PROCEEDINGS OF THE WINTER MEETING. 65 



Woodruff, and still others, like Delaware and Niagara, set perfect 

 clusters. Here is found one explanation for many cases in which dis- 

 appointment has followed the extensive planting of new varieties w^hich, 

 when grown in mixed vineyards, gained a reputation for productiveness. 

 When, on the strength of such reputation, their cultivation was extended 

 and they were planted alone, partial or complete failure to fruit has been 

 the result, because the variety was self-sterile. Unless a grape has been 

 thoroughly tested and found to be able to set fruit alone, it is certainly 

 unwise to plant it in vineyard blocks by itself. 



The method followed in these investigations has been to cover the 

 clusters with paper bags before the blossoms opened, thus preventing the 

 fertilization of the flow^ers by pollen from outside clusters. It is evi- 

 dent that any fruit which formed within the bags, under such circum- 

 stances, must have been jjroduced from the covered blossoms alone. 

 The kinds of grape that are able to form perfect bunches of fruit under 

 such conditions may reasonably be expected to possess the power to 

 set fruit of themselves, and do not need to be mingled with other varie- 

 ties. After the fruit ripened, the covered clusters were examined and 

 compared with the uncovered clusters which grew on the same vines. 

 It should be remarked that the vines which were under experiment were 

 all located in vineyards of mixed varieties, and so the uncovered clusters 

 had plenty of opportunity to be fertilized by other varieties. 



In cases where, for any reason, the test has been unsatisfactory, it 

 has been repeated again the following season, so that the results w'hich 

 are here given are believed to represent very closely the real character 

 of the different varieties mentioned, so far as their self-sterility is con- 

 cerned. Possibly, under different conditions, some of them may show 

 a difference in their ability to set fruit alone, but I know of no instance 

 in which healthy, vigorous vines of any of these varieties have shown 

 such a difference. 



In order to present the results of these experiments in concise form, 

 the varieties under investigation have been classified as to their abilitv 

 to set fruit, when self-fertilized, into four classes. The ability to set 

 fruit when self-fertilized means, in other words, the ability to set fruit 

 of themselves unaided by pollen from any other variety. The following 

 classes are based wholly on the development of this characteristic: 



Class I includes those grapes which forms practically perfect clusters 

 when self-fertilized. In this class are found Ambrosia, Bertha, Croton, 

 Delaware, Diamond, Early Golden*, Etta, Herald, Janesville, Lady 

 Washington, Leavenworth. Lutie. Mabel*, Marvl)i\9 Seeflliuf/ White, 

 Mary's Favorite. Mathilde, Metternich, Monroe, Moore's Early*, Niagara, 

 Opal, Poughkeepsie Red, Prentiss, Profitable, Rochester. Rogers' No. 13, 

 Rof/ers' No. 24. Rogers' No. 32, Senasqua, Telegraph, and Wyichell. 



Class II contains those varieties which, when self-fertilized, are likely 

 to produce rather loose or uusymmetrical clusters, although perfect 

 enough to market well: Agawam, Alice, Big B. Con., Brilliant. Bur- 

 rows No. 42c. Cnrmcni, Catawha, Cai/icood No. 50, Centennial, Cham])ion, 

 Chandler. Clinton, Colerain, Concord. Cottage, Diana*, Early Ohio. 

 Edmeston No. 1. Elsinburg, Elvicand, Elvira. Empire State. Esther. Olen- 



* Further investigation may show that this variety belongs in class II. 



