We are using larger wrought iron shafts, and making much longer journals, than any other manufacturer. The importance of this is apparent, as a strong crushing power is required, and not a high speed.

The question as to which is the best Mill for common farm use, Vertical or Horizontal, has long since been decided in favor of the Vertical Mill. But as a man cannot feed a Vertical Mill to a greater capacity than about 100 gallons of juice per hour, the Horizontal Mill is more desirable for large operations, as the cane can be fed into the Mill by the arm full on a table.

Horizontal Mill No. 8 is made with a vertical shaft which may be driven by attaching a long double sweep either above the Mill, as represented by the cut above, or by extending the vertical shaft below the floor, and working the horses in the basement.

Capacity from 125 to 175 gallons of juice per hour. Has one 12-inch and two 9-inch rolls by 18 inches long. Can be worked with either two or four horses; weight, 2,000 pounds.

HORIZONTAL MILLS FOR STEAM OR WATER POWER.

These Mills are furnished with a horizontal counter shaft, and back geared to reduce speed and increase the power. They may be driven by a tumbling shaft or by a pulley and belt. The shafts are extended through the gearing long enough to attach pulleys for cane and bagasse carriers.

No. 9. Capacity from 200 to 250 gallons of juice per hour; weight, 2,200 pounds.

BRAINERD'S PATENT SUGAR BOILER.

This apparatus is constructed on the following stream principle, and has three

pans:

1st. The Defecator H H, which has a false bottom, answering the purpose of a flue.

2d. The Evaporator G, which is made one-third wider than the Defecator, to allow the steam to pass off, and give room for skimming (as the Defecator is set immediately above the Evaporator).

3d. The finishing pan C C, which is made much deeper and narrower than the Evaporator, and is set on the furnace by the side of the Evaporator, and enough lower to permit the juice to flow into it from the Evaporator.

When in operation, the juice enters the Defecator at the front end from the tank E, and flowing through, it is discharged at the opposite end through a fine wire gauze filter into the back end of the Evaporator, and flowing to the front end is discharged through another fine wire gauze filter into the finishing pan, when it flows to the back end, and is discharged finished syrup.

HYBRIDIZATION OF PLANTS.

BY JOHN H. KLIPPART.

Ever since the Sorgho has been introduced into this country, an opinion has obtained that it would readily mix or by bridize with broom corn, chocolate corn, and other species of the HoLcUs genus. It has even been asserted that when

Sorgho has been grown for several years in the proximity of the ordinary Indian corn, that it loses its saccharine properties.

From all that I have been able to learn from conversations with intelligent persons upon this subject, as well as from my own personal observation, I am rather inclined to attribute the deterioration of saccharine matter to soil, climate and culture, than to the influence of, or hybridization with, any other plants.

The principles involved in the hybridization of plants are precisely the same that must be observed in producing crosses in the animal kingdom. The product in the animal kingdom, of a cross between two individuals of the same species, or zoologic circle, is a mongrel, partaking of the form, aptitude and characteristics of both progenitors, and is capable of reproduction; as for example a cross between the Newfoundland Dog and Mastiff is a mongrel-not a hybrid-and is capable of propagating this mongrel type in a greater or less degree, and by very careful management this mongrel type may be perpetuated to such a degree of certainty as to become a permanent variety. But the product of two animals or individuals of different species or zoologic circles, is a mule, or hybrid, partaking in a greater or less degree of the paternal or maternal type, but entirely deprived of reproductive powers-as for example the cross between the horse and ass, or horse and quagga, ass and zebra, &c., &c.

In the vegetable kingdom the varieties obtained by crossing affiliated plants or flowers produce fruits which have fecundating powers, whilst the hybrids produced by artificial impregnation of flowers produce no fruit, or at most, if fruit is duced, the seeds are sterile.

Hybridization in flowers or plants consists simply in giving the germ or fecundating of one flower to another to be nursed and developed by it. In order to understand more clearly how this is done, it will be necessary to describe the parts composing the flower. It must not be forgotten that there are three kinds of flowers, viz: male, female, and hermaphrodite flowers. The catkins, or cylindrical foria of flowers on the common hazel bush, are the male flowers, whilst the females on the same bush are small globular bud-like processes, with deep red fringe ; the tassel of the Indian corn is the male flower, whilst the silk of the ear is the female flower. Some plants have the male flower on one plant and the female on another, as in the VALISNERIA Americana, or wild celery. But most generally the same flower contains both the male and female organs of reproduction, as in the

apple, strawberry, lily, &c., &c., and these flowers are from this fact called hermaphrodite. Horticulturists, gardeners and some others have assumed the authority to name some varieties of the strawberry as staminate, others as pistillate, and others again as hermaphrodite. This classification may be unobjectionable so far as practical gardening is concerned, but so far as abstract science is concerned it is the sheerest nonsense, from the fact that the strawberry is neither monœcious—that is, it does not bear distinct male and distinct female plants on the same stalk; neither is it diœcious, or a plant that produces male flowers on one plant and female flowers on another; but all strawberry flowers are hermaphrodite. There may be varieties in the flowers of which the pistils predominate, yet upon examination quite a number of stamens will be found in the same flower; in other varieties the stamens may preponderate, but pistils are not absolutely absent from these.

The annexed cut represents the male and female portions of an hermaphrodite flower-the cherry. 1, 2, is the male portion, of which 2 is called the filament and 1 the anther-the whole (1, 2) is called the stamen. 3, 4, 5, 6, is the female portion of the flower; 3, 4, is called the pistil-3 the stigma, 4 the style; 5, the ovarium ; 6, ovule ; 7 is a petal of the coralla. The anther (1) contains fine pollen grains, which are the fecundating principle; when the reproductive organs are fully matured the anther is ruptured, and the pollen grains are shed upon the stigma (3), from whence they find their way through tubes, through the style (4) into the ovule or ovules (6), and impregnate them. Hence any flowers whose ovules fail to be impregnated produce no seeds.

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In many flowers the pollen grains are shed on the pistil after the flower is fully expanded, but in some the stigma has received the proper quantity of pollen before the flower expands, as in the tiger lily, wheat, rye, and many of the grasses; in and beans impregnation takes place before the full expansion of the flower. If we desire to hybridize or cross the Sorgho on the broom corn, or chocolate corn, then we must obtain the pollen from the Sorgho anthers, and place it upon the stigma of the broom corn; or if the broom corn is to be crossed upon the Sorgho, then the pollen of the broom corn must be collected and placed upon the pistils of the Sorgho. It is my opinion that the pistil or rather stigma of the Sorgho has received the appropriate quantity of pollen before the flower expands-the same as in the wheat plant-and therefore there is no probability that it naturally hybridizes with any other plant.

Nothing is more simple than the method or process of hybridization; it consists in bringing the pollen which is contained in the anthers of one flower, into contact with the pistil of another flower. But there are certain conditions which must be strictly observed, otherwise there can be no successful impregnation; for example, the two flowers with which it is proposed to produce hybridization, must have