Chapter 20
HYBRIDIZING
Working with nature to develop new varieties of trees is fascinating
although it requires infinite patience and study combined with skill and
concentration. A person without experience may taste of this pleasure,
however, by trying his hand at cross-pollination, and there is no end to
the number of hybrids possible.
In attempting to make crosses, one must necessarily understand the
botanical relationship between the trees to be crossed. Trees of the
same species cross readily in almost all cases; trees of the same genus
are not as easily crossed; trees belonging only to the same family are
usually difficult to cross. It is generally assumed that trees not in
the same family are impossible to hybridize. The plum serves as a
practical example of this. The American wild plum crosses readily with
almost any other plum and particularly well with the Japanese plum.
These crosses have resulted in such phenomenal fruit as the Underwood
plum, a cross made between species. If a cross were made between a
chestnut and a walnut, it would be between members of different
families. I recommend to anyone who is attempting to cross-pollinate for
the first time, that he limit his work to crosses made within species.
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