Breeding Better Fruits and Nuts 



By A. F. Yeaeer and E. M. Meader* 



THIS bulletin covers the breeding work with fruits and nuts of the Horti- 

 cultural Department from 1950. when Station Bulletin 383 was issued, 

 until 1957. The cooperation of many persons has made possible the develop- 

 ment of the new improved varieties. Breeding of strawberries was done by 

 L. P. Latimer previous to 1950. The varieties. Blaze. Strafford, and Jamberee 

 tfiat resulted and which have been named since 1950. are included for com- 

 pleteness. A. F. Yeager has assumed leadership in the raspberry breeding, 

 while E. M. Meader has taken the lead in blueberry breeding. Selected plants 

 oi the improved kinds are tested both by other experiment stations and 

 growers skilled in handling a certain crop before being introduced as a 

 new variety. When a new variety is officially named and released, propaga- 

 tion material is supplied to cooperating nurserymen and plant growers for 

 increase. They make the variety available to the general public since the 

 New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station does not maintain a com- 

 mercial nursery. 



Apple Breeding 



Apple breeding was begun at the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment 

 Station in 1942. First, Northern Spy was pollinated with Macoun and second. 

 Winter Banana was pollinated with Mcintosh. The second cross was con- 

 sidered the most promising for the origination of a variety having the tree 

 shape and size of Winter Banana, annual uniform fruit crops, long-keeping 

 fruits, and the high edible quality of Mcintosh. Five hundred seedlings were 

 set in the field in the spring of 1943. The first eliminations from this block 

 of seedlings were made for suscepti- 

 bility to cedar rust and about one-half 

 of them were removed. Of the remain- 

 der, only the vigorous plants were left 

 to fruit. The first selections were tag- 

 ged in 1954. Since then NH #8, a 

 seedling from Winter Banana x Mc- 

 intosh, has been propagated to a 

 limited extent for further testing. NH 

 i^8 has solid blush-type red fruits of 

 Winter Banana size and shape. The 

 firm hard apples ripen later than Mc- 

 intosh and keep well all winter in 

 cold storage. The fruits have some of 

 the flavor of Mcintosh but are firm 

 in texture. The original seedling tree 



New Hampshire No. 8 apple, from a 



cross between Winter Banana and 



Mcintosh. This is a late-keeping, red, 



firm, regular cropping variety. 



* Dr. Yeager is Horticulturist and Mr. Meader is Associate Horticulturist in the 

 Agricultural Experiment Station. 



