116 



MAINE >TATE COLLEGE 



The Ignotum- Peach cross7showed a similar falling off in the 

 second generation. *as shown below. 



Ignotum x Peach. 



o © a 



if =.':- -_ 



111 



sic 

 si 



teg 00 



> 53 C 



5? a 7 

 < = o < i 



First generation . . . 

 Second generation. 



1?1 



lO? 



30.3 

 17.4 



51 



3) 



As will be seen there is a falling off of nearly forty-four per cent 

 in the total number of fruits borne. It is however quite possible 

 that the conditions under which/ the parents were grown in the two 

 generations may account for some of this variation. 



The original parent was grown in the house and was specially 

 cared for. The plants from which the "'second generation" in this 

 trial came, were given ordinary field culture, though the ground 

 was rich and the plants were well cared for 



\Ve know that conditions of growth during a single generation, 

 exert a marked effect on the vitality of seeds. This influence, 

 extending further in the life history of the plant, may determine 

 to a certain extent the character of any strain. In this way it 

 would seem possible that t by forcing plants to early development in 

 the house and by limiting the amount of fruit borne for a few gen- 

 erations, astrain of unusual vigor may be produced. This ques- 

 tion is receiving attention in our houses at the present time. 



The result obtained from crossing the Lori! lard- Currant hybrid 

 described in our last report,* with the female parent — Lorillard — 

 promises valuable results. Naturally the number of fruits is 

 reduced, but the size is fully doubled, while the quality is much 

 improved. 



5. Varieties : The[tomatoes were started in the forcing house 

 March 27th. All varieties were given the same treatment while in 

 the house and were transferred to the [open field June 1st. The 

 first ripe fiuits were found July 25th, on Golden Ball and Long 

 Keeper. Two /lays later one or more fruits were gathered from 

 Aristocrat, Great B. B., Ithaca and Maule's Earliest. 



^Report ilaine^Experiment Station,£1892, page 68. 



