Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-08-29
APPLE BREEDING
HICHM0OR farm
Many Hundreds of Seeding
Apple Trees May Now Be
Seen at State Experiment
Farm


Orono, Me, Aug. 2S-The following
was made public today from the office
OF Charles d. Woods. director of the
Maine Agricultural Experiment Station
at the University Of Maine
The majority of people in the State are
familiar with the general orcharding
experiments conducted by the State Ag-
rjcultural Experiment Station at High
moor Farm. Outside OF those who make
a practice of visiting the farm relative
iy few know about the extensive apple
/! ried on there. This arises chiefly from
the fact that the results Of such breed
ing experiments come in very slowly and
until the results are secured there IS
little of interest that can be written.
The apple breeding work was started
In 1911, the second year after Highmoor
Farm was purchased by the State. The
work has been continued each year SC
that at the present time there are over
1900 seeding trees growing in the ex-
permental orchard and next spring
several hundred more win be trans
planted from the cold frames where the
seeds are started.
Practically all of the present CONNER
cal varieties of apples are the result
. of chance seedlings which someone
found growing by the wayside. Un.
doubtedly many excellent varieties orig.
| mating in this way have been overlook
ed because those who knew about them
had no special interest in growing ap.
pies. There is little doubt that if one
will grow to maturity enough seedlings
be will secure some excellent new varte.
ties. The long time that 1t takes to Sc
cure fruit from Seeding and the ex
pense for land and care make 1t i'm.
practicable for the private orchardisi
to undertake this work on large scale
, Such work can only be undertaken b,
, a state or federal institution whose life.
time is not limited to that OF the indi.
viduai
For the reasons given above practical.
/ " nothing is known about the inherit.
lance of various apple characters such
as flavor, hardness. color. keeping
qualities, etc. etc. From the genera
laws OF inheritance as worked out with
other plants and with animals we have
| every reason to believe that most OF
those chara cters are inherited separate.
" from the others. so that by making
the proper combinations and growing
! large enough numbers it would be pos.
sible to combine. say, the favor and col.
or of the Macintosh with the hardness,
disease resistance and keeping quail
ties OF the Ben Davis
The work now being carried on Al
Highnloor farm has Just such objects
as these in view. Each spring III
blooming time hundreds Of new
cross pollination are made In doing
this work it is necessary to take the
buds before they have opened and
cut away all tho yellow stamens
which bear tho pollen. The flowers
arc then bageed and left until they
would normally be in full, bloom. In
the meantime matured pollen Is
gathered from another variety
which it is desired to use as the male
parent in the cross. Al the proper
time the bag is removed from tho
cniasculated blossom and the new
pollen busted over it with sof'
brush The blossom is then rebagged
"ne tagged to indicate exactly tbs
r.cturc of the cross.
Under ordinary conditions rom |
s.: % per cent. Of the blossoms trci,;
ei IL this way, will set fart. This
f,uii Is harvested when mature INC
later tho seeds are planted in Tx
cola frame.
an exact record is kept shovinf
! thr parents Of every seeding Tire
results when they are obtained Vii
, enable us to find out something ahou
The inheritance Of certain che-at'ers
',-hen this is known it will ne ,,oss
! BE to undertake intellisently T.
h,eed exactlr the kind of IN appl
wanted. At the present time it 1, tn
" hit or miss We cross two are
is and hope that out Of the iarft
progeny we may get one or w.
| promising seedlings. ont " the man.
hundred seedlings growing at High
moor. some of which will beGil
! fruiting within the next wear IT tW c
we hope that few may be Nalua
! bic.
The great need for new varieties II
| this State is indicated by the recen
| discussion as to a substitute for tn
| Baldwin which is not hardy enoug!
| for our climate. The concensus o
opinion seems to be that at presen