64 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. 



In the case of the latter, the female was the Clinton, which is an improved form of 

 the native frost grape, Vitis cordifolia ; the male was Buckland's Sweetwater, a variety 

 of Vitis vini/era, a large greenish white grape grown under glass. The Clinton is a 

 vigorous grower, and very hardy, and in fruiting produces a bunch which is small to 

 medium in size, long, narrow and very compact, s nnewhat lightly shouldered. The 

 berry is small, round, ar.d black and quite acid. The Buckland's Sweetwater is a less 

 vigorous grower, is tender ; the berries are large, pale yellowish green and oval in 

 form ; while the bunch is large and loose. The resulting hybrid resembles the Clinton 

 in vigour of growth and hardiness of vine, also in the character of the foliage ; the 

 fruit, however, is of a pale yellowish green colour, the berries are oval, the bunch large 

 and shouldered and moderately loose. The fruit is intermediate in size and quality, 

 between the parents. In the fruit of the Clinton the seeds are short and plump, 

 whereas in that of the Buckland's Sweetwater they are longer and less plump ; in the 

 hybrid the seeds resemble in form those of the Buckland's Sweetwater. 



A considerable number of other crosses were made between one of the cultivated 

 forms know as Concord, which is believed to have been derived from the fox grape, 

 Vitis labrusca, and varieties of Vitis vini/era. The leaves of the Concord vine are thick 

 and leathery, and downy on the under side, while the leaves of the derivatives of Vitis 

 vini/era are smooth below and comparatively thin in texture. All the seedlings resem- 

 bled the Concord in the character of their foliage, but there was much variation in the 

 appearance and quality of the fruit. 



The Raspberry and Blackberry. 



The first crosses were made with raspberries in 1869, and the work has been con- 

 tinued at intervals up to the present time. In 1869 a red variety, known as the Phila- 

 delphia, a form of Rubus strigosiis, which was very productive but lacking in flavour, was 

 crossed with a high-flavoured yellow sort known as Brinckle's Orange, but the progeny 

 in this case was tender and unhealthy in character and none of them have survived. 

 In 1870 a cultivated form of the black cap raspberry, Rubus occidentalis, was fertilized 

 with pollen of the Philadelphia. This latter experiment was undertaken mainly for the 

 purpose of gaining some information as to the influence of sex on the character and habit 

 of the ofi^spring. The black raspberry, Rubus occidentalis, which was chosen as the 

 female, propagates by rooting from the pendulous tips of the branches, which, late in 

 the season, touch the ground ; while the male, the red raspberry, Rubus strigosus, sends 

 up suckers from the buds developed on the roots, and these roots extend under the sur- 

 face to a considerable distance from the base. Twenty-four plants were raised from 

 this cross, all of which fruited in 1873, and some of them were very prolific. In every 

 instance the seedlings rooted from the tips, but not freely, and in two or three instances 

 an occasional sucker was thrown up from the roots, a few inches from the crown. Sub- 

 sequently these plants were propagated more freely by layering in spring the canes, the 

 growth of the previous summer, when they rooted at almost every joint. The fruit of 

 the best of these hybrids was larger than that of either of the parents ; it was interme- 

 diate in colour, being dark purple with a whitish bloom, while the flavour was a striking 

 combination of the characteristics of both. 



During the following four or five years many additional crosses were made with 

 raspberries, and many attempts were made to cross the raspberry Rubu^ strigosv^ with 

 the blackberry Rubus tnllosus, but without much success. Most of the efibrts failed, but 

 seeds were produced on several occasio.ns. Sometimes these did not germinate, and 

 several times, when one or two seeds did start, the young plants were weakly and died 

 before much growth was made. 



Large Fruits. 



Many crosses were also made with the larger fruits, from 1889 to 1895, some of 

 which have since borne well ; but they were not sufficiently promising to justify their 

 propagation. Many attempts have been made to cross the apple with the pear, and vice 



