96 



HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK. 



these studies it is evident that varieties are perpetuated true to type by cut- 

 tings through many generations. A single exception in the case of the tomato 

 entering to break the constancy of the results. Not only are general varietal 

 differences retained, but acquired characters also, temporarily, at least, as is 

 shown in the cuttings of grape, poplars, currants, etc., grown in Northern and 

 Southern latitudes. For a specific example of this, nothing could be more 

 conclusive than the results shown by New York grown potatoes, given one 

 season's outing in Maine, for, when brought back to New York the next year, 

 they retained their Maine tendency towards increased vigor and yield.* 



Trees propagated from fruitful trees are themselves more fruitful. Pota- 

 toes grown a year in the North become more prolific. Plants grown from 

 cuttings, taken from Northern and Southern grown parents of the same 

 species, retain the characteristics of their parents. What, then, should be ex- 

 pected from plants grown from blind and flowering wood? To anticipate the 

 results of the test I will state that they accord with and justify the logical 

 conclusion which would follow from the particular instances above set forth. 

 In this test rose plants propagated from "flowering wood" gave on the aver- 

 age 29 4/9 blooms per plant for the season, while the "blind wood" plants 

 produced 11% flowers per plant. 



DETAILS OF THE EXPERIMENT. 



In the Spring of 1897, when the time for making rose cuttings had ar- 

 rived, cuttings were made from both flowering and blind wood of each of the 

 varieties of rose then in the house. The cuttings were all made on the same 

 day, placed in the same cutting frame in contiguous rows. In all respects the 

 conditions for the several cuttings were as nearly the same as it is possible to 

 obtain in a greenhouse. 



On February 16 the cutting plants were examined and potted, with the 

 following results: 



Total No. No. No. 



Variety. No. Rooted. Calloused. Dead. 



Bride, flower 15 9 G 



Bride, blind 20 9 9 2 



Bridesmaid, flower 9 5 4 



Bridesmaid, blind 23 15 8 



Perle des Jardins, flower 15 2 11 2 



Perle des Jardins, blind 17 7 7 3 



Mme. Hoste, flower 13 5 8 



Mme. Hoste, blind 9 1 8 



Meteor, flower 18 11 3 4 



Meteor, blind 5 4 1 



From this it would appear that there is little difference in the tendency 

 to form roots between the cuttings made from flowering and from blind wood. 



From this time until the plants were set in their permanent places upon 

 the greenhouse benches (August 19, 1897), they were given like treatment. 

 They were grown in pots in a sunny greenhouse, and all received the same 

 number of shifts, and like attention in regard to soil, water and food supply. 



*See Ninth Annual Report of West Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station. 



