I-:XPi:iMMK\T STATION REPORT. 495 



The color of the vinos was overlooked for the first four numbers. 

 It is observed that the color of the vine is associated with that of the 

 fruits — that is, for example, the light green of tlie plant is con- 

 nected with the cream-colored fruit, and, contrarywise, the dark green 

 with the yellow, with exceptions in many cases. Some rows are all 

 light ^een and have only cream-colored fruits ; others all dark green 

 and yellow-fruited. The rows carrying the cream-colored fruits show 

 very little stripes, while those with much j^ellow are more inclined 

 to have the stripes and to he long, or not flat. Thus the last row 

 (XXXIV.) had all its twenty-four vines dark green, yellow-fruited, 

 long ncc-k and warty, and row XXVI. had its twenty-four vines all 

 light green, cream-fruited, jug-shaped and warty. These results were 

 as anticipated, for the parents are much alike in each pair. It is 

 among the crosses of the "Scallop" and "Longneck'' that the associa- 

 tion of leaf and fruit color is most interesting. 



Mr. Owen, during the season, made a vast number of pollinations 

 among these crosses. At first suitable paper bags were employed in 

 covering the male and the female flowers upon the afternoon of the 

 day previous to their opening. This method had its disadvantages, 

 and for a time strings (wire lal^els) were used instead. This method 

 consisted in simply twisting the wire closely around the unopened 

 corolla toward nightfall to prevent the entrance of insects during the 

 few hours in the early morning, before the flowers could be hand- 

 pollinated. It was found that small insects would sometimes force 

 themselves through the folds of the corolla, and for ]>erfect safety the 

 bags, while less convenient, were again resorted to. The pollination 

 was made under the following rules: (1) Always pollinate vvithin 

 the cross and either (2) Ijetween two plants with the same t;\pe of 

 fruit or (3) within the same plant. By planting the mature seeds 

 from a. score of fruits secured by hand-working within the plant, it 

 was found that such seeds were viable. After this the pollination was 

 usually made between the two kinds of flowers upon the same plant. 

 In this manner a large stock of seed has been secured, by means of 

 Avhich it is hoped to finally obtain plants that will reproduce their 

 kind as perfectly as the ordinary commercial tyi>es of squashes. The 

 stability of form of the latter is largely a matter of keeping the seed 

 pure, and this is difficult and almost beyond the hope of the ordinary 

 grower unless the plantings are isolated and limited to one sort or 

 the flowers are purposely hand-worked for the necessary seed for the 

 next sca-on's use. 



