114 STATE BOARD OP AGRICULTURE. 



(b) The fifty least productive plants of equal vigor as the preced- 



(c) The fifty plants ripening their fruits earliest. 



(d) The fifty plants ripening their fruits latest. 



10 to 30 runners have been taken from each selected plant. These 

 will make the ncAV field, on which a similar selection will be carried 

 cut. The work should continue for at least five generations of plants. 



A second phaze of the work in strawberry breeding is the origination 

 of new varieties by crossing. We now have about 10,000 seedling straw- 

 berries, most of which will fruit for the first time in 1909. A few will 

 fruit in 1908. The crosses have not been made in a hap-hazzard way, 

 but with a definite ideal and plan; as a cross of Marshall and Dunlap, 

 to secure a Dunlap of better quality and a cross of Gandy and Brandy- 

 wine to secure a more prolific Gandy. The main jtoint that we are 

 breeding for is lateness. 



7. Breeding orchard fruits. This work is incidental and su])plement- 

 ary to the work in orchard pollination. The seeds of the fruits result- 

 ing from the experiments in cross-pollination are saved and planted. 

 A^'e now have 500 young seeding pears, the results of crossing Bartlett 

 and Kiefifer with each other, and with Anjou and Lawrence. The hope 

 is that some of these seedlings may develope into a blight-resistant variety 

 of better quality than Kieffer. Spy seedlings are also being grown. 

 In all the work we have a definite ideal in view and keep full records 

 of all the progeny. 



8. VaHcties of Michigan origin. Data is being collected concerning 

 varieties and promising seedlings that are of Michigan origin in the 

 belief that, to a large extent, the most valuable varieties of the future 

 will be local varieties. Full pomological descriptions are made, photo- 

 graphs are taken, with notes on the origin, and j)resent horticultural 

 value of the varieties. 



9. >< praying for potato Wight. This experiment has l)een continued 

 as outlined in the preceding report. It is incidental to work in potato 

 breeding for blight resistance. 



10. Disease!^ of greenhouse lettuce. The experiment in sub-watering 

 and sterilizing greenhouse soil, by means of lines of agricultural drain 

 tile laid 18 inches below the surface and 24 inches aj>art, has been con- 

 tinued in the greenlumse of F. M. Strong of Grand l\a]»ids. This ex- 

 ]>ei-iiii(Mil is being watched by the lettuce growei-s of Grand Ka]»ids. sonw 

 of whom are convinced that the metliod we have adopted may be de- 

 veloiKvl into a i)ractical means of controlling the diseases that frequeiilly 

 ruin I he lettuce croj). This experiment had its origin in an atlenipt to 

 conti'ol the ''Shol-hole Ixust" (Marsonia p(M-rorans) but has been ex- 

 1end<Ml lo meet oilier conditions. The work has also been conducted in 

 Ihe college forcing liouse. ^^'e should be able to rejiort next spring, at 

 the conclusion of the third seasons' work. 



11. Cold .'Storage of fruit. For two years we have conducted an ex- 

 jieriment in the cold storage, to determine tlie relative importance of 

 various factors that influence the keeping qualities of api)les and pears, 

 such as tlie presence of scab, worms, bruises, the degree of maturity, 

 condition of tree, etc. The work will be continued and extended this 

 year and a report made next spring. 



