424 



The Journal of Heredity 



of botanical characters of both Musca- 

 dinia and Euvitis as, for example, in 

 the case of the tendrils. The Musca- 

 dinia species always have simple tendrils 

 and the Eiiviiis always forked tendrils, 

 while the hybrids <:;enerally ha\'e simple 

 and forked tendrils on the same shoot. 

 In like manner, the hybirds have both 

 continuous and discontinuous ]jith, etc. 

 It is expected that the first hybrids will 

 leave much to be desired, but in a larj^e 

 collection a few valuable individuals may 

 be found which, when aj^ain crossed with 

 the best Muscadine or Euvitis varieties, 

 will >-icld satisfactory results. 



While improvement is exjicctcd from 

 the Muscadine hybrids with native 

 grape species, the greatest results are 

 expected from the hybrids with the 

 European grape, V. vinifera, because 

 the latter varieties are strong in those 

 characters in which the Aluscadines arc 

 deficient, and weak only in the char- 

 acters well developed in the Muscadines. 

 For example, \ . vinifera is very high 

 in sugar but low in acid content, while 

 the Muscadines are high in acid content 

 but low in sugar. The native American 

 Euvitis species, while ha\'ing a higher 



sugar content generally than the Musca- 

 dines, are like the latter in their high 

 acid content. 



SUMMARY 



The Muscadine grape breeding of the 

 U. vS. Department of Agriculture^ is 

 centered in a cooperative experiment 

 vineyard located on the North Carolina 

 State Department of Agriculture's Test 

 Farm, Willard, N. C. Here pollination, 

 culture, handling, marketing, and util- 

 ization problems have also been under 

 investigation. Special emphasis has 

 been given to pruning, training, and 

 pollination studies, but the breeding 

 investigations have occupied first place. 



It is believed that with the achiev- 

 ment of the results from breeding work 

 for which the Department is striving, 

 together with the development of im- 

 proved methods of growing, handling, 

 and utilizing the fruit, the Muscadine 

 grape industry will take a leading 

 position among the fn.iit industries of 

 the South and will afford a profitable 

 means of utilizing a portion of the vast 

 areas of cut-over pine lands of the 

 Southeast. 



Peculiarities of Conformation in Singers 



As the confohnation of those jjarts 

 of the head used for singing is inherited, 

 it is natural to su])iJOse -that singing 

 ability is largely dependent on heredity. 

 Dr. Irving Wilson Voorhees, who writes 

 in the July issue of Medical Review of 

 Reviews, gives some details about the 

 peculiarities of conformation which show 

 why training alone cannot produce a 

 singer. 



"I have studied the noses and 

 throats of several of the great singers," 

 he says, "and in each and every case 

 can say that there was .something re- 

 markable about the formation of the 



nasal chambers or vocal cords or 

 general muscular development of the 

 chest. It is not always possible to tell 

 what a \'oice is by a physical examina- 

 tion, but many times one can make a 

 fair guess at it. The tenor's vocal 

 cords, for instance, are likely to be 

 short and thick; the basso's, long and 

 flat. Like differences hold good for 

 female voices. I am told by a physician 

 who has examined Caniso that he has 

 a broad roof to the mouth, a large naso- 

 pharynx, very roomy nasal resonators, 

 and short, thick vfical cords with knife- 

 like edge." 



''The progress of the Dtiiartmcnt's work with the MusciuHnc j^rapcs has been reported in 

 the re|)orts of the Chief of the Bureau of Plant Inchistry and in the following bulletins: 

 Bultetin 27.S, Bureau of Plant Industry, The Muscadine Grapes. 

 Farmers' liullctin 709, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Tlie Muscadine Grapes. 

 Farmers' Bultetin 7.S8, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Muscadine Grape vSirup. 

 Farmers' Biittelin S.S9, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Home Uses for Muscadine Grapes. 



