10 July, 1919.] Hereditary Unsoundness in Horses 421 



The founder of Family 38 has frequently been referred to as being 

 present in unsound pedigrees, but there are not sufficient members in 

 this particular family to give a true indication of the degree of its 

 unsoundness. N'lna members only were examined, and three, or 33 per 

 cent., were unsound. 38.2 was one of the worst cases of sidebone I 

 have ever examined. His dam was by a son of 1. From the character 

 of his unsoundness, there is no doubt that he inherited the unsound factor 

 from both sides. The dam of 38.3 was by 17.1, which is the sire of a 

 sound line as far as can be seen. The dam of 38.6 was by a horse not 

 recorded in these tables, but which appears on the dams' side of several 

 horses that are sound, and at no time has he been noted in the pedigree 

 of an unsound horse. It is, therefore, possible that in both 38.3 and 38.6 

 clean blood on the dams' side has counteracted the taint of 38, whilst 38.5 

 was probably unsound. 



(To he concluded.) 



FRUITING OF APPLE TREES EVERY OTHER YEAR. 



Many varieties of apples and pears, for various reasons, bear only 

 every other year, while the same is true, but to a less extent, of the stone 

 fruits. The causes are somewhat varied, but are considered to be 

 mostly the result of the climatic environment in which the trees are 

 grown. The biennial bearing habit is apparently not an inheritable 

 trait, but when it once becomes fixed in the life of the individual, there 

 is little that can be done to change it. 



The habit becomes fixed in climates where frosts and rain interfere 

 with the set of fruit, and where the young trees are not properly pruned 

 and the fruit thinned. 



An interesting illustration of this perennial bearing habit is quoted 

 by B. S. Brown in the Journal of Heredity. One-half of the tree had 

 been grafted to a Gravenstein, while the other half was of the original 

 variety of a Russian type. For some unaccountable reason each half 

 of the tree chose opposite years for its heavy crop. In the spring it 

 presents an odd appearance by one-half being in heavy bloom, while the 

 other half scarcely develops a single blossom. The next year the process 

 is reversed. 



The tree is about 25 years old, and has behaved as described for 

 the past five years. No certain explanation as to the original cause can 

 be given. As there is some slight difference in the blooming time of 

 the two halves, it is possible that frost may have come at such a time as 

 to destroy the fruit on one side while the other escaped. 



It is interesting for two reasons. First, that it indicates that the 

 formation of fruit buds is not wholly a question of nutrition. Second, 

 that the food supply of the tree is directed first to the needs of the- 

 maturing, crop. 



— Agricultural Gazette of New South Wales, June, 1919. 



