March 9 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKEr! 
162 
PREPOTENCY IN PLANTS OF LIKE BREEDING 
'I'he records of tests made by Charles Darwin about 
no years ago, to determine the effect of cross and self- 
fertilization in plants, give the most detailed account 
of the character of the production of a large number 
of individual plants of any with which I am familiar. 
In these Mr. Darwin noticed that in the sixth genera¬ 
tion of self-fertilized plants of Ipomoea there appeared 
one which he named Hero, which, though of the same 
breeding, was not only more vigorous than its com¬ 
panion, but showed in a marked degree the power to 
impart its characteristics to its descendants. This is 
the only case noticed, or at least recorded, by Mr. 
Darwin, but it seems to me that the published records 
of these tests indicate that there were several other 
instances of marked prepotency, but which were not 
developed by separate planting, as in the case of Hero. 
We have records of many later tests of the product 
of individual plants made by different experimenters 
for various purposes, and in many of these it seems 
to me that the differences in product have been at¬ 
tributed to various causes, when they were in reality 
largely, if not wholly, due to the varying degrees of 
prepotency in the plants experimented with. 
This quality seems to have been given little atten¬ 
tion by scientists, but seedsmen have come to recog¬ 
nize it as of the greatest importance, and to depend 
upon it, and line breeding from single plants of high 
potential power to establish any desired type. I can 
best illustrate not only the quality, but ihe practical 
use of it by an instance taken at random from a stock 
seed record which contains scores of such cases, some 
of them showing even more marked instances of indi¬ 
vidual plants having much greater prepotency than 
others raised from seed of the same fruit. In 1898 it 
was desired to establish a strain of forcing radish 
with a distinctly oval-shaped root, most of those cul¬ 
tivated as oval being too long properly to be called 
oval. To this end about one pound of seed of a stock 
which pioduced many roots of the desired shape was 
planted, and from the product about 5,000 plants were 
selected. From a careful study of these, an idea of 
the exact type desired was formed and recorded, with 
tne variation from this type which was permissible. 
With this record in hand, the selected plants were 
carefully examined, and 30 of the most perfect were 
taken and numbered from 1 to 31 in order of merit, 
though the lot were so unlike that it is questionabie 
whether if mixed, they would have been rearranged in 
the same order. These were called breeders, and from 
the remaining selected plants about 250 of the best 
roots were selected for seeding. The 31 breeders were 
set in a block, surrounded bj the 250 seeders, and al¬ 
lowed to produce seed, that of each of the breeders 
being saved separately, the remainder in a single lot. 
In 1899 the seed from each of the breeders from 1898 
was planted, and at the proper time the product was 
carefully examined with the i-ecord of the ideal type 
made the previous year in hand, and eight of the 
numbers, including Nos. 2, 5 and 11, thrown out be¬ 
cause their product did not adhere so closely to the 
type as did that of the mixed seed from tne 250 seed¬ 
ers. A careful examination of the remaining 23 was 
made, and of these one. No. 8, was selected as show¬ 
ing the smallest per cent of plants with more than 
permissible variations, and from it 36 were selected 
and numbered in order of merit as breeders of 1899. 
'i'hese were in a block surrounded by the very best 
roots selected from the other numbers, and the seed 
of the 36 breeders saved separately, while that of the 
other selected roots was saved in a single lot. The 
seed from these 36 breeders was planted in the Spring 
of 1900, and their product was carefully examined, 
with the result that 10, including 2, 6, 15 and 32, were 
thrown out because their product showed more varia¬ 
tion than the surrounding general selection, and No. 
16 and 33 taken as showing the least variation, united 
with high quality, and from each of these 10 breeders 
have been selected for next year's seeding. Selection 
was made from two plants to guard against an unac¬ 
countable stampede from the type which sometimes 
takes place, and only 10 breeders were taken, because 
the type is now fairly well fixed. It has been true each 
year, and particularly so the last, that the general se¬ 
lection of roots from all numbers has been rather bet¬ 
ter in quality than the breeders selected from a single 
number because of its general adherence to type: but 
it has also been true that the product of these breed¬ 
ers, even including the rejects, has been bettei- and 
more true to type than the product of the better roots 
of the general selection. 
It will be noticed that the plant taken for breeder 
was in no instance No. 1, though that, at the time of 
its selection, was supposed to be the best, and among 
the hundreds of plants of different varieties and spe¬ 
cies selected during the past 10 years as the mother 
of breeders. The quality of the parents, as indicated 
by its number, does not seem to have been a reliable 
indication of its ability to reproduce that quality in 
its descendants, and this ability is really the main 
thing to be considered in the establishment of any 
particular type. w. w. tu.^cy. 
A MICHIGAN HOME GARDEN. 
My garden contains, as every garden should, flow¬ 
ers, fruits and vegetables. As to flowers—those silent 
but eloquent witnesses of God’s love and care—I can- 
SAND OK WINTER VETCH. Fia. 67. 
not sufficiently admire their beauty, their fragrance, 
their varied forms and colors. Yet, with my limited 
time, I can raise but few varieties, mostly annuals, 
and of the somewhat old-fashioned kinds. I usually 
have, among others, the following: Verbena, poppy, 
pansy, Phlox Drummondi, Zinnia, snapdragon. Aster, 
NEW SURPRISE PEA. Fig. 68. 
candytuft. Petunia, forget-me-not, cornflower' sweet 
pea, larkspur, pink, cockscomb and balsam: also, 
hollyhock, peony, geranium. Crocus, tulip, Gladiolus 
and Begonia.- I have lately raised some very fine spe¬ 
cimens of the tuberous-rooted Begonia, and found 
them quite satisfactory. 
As to the fruits found in my garden, the so-called 
small fruits get most of my attention, and I grow, 
with varying success, currants, gooseberries, black¬ 
berries, raspberries and strawbeirics. Among my 
raspberries are such red* varieties as Cuthbert, Lou¬ 
don. King. Miller and Worthy: also, the tall-growing 
purple variety named Columbian. The most promis¬ 
ing blackcapfe are Gregg, Kansas,' Eureka, Hilborn, 
Munger and the new and large one known as the 
Cumberland, sometimes called the business blackcap, 
1 have only tested blackberries in a small way. Two 
of the new varieties seem to be of great promise, the 
Rathbun—which propagates from tips as well as suck¬ 
ers—and the Mersereau. I have also the new white 
blackberry named Iceberg, but it has not yet fruited. 
Strawberries get more of my attention than any other 
of the small fruits. My best varieties thus far have 
been Clyde, Eureka. William Belt, Brandywine 
Greenville and Haverland. I expect to fruit this year 
Maximus, Luther, Senator Dunlap, Carrie, .Johnson’s 
Early, Pennell, McKinley, Gladstone and Excelsior. 
The last novelty I have is the Rough Rider. 
My vegetable garden is generally well filled and, as 
far as home use is concerned, liberally patronized. The 
best varieties—those best for my purpose—are plant¬ 
ed; not in beds, but in long rows. My first plantings 
are early potatoes and, if I can get good plants, early 
cabbage. Next in order I put in an ample supply of 
Ihe old and reliable I.,andreth’s Extra Early pea, a 
variety which has always given me good returns. This 
l)ea is much hardier than the wrinkled marrows, 
though not so fine in flavor. Other peas I use are 
Nott’s Excelsior (very fine). Market Garden, Heroine. 
Yorkshire Hero, Telephone and Champion of Eng¬ 
land. The last two require bushing or a wire netting 
for support. Of cabbage my favorite sorts are Early 
Wakefield, Winningstadt, T^ate Flat Dutch, Drumhead 
Savoy and a new kind called Admiral Dewey. The 
last-named seems to be truly an all-seasons variety. 
It is an early, medium and even late variety. It has 
solid heads, is of fine flavor and very quick growth. 
The varieties of cauliflower that suit me best are 
Early Paris and Snowball. Cauliflower demands 
much moisture, and grows better when well earthed 
up. As to beans I have lately given up the pole va- 
l ieties, and get very good results from the bush or 
dwarf kinds. The Valentine, Refugee, I^andreth’s 
First in Market, Byer’s One Bean, and Wardwell's 
Kidney Wax are all good growers, and suit me very 
well. As to beans for home use I may add just here, 
that we cut up fine and salt down in layers all our 
surplus dwarf beans, either the green-podded or wax 
varieties, and we thus have, when freshened out, 
string beans all the year round. Those who do not 
know of this method will, if they try it, be well 
pleased with the result. Referring again to the Byer’s 
One Bean—a green, round podded variety—I find it 
to be an excellent sort, one that yields well, and cooks 
very tender. Its great peculiarity is that it must be 
planted at least one foot apart in the row, and even 
then the plant is so bushy that the rows will be well 
filled. As to dwarf Limas, I had very good success 
last season with Dreer’s New Wonder, and Dreer’s 
Bush (the latter a dwarf variety of the well-known 
Challenger), as it yielded with me last year, was the 
most satisfactory Lima bean, pole or dwarf, I have 
yet raised. It is productive, hardier than most Tfimas. 
and of very fine quality. 
Coming to root crops, my choice is Landreth s 
Hloomsdale parsnips. Eclipse and Egyptian beet, Dan¬ 
vers and Early Horn carrot, and Mammoth Sandwich 
Island salsify. Of cucumbers, I prefer Emerald Green 
and Fordhook Pickling; of squash. White Bush, Bos¬ 
ton Marrow, Essex Hybrid and Hubbard. As to 
melons, I seldom attempt to raise them, for reasons 
that will readily occur to anyone who knows the pro¬ 
pensities of marauding boys. My favorite varieties 
of tomato are the Enormous, Stone. Ponderosa, Beef¬ 
steak and I.,cmon Blush. One variety, sent me last 
season for trial, produced an immense cluster weigh¬ 
ing 15 pounds, and having on it 20 well-shaped fruits. 
Besides the vegetables already named 1 usually raise 
good varieties of onion (mostly grown from sets), 
sweet corn, pepper, egg plant, turnip and many kinds 
of radish and lettuce. I have raisqd spinach, but not 
in recent years. Celery and asparagus have not, with 
me, proved successful. [Rev.] .ioii.n tiUEGORY. 
Lenawee Co., Mich. 
liiiu' .since 1 saw an imiiiiry in 'I'lii: R. N.-Y. a.s 
lo what would keep mice I'rom gnawing harness. If the 
imiuirer will mix a iittle pine tar with his harness grease 
before appl.\ing it, 1 will guarantee that the mice will 
not touch tlie harness. w. s. K. 
iOvans City, ICi. 
"Why join the Grange?” is a not uncommon question 
among farmers. There are several reasons. It is the 
only National organization of farmers; it has done more 
lo secure State and National legislation in the farmers' 
interests than any other single agency: it helps fight the 
farmers’ battles; it affords the means for cooperation 
lor definite purposes, and lo secure certain benefits; it 
breaks up the isolation of farm life; it educates and 
entertains in a right and wholesome way; it broadens the 
farmers’ horizon and likewise his mental operations, and 
it assists in elevating him to his rightful place socially 
and edticatlonally in the community where he lives. 
