The following paper was read by W. Fawcett: 



NOTES ON PLANT BREEDING IN JAMAICA 



By "William Fawcett, Director of Gardens and Plantations, Jamaica, B. W. I. 



PINE APPLE. 



The smooth Cayenne pine is the favorite in the markets, because it is 

 an excellent fruit with a fine appearance. 



There is no doubt, however, that the Ripley has a much better flavor, 

 and many people in Jamaica will not eat any other variety. 



We have begun, therefore, experimenting in crossing these two vari- 

 eties, with the aim of getting a fruit with the flavor of the Ripley and the 

 showy qualities of the Cayenne. 



Prof. Herbert J. Webber, at the Conference at Chiswick in 1899, 

 expressed the opinion that the flowers were self-sterile, and this opinion is 

 confirmed by all the facts known. 



In hot-houses no seed is produced, unless cross-fertilization is effected; 

 but in the open fields in Jamaica, where humming birds can be seen prob- 

 ing the flowers, seed is frequently found and sometimes in great abundance. 



The fact that the flowers are self-sterile simplifies the operation of 

 cross-fertilization, as there is no need of emasculation. 



We have now 51 plants grown from seed produced last year. Forty- 

 three of these were from the Ripley, green and red mixed, fertilized with 

 pollen from the smooth Cayenne. 



Of these 43 plants, 33 have spiny leaves and 10 have smooth leaves. 

 Some of the spiny plants have nevertheless green leaves much like the 

 Cayenne, and some of the smooth-leaved plants have bright red leaves like 

 the Red Ripley. All the intermediate variations exist, no two being alike. 



Eight plants were the result of crossing the Porto Rico pine with the 

 pollen of the Ripley. Two are like Porto Rico, 3 like Red Ripley, 1 like 

 Green Ripley, and there are 2 smooth-leaved plants. 



We have, also about 2,000 seedlings from this year's plants, but they 

 are still too young to show characteristic leaves. 



BANANA. 



If the flowering stalk is examined in the embryo condition in the stem, 

 it will be found that the flowers are arranged in clusters disposed spirally 

 round the axis. The clusters at the base of the stalk become the "hands" 

 of the fruiting bunch. It will also be found that the flowers in different 

 regions of the stalk vary in the proportion of the length of the ovary to 

 that of the rest of the flower. In those clusters which eventually become 



