¥ NEw York AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. S17 
rate of evaporation, is one in which the shading of appropriate crops 
would probably give good results.” Such conditions do not prevail 
-in New York. 
PLANT BREEDING. 
The various problems connected with breeding of plants, such as 
blooming dates, pollenization and fertilization of blossoms, selection 
of parents, etc., have occupied the attention of the horticultural 
department ‘ever since the Station was established. At the close of 
the second year observations were made tending to show that cross 
fertilization™® is exceedingly common in the case of our common 
varieties of vegetables and flowers. Seeds gathered from plants of 
the pepper, tomato, bean, balsam, petunia, zinnia, phlox, dianthus 
and aster growing on the Station grounds, and which had shown 
themselves to be true to name, showed evidence of mixing when 
planted the succeeding year. “It seems entirely safe to say that as 
a rule to which there are few exceptions, different varieties of vege- 
tables are sure to become mixed if grown, for seed, adjacent to 
each other. In consideration of this fact, we are inclined to won- 
der that purchased seeds so often produce plants true to type.” 
Such observations are of interest in that they show the necessity of 
having more or less isolation when it is desired to save the seed. 
In most cases it would simply mean that the farmer would prefer 
to buy the seed rather than take the trouble necessary in keeping it 
pure; this being undoubtedly the cheapest method where only small 
quantities of seed are desired. It was also found by investigation 
that there was a great difference in the natural vigor of certain 
plants, that is, the value of seed would depend largely upon the 
vigor of the parents from which they were secured. Seed was 
gathered from two plants of the Little Gem tomate. One of these 
plants was markedly vigorous, the other equally marked for its lack 
of vigor. Seed was saved from the resulting progeny for three 
generations, the offspring of the feeble plant becoming more feeble 
with each generation until at the close of the experiment they “ were 
scarcely more than one-fourth of the size of the vigorous ones.” 
Equally disastrous results followed the selection of immature seed 
for the same length of time, the injury appearing, as in the former 
case, to be cumulative and resulting in ultimate destruction of the 
plant. 
One of the first crossing experiments carried on by this Station 
was that of the French upright or tree tomato crossed with several 
7 Rpt. 2:222 (1883). 
