552 



EXPERl M A'.A 7 4 L FA RMS 



5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 



CORN. 



Several crosses have been maile with Malakoff sweet corn on Early Adams 

 (Dent), and White and Red Squaws (Flint), with the object of producing an early 

 maturing, yet hardy sweet corn that may be gi'own successfully in zones with cool 

 summer temperature?, and short seasons. It has been found by experience that certain 

 varieties are able to maintain their growth at low temperatures, that hinder the 

 maturity of other varieties. The Squaw com is particularly noted for this, the 

 Malakoff requiring a higher temperature. (In explanation of this fact it may be 

 stated that in most southerly and warmer portions of the eountiy, the Malakoff sweet 

 corn matures practically in the same time reqiiired by the Squaw, but under the 

 climatic conditions of the prairie, the Squaw is often ready to harvest before the 

 Malakoff has approached maturity.) On account of this fact, these varieties were 

 extensively crossed, and a quantity of this hybrid seed has been secured for sowing 

 next year and selecting therefrom. 



In the above photograph, the ears of corn marked 1, 2, and 3 were secured from 

 plants of White Early Adams (a Dent corn) that had been crossed with the pollen of ■ 

 Malakoff, (an early sweet corn) as shown by the ear labelled 4. No. 1 is indistinguishable 

 from a pure ear of Early Adams, the kernels are dented and are a dense opaque white 

 in colour. No. 2, the kernels are semi-transparent except the cap which is not dented 

 and of opaque white. The kernels of No. 3 appear in two distinct forms, some 

 opaque white and dented like pure-bred Early Adams, others semi-transparent and 

 ver>' wriid\:led like the pure-bred >eed of Malakoff (No. 4). 



Several of the earliest-maturing strains of Challenge Black Wax beans were 

 grown and selected for disease resistance. Strains selected in 1912 for vigour and 

 disease resistance liave shown improvement over strains where selection along these 

 particular lines was not emphasized. 



FLORICULTURE. 



With regard to floriculture, a number of second-generation sweet pea hybrids were 

 grown and flowered, nothing of particular varietal worth was secured, but the data 

 recorded elicited information of material value. A number of first and second- 

 generation seedlings of geraniums were grown, and several promising plants were 

 secured, but here again the information regarding the inheritance of these seedling.^ 

 was of chief value. 



Crosses were made with varieties of phlox, petunia, sweet peas and aquilegia, and 

 seed from the majority of these crosses was secured. (Sweet pea seed was s-ecured 

 much more plentifully during the past season than during the season of 1912.) 



Plant breeding offers a most promising field for improvement along all lines of 

 liorticulture; in fact it would indeed be bold for any one to predict the limitations of 

 the inheritable possibility of any of our commercial fruits, when wo compare them 

 with the uncultivated origins from which they undoubtedly have sprung. With the 

 evidence of such wonderful improvements in the past, it must surely be admitted to 

 be only reasonable that the possibilities for improvement in the future should be as 

 great as that of the past. 



Ottawa. 



