July IS, 191S Inheritance of Certain Characters of Grapes 



327 



may be unusually early; but a cold, wet period late in September and 

 early in October may cause the late varieties to be unusually late. These 

 variations are minimized when the records extend over a number of 

 years. The ripening dates of the seedlings are usually taken for at 

 least three years — not long enough, but much better than if taken for 

 a single year. 



In Table IX the ripening season extends approximately through the 

 months of September and October. The first two periods cover about 

 15 days each, the next two about 10 days each, while the length of the 

 last period is usually fixed by the first killing frosts. 



Table IX. — Effect of heredity on season of ripening of grapes 



Parental types with reference to ripening 

 season. 



Ripening periods of progeny. 



Approxi- 

 mate mean. 



Very 

 early. 



Early. 



Early 

 midseason. 



Midsea- 

 son. 



l^te. 



Early X early 



Early X early to midseason f> 



Early to midseason X early to mid- 

 season 



Early X midseason 



Early to midseason X midseason . . 



Midseason X midseason 



Early X late 



Early to midseason X late 



Midseason X late 



Late X late 



Sept. 23 



Sept. 22 



Sept. 27 



Sept. 28 



Sept. 26 



Oct. I 



...do 



Sept. 27 



Oct. 4 



Oct. 7 



13 



a 30 



046 



46 



20 



a 126 



165 



8 



a 9 



20 

 10 



42 



a 22 



100 



a 244 



a 27 

 a 104 



8 

 49 



3 

 6 



14 



1 Numbers in boldface type represent the mode. 

 6 Each cross includes also the reciprocal. 



As would be expected, Table IX fails to show purity or dominance 

 for any one season, but it does show, both in the mode and in the ap- 

 proximate mean, the extent to which the season of the parent influences 

 the offspring. A study of the varieties which enter into the table has 

 failed to show results at all different from those of the group in which 

 they fall. 



NEW VARIETIES FROM EARLIER CROSSES 



The results of the first 20 years of work were anything but encouraging. 

 Now, however, there is tangible evidence that progress is being made. 

 A vineyard of 1,500 seedlings bred from 1898 to 1903 has by a process 

 of vigorous selection decreased to less than 75 vines, but among this 

 number are several that seem very promising. Five of these have 

 already proved so desirable both at Geneva and in a test vineyard at 

 the Station's Vineyard Laboratory at Fredonia, N. Y., that in the fall 

 of 1 914 it was decided to give them names and place them in the hands 

 of the nurserymen. 



