HYBRIDISATION.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19683, 29 July 1929, Page 3

HYBRIDISATION.

EFFECT ON PLANT LIFE. ADDRESS BY DR. ALLAN. Aspects of the application of botanical science to agriculture were dealt with by Dr. H. H. Allan, of the Plant Research Station, Palnierston North, at a meeting of the Canterbury Agricultural Science Club on Saturday evening.

Dr. Allan dealt chiefly with hybridisation of New Zealand flora which was, he said, of very great importance to the farmer, tie referred to some of the early experiments in hybridising, saying that one amateur scientist, a silk merchant of Lyons, had discovered that within the species of a plant existed a very great number of smaller species, which were true breeding groups. About the same time an abbot in Mons was engaged in seeing what happened when these were joined together. It was not until recently, however, that the result of their work had been recognised. More recently a third idea had been presented by a Swedish botanist, which was that the true breeding group had been brought about by the work of Nature herself; The speaker illustrated this point by saying that in Sweden sheep's fescue grew as one species on calcareous soil and another on the mountain side. These micro-species had been sorted out into particular groups. It had been claimed that hybridisation was the kev to evolution—if not the sole key, then the main key. Whether that were so or not it was true that in New Zealand itself a great deal of natural hvbridisation was taking place. The kauri tree was a simple species—one kind and one only. "When the species is made up of a number," Dr. Allan said, "we speak of it as a compound species. The koromiko is such a type and there are quite a number of distinct breeding smaller units." While groping about, the river bed at Ashburton the other day Dr. Allan saw hundreds of plants all as like their neighbours as two things could be, and the seed from that would certainly grow up like the parent plant. That day, on the Port Hills, he had seen hundreds of what the manual of 1906 would call the same plant, but they were as distinct from those at Ashburton as were say, some of the forms of cocksfoot he had seen at Lincoln College. Dr. Allan then showed a series ot slides illustrating various phases of hvbridisation and also the effect of environment. As a result of hybridisation, he said, we did get now ana again a form that bred true to us SP Tt the conclusion of the address questions were asked and a discussion took place. Dr. Allan was heartily thanked for his address.