Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1871-08-12

'' WV. "ho ~ tilitl IL WIS lIt pTOU-
net of II single kernel he "should have
thought there were several varieties of wheat
mixed together. In the Second and M,rd
generations OF the crosses or hybrids no bet
ter results can be expected Last wear among
II large number of crossed seedlings between
the Gen. Grant and the Keyes tomatoes, on
my own ground, the greatest uniformity pre-
vailed the foliage of I'LL rescmbled that Of
the ten. Grant This year many of their
offspring have the broad leaf of the mother
form.
With our half dozen species of native
grapes to build upon, and especially with the
great advances already made by chance
seeding. cultivation and crossing, the posi-
bile perfection to which this fruit may be car
RED in this country lies fur beyond our Wild
est dreams. SO. too, of our gooseberries, of
which we have four wild species. So many
have the English produced from single spe-
cies that the lists of the Lancashire nursery
men have included 200 named kinds.
Among flowers none ever offered more in
viting field than does the lily mt the present
time. Out of Japan have not yet ceased to
come wonders, and every quarter of the globe
sends its peculiar species From the blending
of these, and the work is well begun.-shnll
come such matchess grace, and beauty, and
fragrance, as shall forever enthrone the lily,
queen of flowers.
The potato, because the results are imme-
,ti'tte, and because OF it, high Importance a.
II staple crop, offers the hybridist Il most in
vlting field for experiment. The belief, that
some advantage might still follow from con-
tinuing the course of seeding so correctly
laid out by Mr.. Goodrich and successfully
followed up by Mr.. Breeze, prompted me to
undertake the crossing of the Early Rose with
several other good sorts. To raise seedlings
from that variety artificial imprcgnation is
necessary, unless dependence be placed upon
the chance offices of the insects by reason of
its sterility induced by abortion Of its.pollcn,
II result | have attributed to the abruptly
changed conditions of life affecting its par
ents, or to crossing. | performed the-Opera-
ton OF crossing in the summer of 1869, and
about the Goth of April, 1870, sowed my seed
in hot-bcd. The last of May following, the
plants, some eighty in number, were trans
planted to rows in II potato field, and set
about two feet apart in the rows. No ma
nure was used in preparing the soil, as it had
been enriched the previous year, and the
plants only received. in common with the
rest of the field. dressing of ashes and
plaster. Fora while the plants held doubt
full struggle with the drouth, but eventually
they reached full development, showing bios
som-buds, though these were blasted by the
heat. The vines presented every diversity
of form, size and color; some We're dwarlish
and only attained the height of ten inches,
while Others branching fully spread two or
three feet in every direction. The entire
habit of some was similar to that of the EARLY
Rose, while others resembled their male par
ents. But every intermediate form was ex-
hibited. The dwarfs began to ripen their
tops August 10th. (some time before the
Early Rose turned ycllow,) and they yielded
from one to two pounds. These were found
among the crosses with Early sorts, us the
Sebec. Their product was doubtless much
lessened by the severe drouth of the season,
since the standard early sorts We're but IL
light crop. Those ripening through Septem-
ber averaged between two and three pounds.
In the early part part of October, four pounds
was sometimes attained, and by the 18th,
more than five was not uncommon. On the
night of the eth of October the vines of those
that remained (mostly crosses with late
kinds, us Excelsior and White Peach Blow,)
were cut down by frost. Some of these plants
yielded six pounds and upwards and the