34 EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 354 



Variety Trials 



Among the newer apple varieties worthy of consideration by New 

 Hampshire growers are Prairie Spy and Kendall. In observing the rem- 

 nants of old orchards in the northern part of New Hampshire, it has been 

 noted that the Peach apple seems to be the most persistent. It is a fairly 

 good-quality early apple, and for that section might well again be propa- 

 gated and distributed. 



Of the relatively new grape varieties Kendaia. Fredonia, and \'an 

 Buren are outstanding for winter hardiness, vigor, and production. All 

 of these ripen earlier than Concord, and may be recommended as a worthy 

 substitute for Concord in most areas of New Hampshire. While Buffalo 

 and Brockton are high in quality, they have not thus far withstood New 

 Hampshire winters .very well and probably can not be recommended. Of 

 the varieties from the ^Minnesota Experiment Station, Bluejay, Red Am- 

 ber, and Moonbeam have proven to be winter hardy, but are not of the best 

 quality. Bluebell has not withstood the winters well at Durham up to the 

 present time. 



Among the newer plum varieties, Underwood and Superior have made 

 satisfactory crops of good-quality fruit. 



A. F. Yeager. L. p. Latimer 



Breeding Work 



Hybrids between the native wild (F. virginiana) and cultivated ^■a- 

 rieties of strawberries as well as wild types were highly resistant to winter 

 injury in 1943-44. Cultivated varieties and crosses between them were 

 uinter-injured more or less severely at the roots. Some were entirely 

 killed. This came as a result of sub-zero weather without snow cover early 

 in December. Out of several thousand seedlings which have been grown, 

 the number has now been reduced to less than 50 for continued study. 



L. P. Latimer 



Breeding work with raspberries and blackberries and their relatives 

 is being continued. Crosses have been made between wild thornless black- 

 berries {Riihiis canadensis) and some of the cultivated types to try to de- 

 velop hardy blackberries of good quality and without thorns. Successful 

 crosses have also been made between Bakeberry from the Bay of Fundy 

 and Taylor raspberry, also between flowering rasplierry ( Riibiis odoratus) 

 and both lilackberries and raspberries. Plants of this latter group are more 

 or less sterile. About 1000 raspberry seedlings are being grown for the 

 purpose of producing hardier red raspberries, and, if possible, an early 

 everbearing raspberry which might ripen enough of its crop to be of value. 



A. F. Yeager 



Selections of especially good wild blueberries of the half-high type 

 have been moved into cultivation, and the crosses between selected wild 

 lowbush blueberries and the better cultivated highbush variety have been 

 made and are now growing. Furthermore, some of the best of the low- 

 bush plants have been marked for testing under propagation on land which 

 it is desired to replant to lowbush blueberries. 



A. F. Yeager. \V. W. Smith 



