394 GENETICS IN RELATION TO AGRICULTURE 
in respect to uniformity and in the extent to which this feature is trans- 
mitted to vegetative offspring. The experience of Tyson Brothers in 
Adams County, Pa., illustrates this point. They propagated 8000 trees 
with scions from two old trees of York Imperial apples which had been 
noticed because of their productivity and the uniformity in shape of 
their fruit. Unfortunately no scions were taken from average or poor 
trees, and hence there is no basis for comparing productiveness in the young 
orchard. Furthermore it is possible that these trees will exhibit less 
variation in form of fruits with increased age. But, as yet, so far as 
uniformity of fruit is concerned, the experiment seems to have been 
decidedly inconclusive. Progress with a similar experiment on the Ben 
Davis variety has been reported by Whitten. Scions were taken from an 
exceptionally poor tree and from another tree which produced the largest 
and best apples of its kind on the station grounds. Examination of the 
third year’s crop showed no perceptible difference in size, color, grade or 
quality of the fruit from the two lots of trees. In fact the average yield 
per tree was somewhat higher in the lot propagated from the poor tree 
than in the lot propagated from the superior individual. There appeared 
to be as much variation between individual trees in each plot as between 
the two plots. 
“Pedigreed’”? Nursery Stock.—In response to the growing interest in 
bud selection many nurserymen have taken advantage of the idea of value 
which is commonly associated with pedigree. The more conscientious 
ones have selected their scions from trees which they believe to be supe- 
rior, but a certificate of source is not a pedigree. This term, it must be 
admitted, has been used in scientific investigations of vegetatively 
propagated plants, where careful records were kept for a relatively 
large number of asexual “generations,” as in Stout’s work on Coleus. 
But no nursery stock now on the market is entitled to be known as pedi- 
greed and even though such stock may be produced in future years, 
the danger from misrepresentation, either intentional or unintentional, 
will be as great as ever. Coit has suggested that stock propagated from 
tested trees be known as recorded stock and recommends a simple plan 
by means of which Deputy County Horticultural Commissioners may 
officially seal and record each tree when it is budded. 
Bud Selection in the Potato.—No one doubts the occurrence of bud 
mutations in the potato. Numerous instances of the origin of new 
varieties as bud sports are on record. Yet there is considerable difference 
of opinion regarding the relative frequency of bud mutations in this 
species. Numerous investigations have been made on the improvement 
of the potato by means of tuber and hill selections. The most important 
papers have been reviewed by East and, more recently, by Stuart. East 
observed over 700 named commercial varieties during a period of 3 
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