66 MAINE STATE COLLEGE 



sorts valuable only for preserves or catsup. With this end in 

 view numerous crosses have been made, and the results obtained 

 are interesting and promising. 



During the winter of 1891-2 crosses were made between Igno- 

 tum, one of the most valuable market varieties, and the Peach, a 

 very productive variety of excellent quality but small and soft.* 

 Several plants resulting from this cross were grown in the field 

 during the past summer, and were highly satisfactory. The fruit 

 was in general not very different from the Ignotum, though 

 averaging smaller ; but the increase in productiveness was very 

 marked. Whereas the average number of ripe fruits per plant on 

 the pure Ignotum plants was but 18, that on the crossed plants 

 was 40. The average weight of individual fruits, however, was 

 but 3.3 oz. as compared with 7.5 oz. in case of the Ignotum. 



In another instance two flowers on one cluster of the Lorillard 

 were artificially pollinated — the one with Peach, the other with 

 Lorillard pollen. The products of these crosses were given the 

 same treatment throughout the season and were planted side by 

 side in the field. The plants were essentially Lorillard in appear- 

 ance, and the fruits as a rule were of this type, but some of the 

 fruits showed distinctly the effects of the staminate parent. 



The following figures represent very well the comparative yield 

 of the two lots : 



Lorillard X Peach 40 



Lorillard X Lorillard 13 



a 2 

 653 



02 IE 



teo 





Hi 



! 



< 



> 



< 







40 



8.1 



3.2 



Aug. 12. 



13 



4.1 



5.0 



" 23. 



The figures are significant. As will be observed, the individual 

 fruits of the cross with Peach are somewhat smaller than those of 

 the pure Lorillard — being about intermediate between the usual 

 sizes of the two parents — but the number of fruits is trebled, 

 while the average weight per plant is doubled. The date of ripen- 

 ing also is hastened by more than a week. The fruit showed little 

 tendency toward the peculiar roughness of the male parent. All 

 things considered this cross is very promising. 



* For description of these varieties see Rep. Maine Exp. Sta. 1891, pp. 91 and 92. 



