470 REPORT OF THE CONFERENCE ON GENETICS. 
common type. It is curious to note that in the varieties of cultivated peas 
this wild type appears to be the same in all, and occurs continually as a 
“rooue.’’ It is easily distinguished by its “ vetch-like”’ growth and short 
curved pods. In further reference to Mendel’s theory, we find from 
examination that “blunt’”’ or “ square-endéd ”’ pods are dominant ; that is, 
if a pointed pod of the ‘Duke of Albany’ type is crossed with a square- 
ended pod of the ‘Ne Plus Ultra’ type, the result will give a dominant 
square-ended pod in Mendelian proportions. Harly-ripening and late- 
ripening varieties crossed together do not give some earlies and some lates, 
and some intermediate in season, but nearly all the produce will be late 
in ripening: here again Mendel’s law applies. Also if two early varieties 
are used in the cross, one would naturally expect the product to consist in 
the main of early-ripening seedlings, but in actual practice we find that 
this is not so; and for this reason it is necessary, if any useful results are 
to be obtained, to effect many crosses. 
To the fact that we use impure, not fixed strains, in our crosses—that 
is, seedlings of the second and third generations that are not fixed types— 
L attribute our deviations from Mendel’s law, and believe that it is from 
this fact of mixing impure bloods together that the greatest breaks 
are to be looked for. In peas, again, we do not find that the same cross 
effected several times gives each time the same result. For example, 
take ‘ Gradus,’ which was a seedling from ‘ Earliest of All’ @ x ‘ Duke 
of Albany’ ¢. This cross has since been made many times, but we have 
not yet found a pea exactly like ‘ Gradus’ in any of the crosses. 
The attempted cross-fertilisation of Lathyrus odoratus with various 
perennial species such as L. latifolius, L. grandiflorus, L. pubescens, 
has so far proved a failure with us, the pollen only being sufficiently 
potent to irritate the ovary without the formation of fertile seed. 
STRAWBERRIES. 
Our work amongst these has extended over a great number of years, 
the late Mr. Laxton having received his first certificate for a new straw- 
berry from the Royal Horticultural Society as far back as 1866. Since 
then we have duly effected and actually sown some 1,500 crosses. Taking 
an average of some twenty seedling plants from each cross, at least 30,000 
seedlings have passed through our hands during the last fifteen years. The 
actual cross-fertilisation of the strawberry is very simple. The bloom 
selected is opened in the bud stage and the anthers cut out, the pollen 
from the selected male parent is at once applied, and again twice after 
the bloom has expanded. This work is conducted under glass, and all 
insects as far as practicable excluded by means of tiffany fastened in front 
of all doors, ventilators, &c. The objects to be sought in crossing and 
raising seedling strawberries from a commercial point of view are many 
amongst the chief being ; 
. Constitution and vigour. 
. Flavour and quality. 
. Solidity and external firmness to adapt the fruit for transit. 
. Colour. 
. Size and appearance. 
Fertility. 
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