42' Director's Report of the 



will brush away facts. Caution should be exercised, however, as 

 to making too broad an application of local observations. 



During the year 1912, several bulletins have been published by 

 the Horticultural Department, a summary of the main facts and 

 conclusions therein presented being given below : 



Injiuence of crossing in increasing the yield of the tomato. — 

 Bulletin No. 346 shows that an infusion of new blood obtained by 

 crossing closely related varieties of tomatoes increases the vigor 

 of the plant and the yield of fruit to a marked degree. It is 

 uncertain, from the experiments carried on, whether the stimu- 

 lating effects of the crossing are due to an increase in size or in 

 number of cells. The results obtained seem to warrant the cross- 

 ing of tomatoes not only by growers but by seedsmen who wish 

 to furnish the best grade of seed. The production of such seed 

 would, of course, require time and care and the seed would have 

 to be sold at higher prices. Recommendations are given for making 

 tomato crosses and also suggestions as to how new characters may 

 be obtained and maintained. Other field or garden crops are 

 named that are thought capable of improvement by crossing. 



An experiment in breeding apples. — There have been few 

 efforts to improve apples, nearly all varieties having come from 

 chance seedlings. With the knowledge of recent discoveries in 

 plant-breeding we ought to breed this fruit more advantageously 

 than in the past. Bulletin Xo. 350 is a record of an experiment 

 in breeding apples in the light of the new knowledge. The 

 material for this experiment came from 148 crosses made in 1898 

 and 1899. Grafted trees of these crosses began to bear in 1904 

 and the seedlings came in fruiting in 1908. The crosses have 

 been studied from both the grafts and seedlings, the orchards hav- 

 ing had the care usually given commercial plantations. 



The crosses which have fruited, with the number of each, are : 

 From Ben Davis X Esopus 4 ; from Ben Davis X Green Xewtown 

 13, from Ben Davis X Jonathan 11, from Ben Davis X Mcintosh 

 11, Ben Davis X Mother 20, from Esopus X Ben Davis 29, 

 Esopus X Jonathan 2, Mcintosh X Lawver 1, Ralls X Northern 

 Spy 9, Rome X Northern Spy 1, and Sutton X Northern Spy 5. 

 These seedlings show marked vigor and are healthier aiid more 



