31 6 Journal of Agricultural Research voi. iv no. 4 



getting it for the time being and bending every effort to the discovery of 

 how grape characters are transmitted. 



The work is now proceeding mainly along two lines: (i) The deter- 

 mination of the breeding potentialities of a considerable number of 

 varieties of grapes, especially with the view of finding unit characters; 

 and (2) a review of all the New York Experiment Station breeding data 

 on this fruit, to study and interpret breeding phenomena, accompany- 

 ing this review with the making of the crosses necessary to throw further 

 light upon doubtful points. 



The results secured in testing the breeding possibilities of grape varieties, 

 which will be discussed later, have made it seem desirable to extend this 

 study to all the varieties which show any promise. For this reason 

 nearly 200 different kinds have been used as pollen parents and nearly 100 

 as maternal parents in this work. 



Frequently during the early days of the work seedlings which seemed 

 to lack vigor in the nursery were discarded, instead of being planted in 

 the test vineyards. Though this undoubtedly removed many un- 

 promising seedlings, it seriously decreased the number which fruited, and 

 made the interpretation of results difficult and uncertain. At best the 

 number of seedlings that lived of each cross was smaller than could be 

 desired, and, when this number was still further decreased by selection 

 in the nursery or by untoward circumstances, much of the value of the 

 work from a breeding standpoint was lost. 



Another change of method which bids fair to be exceedingly important 

 has been the use of varieties of Vitis vinifera in breeding. Every indica- 

 tion points to the desirability of the addition of some of the blood of the 

 European grape to our native sorts. Although we are working primarily 

 to determine breeding laws, there is usually a wide choice of varieties which 

 answer our purpose, and with the growing of nearly 100 varieties of this 

 species on the New York Station grounds we have been able to use several 

 as parents. There are now several hundred hybrids containing V . vinifera 

 blood growing on the Station grounds, and these will be increased by many 

 hundreds during the following years. 



The methods used in the actual work of crossing are similar to those 

 of most breeders. The female blossoms are emasculated before the calyx 

 cap splits off and are then bagged ; the male blossoms are also bagged be- 

 fore the calyx splits. When the pollen is ripe, the bagged male cluster is 

 usually cut from the vine and all or part of it brushed over the emascu- 

 lated female. Usually some of the male cluster is inclosed in the bag, 

 which is again put over the female after pollination. In a few cases, 

 where the periods of blossoming of two varieties are too widely separated, 

 it has been necessary to save pollen in clean glass jars. It is customary 

 to dip the forceps used in pollination into alcohol with each new variety. 



