10(34 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



experience of the subject. The details and photographs in illustration 

 should certainly be published, as this particular field is one but little 

 explored. 



Mr. Booth gave an account of some very practical experiences on the 

 length of time the pollen of various Grapes will keep good, and in the 

 discussion others related their experience on the same subject in various 

 species. The matter is one of great importance to the breeder, and a 

 record of the many experiments communicated to the meeting would be 

 of value. It appeared that great difference of opinion existed, and it is 

 evident that diversity of conditions has a material influence. 



It is understood that the Department of Agriculture is instituting 

 systematic experiments in order to determine the best methods of preserv- 

 ing pollen of different species and varieties. 



Professor Norton described the beginning which the Washington school 

 has made in Oat-breeding, from which hereafter it is likely that such 

 results as Dr. Saunders has accomplished for Canadian Oats may ensue. 



A very interesting description of the progress made in Sugar-cane 

 breeding was read by Dr. Morris, C.M.G., of Barbados. The work has been 

 watched with a special attention in this country, and, as is well known, 

 much is expected from the West Indian experiments. Dr. Morris 

 illustrated his paper by a fine set of Canes, specially brought to New 

 York for the purpose. Several new seedlings have been raised and 

 distributed to planters, and strict tests are being applied to these novelties 

 grown on a commercial scale. 



Professor Bailey of Cornell, whose books are familiar to English readers, 

 gave an entertaining account of experiments made to determine the laws 

 of heredity and variation in Pumpkins and Squashes. The complexity 

 of the result had been such that Professor Bailey told the Congress he had 

 been led to one conclusion only, never to try again ! 



Among the practical papers one of the most important was that of 

 Mr. Munson, who showed some of the results obtained in Grape-breeding, 

 and the English representatives were enabled to form some conception of 

 the magnitude of the undertaking and the value of the Grape crop in the 

 States. 



Dr. Hansen described what is being done in South Dakota towards 

 producing fruit-trees suited to the peculiar conditions of that State, and 

 in particular of the steps he is taking with a view to the production of a 

 Plum which shall both endure the climate and be productive. 



The paper on Bcrberis hybrids by Mr. C. E. Saunders bore on a 

 subject which attracted much interest at the London Congress, when 

 Capt. C. C. Hurst exhibited his remarkable series illustrating the second 

 generation derived from a Bcrberis cross. We hope that Mr. Saunders 

 will follow Capt. Hurst in the attempt to express his results in numerical 

 form. 



Dr. William Saunders, who has taken the leading part in creating the 

 extensive governmental organisation for scientific agriculture in Canada, 

 gave a summary of the long series of experiments made by the experiment 

 stations under his direction. The value of this work is well known to 

 English agriculturists especially through the success obtained by the 

 Canadians in Oat-breeding. This, however, was only one of the many 



