INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON PLANT BREEDING. 425 



Vines of Vitis bicolor are said to have leaves more lobed or divided at all 

 ages than pistillate Vines of the same species, and this is discernible in 

 seedlings when the sixth leaf is formed. Professor Beach finds that in 

 Vines, Gooseberries, and Peaches large leaves and large fruits, small 

 leaves and small fruits, usually go together. In his experiments with 

 Apples there appears to be no constant relation between the colour of the 

 flowers and fruits, except that a large majority of the very pale or white 

 flowers were either Crabs or Russian Apples. One Crab recorded, how- 

 ever, had pure white flowers and blood-red fruits. Yellow Raspberries 

 have paler foliage than red or black, while purple Raspberries have a 

 distinct purple tinge on canes and foliage. Some white Roses, Pelar- 

 goniums, Cannas, Asters, and other flowers have paler foliage than those 

 of dark coloured varieties, but exceptions to this were found in perennial 

 Phloxes. Grapes with pale foliage do not have dark-coloured fruit, but 

 some dark foliage varieties may have white fruit. White-fleshed Peaches 

 have paler leaves and bark than those with yellow flesh. In Runner 

 Beans white-seeded races are said always to have white flowers, while 

 black- seeded races have strongly coloured flowers. Scarlet Runners have 

 reddish stems, while White Runners have light green stems. Beans with 

 spotted pods usually have spotted seeds. Potatos with green young 

 stems are said to have white flowers, and coloured stems coloured flowers. 

 In Carnations it is said that white, yellow, pink, red, crimson, purple, and 

 striped flowers have corresponding root colours. In conclusion, 

 Professor Beach quotes that in Peas, Mendel found white seed-coats 

 associated with white flowers, and grey, grey-brown, leather-brown (with 

 or without violet spotting) correlated with violet-purple flowers and 

 reddish axils. 



Variant Tendency and Individual Prepotency in Garden Vege- 

 tables. By W. W. Tracy, of Michigan. 



Mr. Tracy's long experience has enabled him to examine carefully 

 immense numbers of pedigree individuals of garden vegetables developed 

 under varying conditions, and has brought him to the following conclu- 

 sions : — 



1. Different plants of the same natural order tend to vary along 

 parallel lines ; e.g. fruits of certain races of Tomato, Pepper, Egg-plant, 

 and Potato are exactly alike in form. In such cases hybridisation is often 

 credited with variation which is due to this common variant tendency. 



2. The natural orders are distinctly but differently affected as to the 

 character of their seed product by conditions of soil and climate ; e.g. 

 Sweet Corn taken from the same ear planted under different conditions of 

 soil and climate will differ materially, while cucurbitaceous plants will 

 not. 



3. Cultural and climatic conditions are cumulative in their influence 

 and affect the whole species ; e.g. Runner Beans and Sweet Peas remained 

 climbers for many years, but within three years dwarf forms suddenly 

 appeared in several different places simultaneously. 



4. The variant tendency in a race is common to different stocks and 

 peculiar to each season ; e.g. in 1896 a distinct tendency to neckiness was 



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