New York Agricultural Experiment Station. 315 



and character of its fruit, although the fruit is somewhat smaller. 

 See figure 8, plate XIV. The spines are less prominent and the 

 slender branches have more of a drooping habit than have those 

 of the Houghton. See figure 2, plate XII. The bush is a strong 

 grower and very productive. Its average yield per bush for the 

 last four years has been slightly more than ten and one-half 

 pounds. 



Pearl. — Received in 1888 from Smith and Kernans, St. Cath- 

 arines, Ontario. The fruit resembles Downing so closely that an 

 expert can scarcely tell one variety from the other. See figure 

 3, plate XIV. In habit of bush the Pearl is also much like Down- 

 ing. In foliage it resembles Downing almost as closely as in 

 fruit. In some localities it is said to be superior to its parent, 

 the Downing, which it so closely resembles, but as grown here 

 it has not equaled Downing in productiveness. 



The erroneous statement of the Canadian Horticulturist, Vol. XIV, 162, 

 that Pearl originated as a cross botv/een Houghton and Whitesmith has 

 been copied in other publications . Prof. William Saunders, who originated 

 the variety, writes me that the true statement of the parentage is " Down- 

 ing crossed with an English variety known as Aston's Seedling." The latter 

 Is a synonym for Red Warrington. 



Red Jacket. — The American Red Jacket was received here 

 for testing in 1892 from C. S. Curtice Co., Portland, N. Y. It 

 was originated more than twenty years ago by Prof. Wm. Saun- 

 ders, now of the Central Experiment Farm, Ottawa, Canada, and 

 was named and introduced by Geo. S. Josselyn, Fredonia, N. Y., 

 about 1890 or 1891. Prof. Saunders writes us that, although his 

 records are not suflQciently clear to enable him to be quite posi- 

 tive as to the origin of this variety, he feels tolerably certain that 

 the female i^arent is Iloughton and the male parent an English 

 variety called Red Warrington, also known as Warrington and 

 Aston Seedling. If this be true the American Red Jacket is a 

 hybrid between Rihes oxyacanthoides, L., and Rihes Grossularia, L. 

 The character of the plant indicates that it is such a hybrid. 

 The bush is a very strong grower and productive. Mr. E. B. 

 Lewis, of Lockport, writes that he finds it some larger and a bet- 

 ter shipi^er than Pearl, although Pearl is a little the better crop- 

 per. From an acre of Red Jacket stools, having about three 

 shoots per stool not buried, he got four tons of fruit in 1896. 



