Section IV., 1894. [ 139 ] Trans. Eoy. Soc. Canada. 



IX. —Note ott, the Progress of Experiments in Gross-fertilizing at the Experimerdal 



Eanns. 



Jiy Wm. Saunders, F.L.S., F.C.S., Director Experimental Farms. 



(Read May 25, 1894.) 



At the meeting of the Royal Society of Canada held in May, 1883, I presented a jjaper 

 on " The Influence of Sex on Hybrids among Fruits," in which reference was made to some 

 cross-bred or hybrid raspberries, crosses between a variety known as Philadelphia, an im- 

 proved form of Hiibus strigosus, female, and the Doolittle Black Cap, a cultivated variety of 

 Rubus oceidentalis, male. From this cross a number of seedlings were obtained which showed 

 distinct evidence, both in the habit of the plants and the character of the fruit, of the influ- 

 ence of both parents on the progeny. I also referred at that time to similar evidence which 

 had been obtained from cross-bred grapes and gooseberries. 



Since the establishment of the experimental farms, further and more extended work has 

 been carried on in this direction, and during the past five years many cross-bred varieties 

 of cereals have been produced and some which appear to be true hybrids. Further inter- 

 esting crosses and hybrids have also been produced among fruits. 



In May, 1888, I called the attention of this Society to the efibrts which were being 

 nuide, through the agency of the experimental farms, to introduce earl}- ripening varieties of 

 cereals from other countries, and to the progress being made in that direction, notably with 

 the Ladoga wheat, a variety of grain which had been imported from the northern part of 

 Russia. During the past six years that variety of wheat has been tested under many difl:er- 

 ent climatic conditions, and it has been found to retain everywhere in this country its early 

 ripening habit, maturing a week or more earlier than Red Fife sown at the same date. As 

 the result of a number of careful tests, it has been found that bread made from the flour of 

 this wheat is yellower and somewhat darker in colour than that prepared from the flour of 

 Red Fife wheat. For this reason the Ladoga is not to be recommended as a variety to be 

 grown on a large scale for commercial purposes ; it occupies, however, a useful place in those 

 districts m the Canadian N'orthwest where the season is not usually long enough to mature 

 the Red Fife. Good Ladoga is much better than badly frosted Red Fife. The Ladoga 

 wheat has also been found useful as a basis for cross-fertilizing. 



Another source from whence early ripening varieties of grain have been obtained is 

 India, where, through the kindness of Lord DufFerin, late viceroy, a number of different 

 sorts were collected and forwarded to Canada for test on the experimental farms. These 

 cereals were obtained at different altitudes in the Himalaya Mountains, from 420 to 11,000 

 feet. All the Indian varieties tested have proven early in ripening, and two of the most 

 promising of the wheats, known under the names of Hard Red Calcutta and Gehun, have 



