EXPERIMENT STATION REPORT. 417 



which will be especially adapted to the soil and climatic conditions 

 of Rhode Island. 



So^^th Carolina. — The only work in the lines mentioned has con- 

 sisted in producing new varieties of cotton from artilicial cross-breed- 

 breeding and by hybridizing the Gossypium Barbadense and G. her- 

 barium. In both lines they have succeeded in producing cotton 

 superior to either parent. 



South Dakota. — Several hundred crosses were effected this year, 

 the work being outlined as follows: (a) Crossing of several Russian 

 wheats on fife and blue stems ; (b) selections from both the blue 

 stems and the fifes ; (c) the crossing of spelt and barley and spelt 

 and hard wheat ; (d) selections from spelts, oats, barley and corn ; 

 (e) the crossing of the two best varieties of field peas ; (f) the 

 crossing of our two most promising varieties of corn ; (g) work 

 has also been begun on clover, Turkestan alfalfa, about twenty 

 species of grasses and the species of salt bush. 



The lines of work in the Horticultural Department may be sum- 

 marized as follows : 1. The breeding of native fruits by selection 

 and crossing. 2. The breeding of apples and plums. 3. The 

 breeding of an extra early smooth tomato by crossing and selection. 

 4. Hardy stocks for the orchard fruits. 5. Cultural and variety 

 tests of vegetables and fruits. 6. Hardy hedge and ornamental 

 plants. 7. Forestry and tree-plants. 



Washington. — They have begun the improvements of wheat, both 

 by crossing and by selection, and are attempting to produce winter 

 wheats that will stand if on rich soil, will not shatter out with hand- 

 ling, have white grain, no beards, yield well, and resist bunt. In 

 selecting, they are working with two distinct objects in view ; the 

 first is to improve standard varieties ; the second is to determine 

 the effect of continued selection in any given direction. For the 

 latter, characters are chosen that easily show the effect of selection 

 when there are effects, such as breeding beards upon bald wheat, 

 and vice versa ; breeding rufus chaff from white, etc. 



Wisconsin. — They have been at work for several years past in seek- 

 ing to improve the varieties of the native plum, the apple, the Mis- 

 souri currant (Ribes aureum) and the dwarf Rocky Mountain cherry 

 {Prunus besseyii). They have also commenced some work with wild 

 black cherry {Prunus serotina). They are doing this work chiefly by 

 growing seedlings. In the apple they have planted selected varieties 

 in an isolated place, with the express intention of planting the seeds 

 from all the fruits that grow on the trees. In the native plum they 



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