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Updated: May 8, 2025
And when we realize that the pink was probably the first flower upon which, early in the eighteenth century, experiments in hybridization were tried, the intricacy will be fully understood.
Other cases are on record in which the variability exhibited itself much sooner, perhaps within a few years after the original discovery of the species. But such instances seem, as a rule, to be subject to doubt as to the concurrence of hybridization. So for instance the Iris lortetii, introduced in the year 1895 from the Lebanon, which produced a white variety from its very first seeds.
Our present varieties are due to hybridization and selection, each of them being propagated only in the vegetative way. Selection is founded upon different qualities, according to the use to be made of the new sort.
This scheme will be carried out one day, not so much for the purpose of hybridization as for plain "market-gardening;" and the sooner the better. The prospect is still more dark for those who believe as many do that no epiphytal orchid under any circumstances can be induced to establish itself permanently in our greenhouses as it does at home.
It is addressed to the thousands of men and women in the realm who tend a little group of orchids lovingly, and mark the wonders of their structure with as much bewilderment as interest. They read of hybridization, they see the result in costly specimens, they get books, they study papers on the subject.
But it is not as yet proved that a race ever exhibits, when crossed with another race of the same species, those phenomena of hybridization which are exhibited by many species when crossed with other species.
I believe timidly, as becomes the unscientific that many distinctions which anatomy recognizes at present as essential to a true species will be proved, in the future, to result from promiscuous hybridization through æons of time. "Proved," perhaps, is the word too strong, since human life is short; but such a mass of evidence will be collected that reasonable men can entertain no doubt.
In practice selection and hybridization go hand in hand and it is often difficult to ascertain what part of the result is due to the one, and what to the other factor. The scientist, on the contrary, has nothing to do with the industrial product. His task is the analysis of the methods, in order to reach a clear appreciation of the influence of all the competing factors.
His methods are hybridization and selection in the broadest sense and on the largest scale. One very illustrative example of his methods must suffice to convey an idea of the work necessary to produce a new race of superlative excellency. Forty thousand blackberry and raspberry hybrids were produced and grown until the fruit matured. Then from the whole lot a single variety was chosen as the best.
Notwithstanding these considerations, I will now give some examples in order to show that fluctuating variability plays a prominent part in these improvements. Of course it is the third in importance in the series. First comes the choice of the material from the assemblage of species, elementary species and varieties. Hybridization comes next in importance.
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