126. MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. I906. 



more than 30 of these hybrids which have been found valuable 

 and named. Luther Burbank of Santa Rosa, California, is the 

 name which is indelibly associated with the idea of Japanese 

 plum hybrids, and to him we are indebted for Climax, Chalco, 

 Wickson, Golden, American, and many others. 



THE BLACKBERRY. 



Brief reference should be made to the blackberry as a purely 

 American plant. Though wild plants had been brought to the 

 garden previously, the culture of the blackberry as a garden 

 fruit dates from the introduction of the Dorchester, a chance 

 seedling found in Dorchester, Mass., and brought to attention 

 by Mr. Lovett in 1850. A few crosses have been introduced, 

 but none as yet have become well known. A noteworthy hybrid 

 of the blackberry with the raspberry should, however, receive 

 passing notice. This is the Princess (Western dewberry crossed 

 by Siberian raspberry) produced by Mr. Burbank. The hybrid, 

 according to the originator, ripens its fruit several weeks before 

 either of its parents and excels them much in productiveness 

 and size of fruit, though retaining the general appearance and 

 combined flavors of both. Among other raspberry-blackberry 

 hybrids made by Burbank is Humboldt, by crossing an improved 

 California wild dewberry with Cuthbert raspberry. As giving 

 an idea of the uncertainty of work of this kind, it is worthy of 

 note that the last named hybrid was the only one out of 40,000 

 seedlings that was deemed of sufficient value for propagation. 



Some Unsolved Problems. 



Each year marks a great advance in the work done in plant 

 breeding. The work carried on by the United States Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, under the immediate direction of Dr. Web- 

 ber, is of inestimable value ; and the " new creations " in fruits 

 and flowers which periodically appear in the garden of Luther 

 Burbank at Santa Rosa, California, have attracted world wide 

 attention. But the mere production of new forms of intrinsic 

 value is not the only work in hand. It is now coming to be 

 recognized that many diseases of plants are due to some, often 

 times it may be slight, lack of adaptation to conditions and 

 surroundings. The plants are " out of tune " with their 

 environment, and this lack of adaptation, though slight, may 



