Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1900-04-11

them to his own interest. The fact is
that most of the improved forms OF
plants we have to-day are derived in
a more or less spontaneous way, and
have been propagated by people who
have discovered them and have taken
advantage Of the improvements. Ma.
ture has been made to do the work un-
assisted. AS say, most OF our cul:i-
vated fruits and plants at the present
time were developed by nature, and
are therefore to be put down as acci-
dents.
Emphasis should be placed upon
the fact that plants are not fixed en-
tities," continued Professor Galloway.
81 am aware that this is the general
impression, but plants are exceeding
ly plastic and can be modelled within
certain limits to meet almost any de-
sire. Looking at plants from that
standpoint the wide field and posi-.
bilities in developing new forms will
be seen. The process of hybridizing
plants, as this is called, is neither
difficult nor mysterious, it being sim.
ply necessary to understand the gen.
eral structure Of the flower to be
used. Flowers have sexual organs,
the stamen and pistil, the former be-.
ing the male, are usually several in
number. The very numerous small,
yellow, powdery grains of pollen,
which constitute the male formulating
elements, are born in sacks, and when
the portion of the flower which bears
them, known as the anther, natures
it bursts and the pollen is exposed.
A quantity of this pollen must be
transferred either ty natural or arti-
fetal means to the stigma of the fe-
male organ in order to insure fecunda-
tion. The pistils, which are the fe;.
male organs, occupy the center of the
flower and are surrounded by the
stamens. The upper portion of the
pistll ie usually somewhat swollen and
more or less rough. It is on this por-
ton of the pistil, known MS the stig-
ma, that the pollen must fall to pro-
duce formulation. In the majority OF
plants the stamens and pistils are pro-
duced in the same flower, IS in the
orange, tomato and our common fruit
trees, but in certain plants they are
produced in different flowers on the
soma nlont and in others on different
plants.
'The most important feature in the
work of crossing is to exclude from
.he stigma all pollen except that
which it is desired to use. In the
manipulation of orange flowers ma
ture buds nearly ready to open are Sc:
lected, and. the tips carefully pried
apart until the stamens are exposed.
The pollen is then transferred to the
pisti( of the flower selected, and ma
nila paper sack or gauze bag placed
around it to prevent foreign pollen
entering. The hybridizing process
can be carried as far as the expert
menter pleases. It consists of taking
the pollen from the stamen and trans
lerrins it to the pistil. Where the
two organs are found in the same
flower it is necessary to destroy the
stanen before it natures to assure
that pollen from it does not interfere
with the experiment. We have also
carried on extensive experiments with
pineapples, and have succeeded in
getting crosses with certain important
varieties in order to develop forms for
which there is demand. It is posi-
BILE I'd produce plants md fruits to
meet any demand. We are now work
ing to develop o pineapple that has
qualities different from anything we
now have.
'sThese experiments I have referred
10 have been on the seacoasts OF the
country. aside from these we are
carrying on extensive experiments in
the interior in the crossing of wheat,
corn and other cereals. This year we
did extensive work in Nebraska with
corn. We have been trying to develop
varieties that will have greater food
value than those now in existence, and
the food which the new varieties con
tain to be in different ratios from that
which we now possess. There has
been considerable talk of the possibll-
ity and desirabiltity of increasing the
nitroaenous contents Of corn. That
is one of the things wanted. The nj
trogenous contents of corn are low
compared with other cereals. Ii 1t
can be increased, even by q small
percentage, it will make its food value
much greater.
"The experiment is being conducted
something in this way: We find that
there is q marked variation in the
nitrogenous contents of corn not only
in different varieties but in the diff
ferent grains of the same variety, on
the same stalk but in different ears.
The nitrogen could be increased by
crossing two varieties having other
characteristics and value with high
heterogeneous contents, and by selection
of the ears and grains obtain variety
with higher percentage of nitrogen.
By selection and by crossing corn
known to possess high nitrogenous
contents forms can be developed that
will, if the experiment is carried far
enough, result in materially incress-
ing the value of corn.
"There are male and female organs
In corn and the plant is one OF the