For a more thorough understanding of the depth of Mr. Gibson’s activities in Bud Selection, read the following 
scientific treatise from America’s most authoritative fruit magazine, the American Fruit Grower. Th is article written 
by Mr. Gibson, for the American Fruit Grower gives you in detail Mr. Gibson’s own explanation of the accomplish¬ 
ments of Bud Selection. 
Roy E. Gibson 
Director of Research 
Greenins Nursery Company 
Monroe, Michigan 
CHIMERAS 
PRONOUNCED (KI-ME-RAZ) 
AND “BUD SELECTION” 
By Roy E. Gibson, Director of Research 
Greening Nursery Company, Monroe, Michigan 
Note of Editor American Fruit Grower Magazine; 
Interest of fruit growers has been aroused during the past few years in Chimeras and 
Bud Selection for fruit improvement. The author of the article, Mr. Roy Gibson, 
Directoi of Research for the Greening Nursery Company, has spent years in research 
work on Chimeras and Bud Selection and is best suited to present this subject to Ameri¬ 
can Fruit Grower readers. 
/^"'OMMON methods of vegetative, or a sexual reproduction are based upon the belief that 
—' all buds on an original tree are of identical genetic constitution. This being true, '"like 
would produce like,” and varieties would reproduce their original characteristics indefinitely. 
However, the evidence collected by the Greening Nursery Company indicates that many 
original trees from which commercial varieties have sprung were in reality of mixed genetic 
constitution or chimeras. Propagation from these has resulted in orchards having mixed varietal 
characteristics of variety and limb and tree variations are the result of natural division or 
segregation of factors inherited from original trees. 
Occasionally a limb or tree is found where the division is complete. This we think of as a 
true sport. The progeny is stable. It reproduces true. Most variations are found as mixtures in 
which the division has notyet been completed. They are still in the transitional orchanging stage. 
Skill in selection comes from knowing transitional trees and 
choosing propagating buds from limbs that possess the more 
desirable characteristics. Variation occurs in all characters, in¬ 
cluding production, quality, size, shape, tree habits, color, etc. 
Most important is color and size. 
We recognized the fact that trees of the same variety were not 
always alike and that individual trees varied widely in their 
characteristics before starting individual tree performance records 
in 1917. The results were baffling inasmuch as certain trees were 
not consistent but grew both striped and solid red apples and 
apparently changed from year to year. Our first limb variation 
found in 1919 produced ill-shaped apples that seemed to be 
freaks. 
In the autumn of 1924 while making color observations in the 
orchard of Ballard Brothers at Niles, Mich., a McIntosh sectorial 
chimera was found that was divided similarly to the Chenango 
illustrated here. One sector comprising three-fifths of the apple 
was solid red in color and the other was distinctly striped. This 
gave us the clue. 
The tree was mixed. It produced both solid red and striped 
fruits. Two colors were growing together on one tree. Two 
kinds of living tissues were united in one plant. 
During the next two days 108 McIntosh trees growing in the 
orchard of T. S. Smith at Fennville, Michigan, were carefully 
examined. Sixty-one produced only striped apples. Sectorial 
chimera apples were found on each of the other 47 trees. Solid 
red fruits, greatly predominated but striped specimens were 
found on every tree. Stripped color limb sports were located 
and ma rked on 21 of the transitional trees. These observations 
were checked each succeeding year until 1933. Progeny tests 
were made by top-working at the Graham Experiment Station 
at Grand Rapids, Michigan. 
This orchard is typical of McIntosh apple orchards in every 
section of the United States and Canada which are made up of 
trees striped and transitional in various proportions, with an 
occasional tree or limb sporting to the red type. 
A similar condition is to be found in other standard varieties 
including Astrachan, Chenango, Cortland, Delicious, Duchess of 
Oldenburg, Hyslop Crab, King, Northern Spy, Shiawassee, 
Steele Red, Wealthy, Winesap and Wolf River. Some varieties— 
McIntosh, Snow, Northern Spy, Delicious, and Duchess of 
Oldenburg—have several different striped color types and more 
than one red type. The oldest orchards vary the same as the 
younger ones in color. 
6 
