1876 GKAFTING 45 



when you get it, or after potting, shows signs of 

 drooping, I should suggest clipping off the older 

 leaves to check evaporation : having found this a 

 good plan with beets, &c. 



In the same box with the hybrid there is another 

 carrot. This is for comparison, it having been from 

 the same seed and grafted (upon the crown) at the 

 same time as the originally red half of the hybrid. 



I am doubtful about the potatoes I sent. On 

 looking over a number of ' red flukes,' I find some 

 here and there are mottled. At any rate, I shall try 

 other varieties next year, and not say anything 

 about this doubtful case. 



I forgot to say that the hybrid carrot is the only 

 specimen of longitudinal grafting which I tried with 

 carrots, having been somewhat disheartened with 

 this method by the persistent way in which beets and 

 mangolds refuse to blend when grafted longitudinally. 

 There have thus been no failures with carrots grafted 

 in this way. 



If it is not too late, I may suggest that the 

 passage in the ' Variation ' about the deformity of the 

 sternum in poultry had better be modified. I have 

 this year tried some experiments upon Brahma 

 chickens, and find that the deformity in question is 

 caused by lazy habits of roosting the constantly 

 recurring pressure of the roost upon the cartilaginous 

 sternum causing it to yield at the place where the 

 pressure is exerted. The experiments consisted 

 merely in confining some of a brood of young 

 chickens in a place without any roost, and allowing 

 the others to go about with all the March chickens. 



