448 EXPERIMENT STATIOK RECORD. 



erally have hermaphrodite or self-poninatino; flowers, the kind preferred by vine- 

 yardists, who do not understand sex among vines, because tliey bear planted alone 

 in vineyards. Most hjdirids of Labrusca witli Vinifera have loeen of this class. 



"More feeble still, when any progeny at all are produced, is that of vines with 

 recurved stamens, impregnated by varieties with recurved stamens, as in case Moyer 

 could be impregnated by Brighton or Lindley. 



"In case a variety with recurved stamens should impregnate itself, if possible, we 

 W'ould expect the feeblest progeny. Such impregnations, however, are very rare, if 

 [occuiTing] at all. Pistillate varieties thus pollinated generally cast the pistils in a 

 few days afterwards, but the pistils may first enlarge a little. Prof. S. A. Beach has 

 designated such varieties 'self-excitant' or 'self-irritant,' but sterile." 



Specific directions for sowing and planting seed, tending and culti- 

 vating the seedlings planted in the testing vineyard, noting and select- 

 ing the seemingly desirable varieties and breeding with special reference 

 to color of grape, season, size of cluster or berry, or for quality, are 

 given. Fn the authors experiments onl^^ about one rc^dly good variety 

 was obtained out of ever}" 1,000 carefully selected and hybridized grape 

 seed grown. 



In the course of his work in breeding grapes, Munson has made obser- 

 vations on the prepotency of the diti'e rent species and the peculiar effect 

 of each on the offspring. Only a few of them need be mentioned here: 

 V. rnpeatru does not seem to be a good mother but in France is con- 

 sidered superior to all other species as a pollenizer of vinlft^ra to give 

 direct producers. V. herlandieri offers an excellent basis on which to 

 build for .large compound clusters and fine quality of berry. Y. lince- 

 cumi!^ in the opinion of the author, promises more for American grape 

 cidture than an}" other and possibly all other species combined. Among 

 the families of this group, America is uncommonly healthy and vigor- 

 ous, ver}^ prolific, and is a good table and wine grape, and one of the 

 best mothers. A hybrid of V. Mcolor and V. vulpina promises to give 

 rise to a family of ver}^ hardy varieties peculiarl}" adapted to the 

 extreme north. V. lahrusca is noteworth}* for the large number of 

 pure varieties for northern regions to which it has given rise. V. 

 K/'/Dpsonf endures great heat and drought and resists fungus diseases 

 well, especially black rot, and promises well as a base for Gulf State 

 \arieties for extremel}' late ripening. V. chaiiipini promises much in 

 hybrid combinations. It is a good graft stock for dry, ver}" lim}'^, 

 adobe, or sandy soils, either North or South. 



Relative to prepotency or superior potency of one parent over the 

 other the author states as follows: 



" Generally the more distinct and uniform a species the more prepotent it is over 

 less distinct and less uniform species. In conformit\^ to this, the more complex a 

 hybrid is, the less it shows of itself in combination with a jjure variety of a pure 

 species. Also, in conformity to this law, the more complex a hybrid is, the more 

 variable among themselves are its pure seedlings. AVe may expect the male parent 

 to more often control in appearance and quality in fruit and the female in vine; yet, 

 if we designate it a general law, there will be found many exceptions." 



