essential diff
| ference.
The strange mania which has of late
years manifested itself for unnatural
crosses Of allied and remote species in
birds and quadrupeds might, il properly
investigated, and with an eye 10 science
rather than 10 gain. lead 10 many inter
esting facts bearing upon hybridity. -
/ Exchange.