PLANT BKEEDING AND HYBRIDIZATION. 221 



iiuiintuined by the Iowa Experiment Station with orchardists through- 

 out the State, in whicli pollen of known varieties is distributed, was 

 described. The seedlings resulting from the hand polination of fruits 

 are grown and carefully examined. In the cooperation it is, so far as 

 possible, desired that the orchardist should produce his own seedlings 

 rather than send them to the station. The effect of different kinds of 

 emasculation of the flowers was described. Low emasculation, in 

 ^^ hich all the flower but the style was cut away, did not give as favor- 

 al)le results as high emasculation, in which only the corolla and anthers 

 were removed. Studies on the time for operation showed that the 

 inmiediate transfer of pollen after the emasculation of flowers gave the 

 l)est results. Pollen applied to the stigmas by a camel's-hair brush 

 gave slighth' better results than where transfei-red by the Angers. 

 Pollen taken from the anthers just before the opening of the flowers 

 seems to be the most potent and gave the best results. 



H. F. Iloberts, of the Kansas Station, read a paper on Cereal Breed- 

 ing in Kansas, in which he briefly reviewed some of the efforts that 

 have been made in corn and wheat breeding. In breeding wheat for 

 growth in Kansas, hardiness in winter, drought resistance, and increased 

 production are the points sought. In a variety of wheat seeming to 

 possess extreme hardiness a number of spikes appeared which showed 

 a tendenc}^ toward the club-wheat form. These heads, to the number 

 of 61, were collected and are to be studied during the coming season. 

 Eleven of the heads were apparenth' of exceedingh' great productivity. 

 The grain will be planted and the results announced in due time. It 

 is desired to secure a variety in which the spikelets and heads are more 

 completely filled. Experiments in l)reeding macaroni wheats to secure 

 greater drought resistance^ are also under way, and a number of other 

 experiments were briefly mentioned. 



Williani Fawcett, director of Pul)lic Gardens, Janiiiica, giixe a brief 

 account of the plant-breeding work that is being conducted in Jamaica. 

 Naturally the investigations have been conducted on tropical plants. 

 The differences in the character of the different flower clusters of 

 banana were pointed out. The lower or earlier ones are usually all 

 female, and the ovary is twice the length of the rest of the style. 

 Those next are both male and female, and the last ones to appear are 

 all staminate. If the male flowers be cut from a bunch it results in 

 early ripening and in uniformity of fruit. A number of attempts 

 were made to artificially pollenize the banana, and some seeds were 

 set but they failed to germinate. Experiments were reported in which 

 the Smooth Cayenne and Ripley pineapples were crossed. The 

 flowers of the pineapple are said to be almost wholly self-sterile. 

 Many seedlings have been obtained, most of which were intermediate 

 between the parents, but as yet they have not developed valuable 

 characters. Experiments with mangoes have not yet proved success- 



