Report of the Botanical Department. 



Byron D. Halsted, Sc. D. Earle J. Owen, M. Sc. 



B. H. Alfred Groth, Ph. D. Mary Robinson, Ph. B.* 



The investigations in the above department during the past 

 year, in a general way, may be grouped under the following- 

 projects :- — I, Plant Heredity; 2, Plant Toxicology; 3, Plant Sap 

 Circulation ; and 4. Plant Shading. 



I. Plant Heredity. — Inheritance in plants is being studied 

 in the following truck crops : — beans, corn, eggplants, okra, 

 peas, peppers, squashes, and tomatoes. 



In continuation of the work begun under the Hatch Act, some 

 attention has been given to promising sorts that were in the 

 process of becoming fixed, but the chief effort has been to lay 

 a foundation for the determination of rules of inheritance that 

 may be of general application. To this end during the past 

 year, special emphasis has been laid upon the behavior of tomato 

 crosses in their first generation. The types selected have been 

 bred reciprocally with each other and the plants extensively 

 studied from seedlings to full maturity. Seed has been saved 

 for a similar investigation of the plants of the second genera- 

 tion. In this connection, for example, a microscopic study of the 

 fruit skins of the various tyj>es of tomatoes has been made and 

 the results published."^ 



Considerable space has l>een given to eggplants, both in crosses 

 of several generations of the "American'' sorts and also the 

 hybrids with the "Chinese" species. 



In a similar manner, the work in breeding beans, both among 

 crosses and hybrids has l>een prosecuted. 



A somewhat extended study has been made of the leading types 

 of peppers as a foundation for an investigation of crosses that 

 have been secured between them. A comprehensive knowledge 

 of the subject as represented by the commercial plants and their 



•Began September 1st. 



+ Structure of Tomato Skins." Bulletin Xo. 228, pp. 20. plates S, bv Dr. B. H. .\. 

 Groth. 



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