The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-08-10
RESISTANCE TO FROST.
VIII Selection and BreedInE Increase
1t In Plantsf

III IN fAAANht
One OF the marvels Of vegetation is
the difference in behavior of different
plants when subjected to frost. No
one can tell why pea plant will with
down completely a bean plant by its
side. But differences even further than
this are oftentimes noticed. and the ap-
parent freaks of frost are very COM
monty puzzling. 1t frequently hap
pens that in a field of beans or pota-
toes plants here and there will be left
unharmed. while others are killed.
Much of this may be due to varying
currents of air or conditions of soil
moisture, but that does not explain all
of the differences because it sometimes
appears between two plants standing
side by side. There is evidently an in
herent resisting power possessed by
some individuals to a greater extent
than by others.
Is this a characteristic which can be
perpetuated and intensified? Can we
by subjecting tender plants to frost.
selecting those which escape and con-
tinuing the process, develop a harder
race? This is one of the questions un.
der consideration at the Rhode Island
experiment station. Early in the spring
of 1899 three varieties of beans were
planted in hotbed. Later the sash
was removed upon a cold night, sub
jecting them to frost. Many of the
plants periShed, others We're badly
hurt, but survived, and few escaped
with little injury. The seeds from
these most resistant individuals were
saved. and with them the operation
was repeated in the spring of 1900.
The sash was first removed on the
night of May 10, on which night an
unusually hard frost occurred, the
weather being so cold that ice Of con
siderable thickness was formed in
many places. The weather records in
the village near by showed n tempera-
ture of 2S +. for that morning. Nearly
all of the plants lost their leaves, and
many were killed outright but a few
escaped with almost no injury. At
least one plant stood as though moth
ing had happened. This bein~ an I'M
usually hard freeze has given a severe
test, but only time can tell what the
ultimate effect of such selection will
be.
The behavior of strawberries result
ing from the freeze of May 10 and II
Is also interesting. At that time the
blossoms were not yet open. but very
many of the buds were killed, or, rath-
er, the pistil was killed. The stamens
and other parts of the flower remained
unharmed, the buds opening and
blooming as usual, with the exception
Of exhibiting black spot in the center
where the pistils should be. Marshall
and William Belt growing side by side
exhibit marked differences in behavior
though each has bloomed at about the
same time. so that this diff renee can
not be the result of the blossoms being
further advanced In one case than III
the other. All the @" -ly blossoms OF
Marshall were killed, while most OF
those of William Belt escaped. Nick
Dinner suffered nearly as much as
Marshall. Many wild strawberries III
the vicinity seemed to escape unhurt
though in a few instances blossoms
were observed which had been killed
Perhaps a 1udicious and persistent line
of selection and breeding might devel
op strawberry which would be large
ly resistant to frost.-Fred w. Card
Rhode Island Agricultural Experiment
Station.