New York Agkicultueal Experiment Station. 457 



these trees brought about the desired result and with no per- 

 ceptible abnormality in tree or fruit. 



Difficulty in securing a sect nd generation. — In this experi- 

 ment we have to deal, it is to be regretted, with only the first 

 generation of hybrid offspring. This brings us to a difficulty 

 we have had in working with these young trees. The great 

 desirability of having the second generation has been recognizea 

 from the start and for several years efforts have been made to 

 get selfed seeds from these crosses, — with the result that we 

 have scarcely a score of their offspring. The maledictions of 

 some demon seem to have been showered upon the selfing of 

 these crosses in the shape of accidents, bad weather and holidays 

 at critical times. But beside these fortuitous obstacles, it seems 

 certain that it is rather more difficult to self blossoms on young, 

 vigorous, floriferous apple trees than it is on older plants. One 

 of the great difficulties in Mendelian work with apples, and other 

 tree fruits, will be to obtain the second generation in sufficiently 

 large numbers to give results than can be relied upon. 



The crosses. — The crosses, with the number of each, are: — 



Ben Davis X Esopus 4 Esopus X Jonathan 2 



Ben Davis X Green Xewtown. . . 13 Mcintosh X Lawver 1 



Ben Davis X Jonathan 11 Ralls X Xorthern Spy 9 



Ben Davis X Mcintosh 11 Rome X Xorthern Spy 1 



Ben Davis X Mother 20 Sutton X Xorthern Spy 5 



Esopus X Ben Davis 29 



DESCRIPTION OF THE CROSSES. 



The following is a tabulated description of the characters 

 studied in these crosses. Unfortunately trees of the parents of 

 the same age as the crosses were not available. The size and 

 shape of the fruits of the parents and of the progeny can be com- 

 pared in the plates. Those not familiar with the parents, all 

 common varieties, can find full descriptions of them in The 

 Apples of New York. Detailed descriptions of the newly named 

 varieties are given on pages 479-486. 



The abbreviations used in the table are as follows : 



Shape of tree.—- d, drooping ; s, spreading ; u, upright. 



Form. — c, conical ; o, oblate ; ob, oblong ; ov, ovate ; r, roundish. 



Color. — b, blush ; c, carmine ; d, dark ; g, green ; 1, light ; 

 r, red; s, striped; y, yellow. 



Flavor. — a, acid ; s, sweet ; sa, subacid. 



