EXPERIMENT STATION REPORT. 503 



EXPERIMENTS 'WITH ONIOVS. 



In the spring of 1904 onion sots of the ''White Globe," "Yellow 

 Globe" and "Red Globe" were obtained from a seedsman making 

 a specialty of growing pure strains of this vegetable and were 

 planted in double rows so that the flowers of two' varieties eould 

 be easily cross-pollinated. "Suspect" seed was obtained as fol- 

 lows: "White" upon "Yellow," "Eed" upon "White" and "Red" 

 upon "Yellow." From this "suspected" seed bulbs were obtained 

 in 1905, and these have been groAvn for seed the present season. 

 The flower "balls" were covered with large paper bags before 

 blooms appeared and removed after the seed had set. This seed, 

 resulting from fertilization within the plant, may be the starting 

 of new types of onions. 



From commercial onion sets of "Michigan Red" aud "South- 

 port Yellow" "suspect" seed was obtained as follows: "Red" upon 

 "Yellow" and "Yellow" upon "Red." 



These last-named bulbs were grown alongside of the set pre- 

 viously mentioned, but they were much smaller in flower stalk and 

 cluster than those of the home-grown bulbs. 



Seed onions were obtained for further breeding of the "Michi- 

 gan Yellow Globe," "Southport Red Globe" and "White Globe." 

 Wliile the soil is not of the best for onions, there are certain plots 

 in the Gardens that will permit of the breeding of this vegetable. 



EXPERIMENTS ^WITH ORNAMENTAL PLANTS. 



A small portion of the Gardens was devoted to ornamental 

 plants, with which some attempts were made in breeding. 



Antirrliimnn (Snap^Dragon). — The "Dwarf White" and 

 Standard Red" were grown with the object of crossing the two. 

 Th.e dwarf fonn with its compact growth and showy flow^ers makes 

 a desirable bedding plant and continues blooming until late fall. 



Dolichos. — Four varieties of this flowering bean were grown, 

 "Giant Crimson," "Dwarf White," "Purple Soudan" and "Stand- 

 ard White." "Purple Soudan" difFers from the "Giant Crim- 

 son" in its dark stem and foliage, darker flowers and purple pods ; 

 the "Giant Crimson" comes into bloom earlier. For early bloom 



