AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH IN NEW HAMPSHIRE 47 



Muskmelon Breeding 



Considerable progress was made during the year in purihing early 

 muskmelons of l^igh quality which have perfect flowers. None were ready 

 to introduce for the current season. 



A. F. Ye ACER 



Induced Polyploidy 



Tetraploid plants that were made from crosses between Buttercup 

 Ciiciirhita max'nna and African Bell Cuciirhha Moschata produced no 

 viable seeds, although the diploid plants of the same cross gave good seed. 

 On the other hand, a cross between Buttercup and Butternut, also Cuciir- 

 bita Moschata, which was carried through the first generation in the 

 greenhouse produced no good seeds from diploid plants. Whether a 

 tetraploid of the same cross \\ould have been fertile was not determined. 



A. F. Yeager, L. p. Latimer 



Use of Apple Root Stocks 



A reasonably large orchard has been established using the various 

 mailing stocks of commercial varieties. Virginia crab and Florence crab 

 have also been used as body stocks and top worked to ordinary varieties. 

 With the xMcIntosh variety Florence appears to be superior, forming ex- 

 traordinarily good unions and making splendid growth. Mailing #4 

 used as an inter-stock appears to be of doubtful value because of lack of 

 winter hardiness. 



W. W. Smith 



Rubus Improvement 



About 800 seedlings resulting from crosses between varieties of 

 raspberry, blackberry and several other rubus species have been planted. 

 Successful crosses were made between both blackberry and raspberry, and 

 the wild species Riibus odaratiis, or flowering raspberry. 



A. F. Yeager, L. P. Latimer 



Watermelon Breeding 



A new variety was introduced for trial this year under the name 

 White Mountain. This is a very small fruited variety, about three pounds 

 in weight, which is characterized by extreme earliness, thin rind and high 

 quality. iMelons have been ripened in 65 davs from seed planted in the 

 field.  



A. F. Yeager 



Bean Breeding 



From some crosses made several years ago under the direction of J. 

 R. Hepler, two varieties of horticultural beans have been developed and 

 distributed for trial. These are characterized by unusually high seed 

 color and high pod color. They have been named Brilliant and Flash. A 

 small-podded, white seeded, green bean which may be suitable for whole 

 canning was distributed for trial this year for the first time. 



A. F. Yeager 



