SECTION IV. 1883. [. #2389] Trans. Roy. Soc. CANADA. 
IL.—On the Influence of Sex on Hybrids Among Fruits. 
By WILLIAM SAUNDERS. 
(Read May 23, 1883.) 
In an early edition of Gray’s “ Manual of the Botany of the Northern United States,” the 
statement was made that some interesting forms, intermediate between the wild black-cap 
raspberry (Rubus occidentalis) and the common red raspberry (Rubus strigosus), had been 
found growing wild in some parts of the United States. This remark, although subse- 
quently admitted by Dr. Gray to be incorrect, and hence omitted in later editions of the 
Manual, prompted the work afterwards undertaken by me on varieties of these two 
species of Rubus. 
In the spring of 1870, among a number of other attempts at hybridizing, five flowers 
of the Doolittle Black-cap raspberry, an improved form of Rubus occidentalis, were fertilized 
with pollen of the Philadelphia raspberry, the latter a chance variety of Rubus strigosus. 
There resulted from this experiment five berries, all imperfect as to form, but each con- 
taining some well-ripened seeds. These were gathered during the latter part of July, 
when fully ripe, and sown without delay. In the following spring many of them germin- 
ated, and twenty-four healthy plants were obtained. In 1873 these all fruited, some five 
or six of them proving to be enormously prolific, while many of the others were lack- 
ing in fertility, and produced a large proportion of imperfect berries. After a fair trial 
most of these latter were destroyed. 
The fruit of the selected hybrids was somewhat larger than that of either of the 
parents; in colour it was intermediate between the two, but more closely resembling the 
Philadelphia than the Black-cap, while the flavor was a strking combination of both. 
In conducting this experiment, the point watched with most interest was the manner 
of propagation. Occidentalis propagates by rooting from the pendulous tips of the branches 
which are sent up every year from the crown of the plant, while s/rigosus sends up suckers 
from the roots which extend to a considerable distance from the base. In every instance 
these hybrid plants rooted from the tips, but not freely, after the manner of occidentalis, 
and in two or three instances, during ten years of observation, I have found canes spring- 
ing from the roots a few inches from the crown, indicating an occasional tendency towards 
this method of propagation. The multiplication of these plants by the rooting of the tips 
was attended with so much uncertainty that another method was tried: the canes were 
layered and covered with three or four inches of soil, when they rooted at almost every 
joint. In growth they are very vigorous, and their hardiness is shown by the fact that they 
can be successfully cultivated very far north. In these instances the constitution and 
habit of the plant seem to have been chiefly influenced by the female, while the fruit is in- 
termediate in character between both parents, but inclining towards that of the male. 
Similar, and, perhaps stronger, evidence in this direction can be adduced from experi+ 
ments on grapes. The Clinton, an improved form of Vitis cordifolia, or the frost grape, was 
