EXPERIMENT STATION REPORT 209 



PROMISING CROSSES. 



1. ''Crimson Cushion-Ponder osa" (26/103). An interest- 

 ing type made its appearance in this cross represented by two 

 plants bearing medium-sized, long fruits which were of a strik- 

 ing pale green when immature and when ripe resembled the pink 

 "peach" variety. The interior was flabby but on account of its 

 color and good length it is reserved for further breeding. 

 Another promising plant was a heavy bearer of a uniform lot of 

 medium-sized, long, smooth, red fruits with a solid interior. 



2. ''King Hunibcrt-Pondcrosa" (64/103//103///64/103 ). 

 The "Humbert" does not reduce the size of the fruit in its crosses 

 to the extent of the "pear" and "plum" sorts but its tende-ncy is 

 to transmit the flabby interior so that, in the case of the above 

 union, the amount of "Ponderosa" blood was increased. The 

 past season gave twenty plants in this set with either pink or red 

 fruits, medium small and medium long, many being inclined to 

 the "fig" shape. The interior took on the character of "Pon- 

 derosa" with four or more cells, "Humbert" having but two. 

 Being further combined with "JMagnerosa" last year, the blend 

 plants of this season were very thrifty, medium early in season 

 and prolific, bearing rather small, long, pink fruits whose interior 

 was excellent. They need only an increase in size to make them 

 highly desirable. 



3. "Ponderosa-Sumatra Fig' (103//103/181). At least two- 

 thirds of this set showed a desired length combined with an 

 interior better than that of the "Fig." This is one of the best 

 combinations yet made in the effort to produce the ideal "goose- 

 egg" and, when united with other choice crosses, has yielded very 

 desirable fruits. 



4. " Ponder oSa-Sumatra Fig-Magnerosa-Glohe-Magmis" (103// 

 103/181///227//194/75). Plants of this complicated cross repre- 

 sent some of the best standard varieties on the market to-day. 

 The "Ponderosa" contributes the fine interior, while its flatness 

 is overcome by the length of the other sorts. Both pink and red 

 fruits resulted and all were either of the "apple" shape or long, 

 many approaching the "goose-egg" in form, falling short only in 

 size and interior. Ten of the fruits of this combination are 

 shown in the four-quart basket at i in Plate VIII. 



5. "Globe-Magnus" (ig4/ys)- This combination gave pro- 

 lific plants, many with good-sized, long, pink fruits and solid 

 meaty interior while the fruits averaged larger than the cross 

 preceding, as there was no blood of the "Sumatra Fig" to reduce 

 the size ; they fall below it in average length, however. 



