Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1892-01-16
POLAR
This Production OF New FlowerIng Plants
by sklIlfui Cross Breeding.

Inv wv EtDWeFtuk BlIUt0
by sklllfui Cross Breeding.
----
When n plant is raised from seed il
will always bear n strong likeness to
its parents, and il the species be one
which has little tendency to variation
IL will resemble it very closely. says an
exchange.
But there are many species which
have a great disposition TO present
devintions from what may be consid-
cred their original form. aud thus,
from seeds Of the same parent, il is
often possible to produce. by a differ
ence OF treatment, u num Der Of plauts
differing considerably from one an
other.
Whatever such differences may be.
however, these plants are all regarded
as belonging TO the same species, since
they are descended from "A commO
stock, and by such experiments it is
often possible to show that plants
which have been considered as dis
tiDct species have no real title to DC so
classed.
1t is often possible. however. to pro-
ducc seeds capable OF giving origin
10 plants that shall combine the
character of two different races. This
is done by placing the pollen of one
species upon the stigma OF another. so
that the germ furnished by one shalt
be nursed. as it were. by the other.
IL is not difficult TO understand how
the germ thus influenced should be
subsequently developed into n form
HfHpFlnu frnrn that ,f sFa gnp ..t,,N
for the germs of cryptogomia. which
are no received into any Divide. but
are dependent upon the elements
alone for their support. are often de-
vel0ped. especially among the lower
tribes, into forms very different from
that which they would naturally pre-
sent. Thus a mucor, a sort Of fungus
concerned in production Of moldiness,
has been seen growing in water in n
form sn like that OF a coDfcrva that it
was only recognized as a fungus when
it lifted up its qualification above the
fluid.
The plant developed from a seed by
the agency OF two l1ces is called a
hybrid.
1t is necessary, in order that the
seeds thus formed SHOULD be fertile,
that the parent species should be near
ly allied TO each other; and it is very
seldom that a hybrid can be produced
when they do not belong TO the same
genus. Now If the hybrid bears
flowers and its stigma is fortified with
its " pollen. it may produce seeds
that can be raised into plants like il.
self; and these may flower and pro-
duce a third generation in a like nan
ner.
But there is no instance in which a
hybrid ace (and this applies to the
animal as well as to the vegetable
creation) which thus originated in the
intermixture of two species really dis
tinct has ever been continued without
intermixture beyond the fourth or fifth
generation. The plant, when not fer
tile by itself. may bear seed il its
stigma be sprinkled with the pollen Of
n of its parent species; and its pollen
may be fertile when placed on the
stigma of either of these. In this
manner a race intermediate between
the hybrid and one Of the parent
species is produced; and this is con
tinued longer, just in proportion as it
is caused to approach the pure breed,
by a successive iutermixlure of this
kind.
The end of all hybrid races. pro-
duced between species really distinct.
appears TO be, therefore. that either
the race becomes o o extinct. which
it will do if kept separate, or it merges
into one OF the parent races il con-
tinued by intermixture with either of
them. This principle affords a valu-
able test for determining what really
are aud what are not distinct species;
for II 4 hybrid race eau 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 c~alciolaria.
Both these species are very much dis
posed 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 form and color, may
be obtained.
These hybrids are of equal fertility
with their parents. since the latter are
not separated by any really essential
difference.
The strange mania which has of late
years manifested itself for unnatural
crosses OF allied aud remote species in
birds and quadrupeds might. if proper
ly investigated. and with an eye 10
science rather than to gain, lead 10
many interesting facts bearing upon
hybridity.