, and were planted by the same man in the same locality, and that
proves, as I have said before, that you cannot discuss things of this
kind in general terms and it is a waste of the time of the association
to do so. I would be glad to answer definite questions as to definite
points.

THE PRESIDENT. The next will be a talk by Dr. R. T. Morris of New York.

DR. MORRIS: Mr. Chairman, and Members of the Association: My subject
relates to personal experiences with hybridization work. This is work
which is to be done more and more by various members of our association,
and we are thus to create new species of trees. Nature's whole endeavor
is to preserve the mean type among races of organisms. There are mutants
among all trees, among the hickories and walnuts, as well as among the
peaches and pears. In fact all species undergo mutation. We select the
most desirable mutants and we try to fix a given type by grafting and
propagating. Seedlings will go back toward the mean type. The mean type
hickory, walnut or chestnut is the type that nature wishes to preserve,
but these are not best for man's purposes. What is best in nature's plan
is not always best in man's plan. We have got to dynamite nature. We
have got to put a charge of dynamite under nature's seat and blow her
up, in order to get what we want for our own purposes. How do we do it?
How do we break up the mean type of a variety or species? By crossing
the flowers and bringing together the parents we wish to unite in the
hope of growing new forms, among which will be some that are
particularly desirable for our purposes.

Now in doing this work, I have had to get by experience a number of
points which will be of value to members of this association. First, in
regard to collecting pollen. Sometimes species, which we wish to cross,
flower at widely different times. They bloom perhaps two or three or
four or even six weeks apart, and it is a question how long we can keep
the pollen viable. What can we do about it? There are two good ways.
First, get your branches of male flowers before they are open, put them
in cold storage, or in an ice house, or in a dark room, and keep them
anywhere from one to six weeks dormant. When you want to use them, and
your trees of the pistillate flowers are ready, take the branches of
staminate flowers out of the ice house and put them in jars of water in
a warm room in the sunshine. They will blossom and make good pollen
shortly. Another w