WINTEK MEETING, 1880. 17 



winter, bearing white grapes of good, clear fruit of best quality, bunches of 

 handsome appearance and good size, it is worthy of our attention. 



Subsequent to the year 1875 Mr. Woodruff removed the original vine to his 

 new home, and although the vine was transplanted, it has borne some fruit 

 every vear since. He has now a few hundred vines coming into bearing, and 

 will likely be prepared to exhibit the fruit in the future State fairs and in 

 large quantities. By this means the public will have an opportunity to become 

 acquainted more fully with its merits. 



The leaves of the vine do not average large, but are thick and downy under- 

 neath, indicating a strong constitution. In appearance the leaves look like 

 its parent, the Concord, and it would require an expert to detect any difference 

 between this and the foliage of that variety. The vine is easily propagated. 

 Two eye cuttings of the smallest well ripened wood make good plants with fair 

 culture. The vine, like its parent, takes hold with a will after transplanting 

 from the nursery bed, and is quickly established into bearing size. 



HOW NEW VARIETIES ARE ORIGINATED. 



The discussion of the ;ibove topic was opened by the reading of a letter from 

 Chas. A. Greene of Clifton, N. Y., addressed to the Secretary: 



Dear Sir: — Pressing duties prevent me from the pleasure of attending 

 your meetings. Casual observations have inclined me to the belief that the 

 impregnation of the blossoms of fruits is not entirely dissimilar to that occur- 

 ring with animals, and if we follow the analogy we may be warranted in accept- 

 ing many of the well-tested theories concerning the improvements of sheep, 

 swine, cattle, and horses, as applicable to the breeding of improved strawber- 

 ries, grapes, apples, pears, etc. We breed stock for color, beauty of form, size, 

 and endurance, as well as for the quality of their productions, crossing certain 

 breeds expecting to attain certain results — why not so with fruits, and not rely 

 on chance, as has been the case so largely in the past? We can trace Negro- 

 blood in our own race for generations ; we can trace foreign blood (even a slight 

 tincture) in the grape ; blood will tell — like produces like. Van Mons held 

 that the effect of the stock on the graft should be avoided in efforts to improve 

 varieties. If your Bartlett pear is grafted on an inferior stock (as it is gene- 

 rally) of course the seed from that tree will be affected somewhat by the infe- 

 rior stock, and should not be used, but seed from the Bartlett on its own roots 

 instead. That there is truth in this theory is indicated from the fact that the 

 Wager peach reproduces itself from its seed if on its own roots ; but when 

 budded on the other roots it will not. 



Eecent experiments in the northwest indicate that the seeds of the apple 

 produce varieties maturing at the same season as the variety from which they 

 are taken, regardless of the variety with which the cross is made. W T ith grapes, 

 the two varieties selected for crossing are often grown in an isolated location,, 

 protected by netting from fertilization by insects, and the vines are permitted 

 to twine together, thus securing certainty of parentage. With the strawberry 

 I should cross a pistilate variety with an hermaphrodite, as the latter might 

 fertilize itself, and could not be relied upon. Our Mr. H. E. Hooker holds 

 that it is not possible to improve varieties of fruits; that if we improve the 

 size or quality, the variety loses correspondingly in other respects, as, for 

 instance, in vigor and hardiness. 



CHARLES A. GREEN. 

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