558 



HKKKDING 



BREVOORTIA 



greater number of cases were of hybrid nature as all 

 of these fruits are normally cross-fertilized and natural 

 hybridization is exceedingly common. 



The same may be said of most flowers, such as carna- 

 tions and roses, that are cultivated extensively for the 

 cut-flower trade. Practically all of the varieties are 

 unfixed hybrids. 



The selection of bud-variations. 



No consideration of the methods of plant-breeding 

 would be complete without a mention of the improve- 

 ments that can 

 be produced by 

 what may be 

 termed the selec- 

 tion of bud-varia- 

 tions. While, in 

 general, all buds 

 of a plant are 

 practically the 

 same, as is shown 

 by the fact that 

 buds taken from 

 the Baldwin apple 

 almost uniformly 

 produce Baldwin 

 apples, yet there 

 is considerable 

 variation fre- 

 quently in the 

 product from dif- 

 ferent buds, and it 

 is evident that 

 bud-variations 

 may be classified 

 like seedling-vari- 

 ations, into fluc- 

 t nations and 

 mutations or the 



649. Bud sport of Cupressus to fastigiate 

 type, with branch of similar fastigiate 

 variety on right. 



so-called bud- 

 sports (Fig. 649). 

 Hybrid plants also frequently, for some cause, show 

 segregations of characters in different buds similar to the 

 segregations shown in F 2 hybrid seedlings. It would 

 thus seem natural to suppose that these variations 

 could be utilized in producing new varieties much 

 as the similar types of seedling-variations are used. 



In violets, for example, the propagation is normally 

 by slips that are developed from different buds. These 

 slips when grown into plants frequently show consider- 

 able difference, and B. T. Galloway and P. H. Dorsett, 

 of the national Department of Agriculture, have 

 demonstrated that by the selection of slips from plants 

 which are very productive the yield in the number of 

 flowers to the plant can be increased considerably. In 

 the case of the orange, seedling trees are almost always 

 very thorny, yet certain branches may show a tendency 

 to be more nearly thornless, and by the selection of buds 

 from such branches the thorny character of almost all 

 the standard varieties has been reduced. By the sys- 

 tematic selection of vegetative parts, such as buds, 

 slips, suckers, and the like, in many cases very impor- 

 tant improvements could doubtless be secured, and the 

 plant-breeder should have a thorough understanding 

 of this method of improvement. In hybrids of mixed 

 parentage, frequently a bud on one side of a plant will 

 sport, showing different tendencies, and many of our 

 new varieties of roses, chrysanthemums and carnations 

 have been produced by the selection of such bud-sports. 

 Many standard varieties of carnations have produced 

 bud-variations that have proved valuable; the Lawson 

 has given rise to the Red Lawson and White Lawson; 

 the Enchantress has produced the Pink Enchantress 

 and White Enchantress. The practice of exercising care 

 in choice of chrysanthemum or carnation cuttings and of 



cions for fruit trees is, therefore, seen to rest on rational 

 reasons. 



Variations in the character of the seed from different 

 bolls, in the case of hybrid cottons, are frequently found 

 and may be of value to the breeder even in cotton that 

 is propagated by seed. In the study of cotton, similar 

 bud-variations have been found, showing in the lint 

 characters of hybrids. In a number of instances, 

 certain bolls have been found which produced much 

 longer lint than other bolls on the same plant, and simi- 

 lar variations in strength and uniformity of length have 

 been observed. Experiments indicate that such varia- 

 tjons, which are doubtless to be classed as bud-varia- 

 tions, are inherited in considerable degree. This being 

 the case even in seed-propagated plants, it becomes 

 desirable to observe and search for bud-variations. 



The importance of bud-selection in oranges and 

 lemons has recently been called to attention by the 

 investigations of A. D. Shamel, of the United States 

 Department of Agriculture. It has been found that 

 groves planted with the Bahia or Washington Navel, 

 which is grown extensively in California, frequently 

 show a number of different types with reference to pro- 

 ductiveness and form of fruit and that these conditions 

 remain the same from year to year. The same has been 

 found to be the case also in lemon groves, several dis- 

 tinct types not infrequently being produced on the same 

 tree (Fig. 650). These barren trees, and trees protlnciiiL' 

 poor fruit, greatly reduce the production of the grove 

 and in many cases are a serious handicap. Evidence 

 has been collected showing that when buds are taken 

 from productive trees of good type they may ordinarily 

 be expected to produce good types. 



In experiments which have been conducted during 

 the last six years in the selection of potatoes, it has been 

 clearly demonstrated that, in a family of potatoes 

 developed from a single tuber and thus positively known 

 to be pure, low- and high-yielding strains can be pro- 

 duced by selecting from low- and high-yielding hills 

 (Fig. 651). Such low- and high-yielding strains have 

 now maintained themselves for three years in over 

 thirty different cases representing work with eighteen 

 different varieties. 



The importance of bud-selection is only beginning 

 to be realized and further data is necessary before it can 

 be determined how important this is in different cases. 

 The evidence now at hand, however, clearly indicates 

 that this method of improving plants should be given 

 careful consideration. jj j WEBBER. 



BREVOORTIA (J. Carson Breevoort, naturalist, 

 Regent N. Y. State University). Liliacex. Differs from 

 Brodisea in the long-tubular and 6-saccate corolla: 

 stamens 3, with 3 broad and truncate staminodia: caps, 

 stalked. One species. 





650. Two types of fruit, good and poor, borne on same tree 

 of the Eureka lemon. 



Ida-Maia, Wood (B. coccinea, Wats. Brodixa coc- 

 clnea, Gray). FLORAL FIRE-CRACKER. Lvs. slender, 

 grassy: scapes slender, 1-3 ft. high, with 3-6 pendu- 

 lous tubular-saccate fls. 1-2 in. long, which are bril- 

 liant crimson-red, tipped with pea-green. N. Calif, to 

 Ore. in wooded foothills. B.M. 5857. G.C. III. 20:687. 

 Gn. 46, p. 503. The fls. are very lasting and beautiful. 



