REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR AND ACTING AGRICULTURIST. 



69 



Pease. 



About 175 crosses have been made in this group and some promising and prolific 

 forms originated. By rigid selection and rejecting of all the less promising sorts, the 

 varieties under test have been reduced to less than one-third of the original number, 

 and further testing is now limited to 56 varieties. 



The Barberbt. 



The last group of hybrids to which I propose to refer is one between Berberis 

 Thunbergii, female, a Japanese species, and the common purple barberry of Europe, 

 Berberis vulgaris purpurea, male. The differences between these two species are very 

 marked and the evidences of the hybrids of which there are four partaking of the char- 

 acteristics of both parents seem to be clearly shown. 



In Berberis Thunbergii the branches are armed with thorns which are about §ths 

 of an inch in length, with a short branch on either side, near the base, the branches 

 being about one-fourth the length of the central spine. 

 In B. vulgaris purpurea the thorns are long, being 

 about ^ths of an inch, with the side branches near the 

 base varying from half to two-thirds the length of the 

 centre spine. Whereas, in the hybrid the two branches 

 which springf rom thebase are about equal in length with 

 the centre, showing in this respect a departure from 

 both parents, but more nearly resembling the male. 



Fig. 11. 



The leaves of Berberis Thunbergii are small, obo- 

 vate, tapering towards the base, a leaf of this species 

 is shown in figure 11, with the surface smooth on 

 both sides and the margin entire ; colour, deep green 

 above, paler beneath. In B. vulgaris purpurea the 

 leaves are larger and nearly oval, with the margin 

 fringed with sharp spines (see figure 12). The upper surface is of 

 a dull brownish purple colour ; below it is green, with more or less Fig. 12. 



of a purplish hue. In the hybrids the leaves are longer and broader 

 than in B. Thunbergii with five or six short spines at wide intervals along the margin 

 on each side and another short spine at the tip (see figure 13). The 

 upper surface of the leaves is dark green, more or less tinged with 

 purple, the purple shading being quite decided in the young growth. 

 The lower surface is of a paler shade of green. 



In Berberis Thunbergii the flowers are borne singly on the under 

 side of the branches and are loose and open, with both calyx and 

 corolla of a very pale yellowish colour (figure 

 14). The outer surface of the calyx is tinged 

 with red and the stamens are yellow. In B. 

 vulgaris purpurea the flowers are in long clus- 

 ters, from 17 to 21 in a cluster (figure 15); 

 they are of a bright yellow colour, with the 

 outer surface of the calyx bright red and the 

 stamens yellowish green. The flowers are 

 smaller and more compact than in B. Thun- 

 bergii and are nearly a week later in time of Fig. 14. 

 blooming. In the hybrids the flowers are 

 borne in clusters of from five to nine in each (figure 16) ; they are loose and open and 

 a little larger than those of B. Thunbergii and B. vulgaris purpurea. 



Fig. 13. 



