TESTING, digging up and throwing away seedling currants have been my experiences for years. It has been rather discouraging work, but the student of plant life knows how firmly fixed in their habits our common fruits seem to be. Indeed, it is well that they are so fixed, for reversion and deterioration under ordinary cultivation are thus happily prevented.

I find that the vital point in improving plants is to raise the seedlings under the best possible conditions. For if the young plants are started into existence under ordinary circumstances there will be no cause for any variation, and the plants will simply repeat the parent forms.

My observation is that there is less tendency to sport in currant seedlings than in anything I have ever grown ; and there is little or no tendency to reversion. Nearly all the seedlings are as good as the parent forms, except in the case of Fay. The fruit of the seedlings of this variety is not so large as that of the parent plants ; and there is a curious fault of Fay's currant that does not seem to repeat itself, generally, in the seedlings, namely, the tendency of the stronger growing shoots that come up from the bottom to become loosened by the wind or by handling. This same defect is also seen in the old Cherry currant, which I think is the parent of the Fay. I also find that nearly one-half of the seedlings of Fay bear white fruit.

Grape seedlings upon my grounds come as albinos in about the same proportion, and the strong shoots on some of the seedlings have a tendency to become loose and easily detached. I have not observed either of these peculiarities in wild plants.

The seedlings of most of the currants are stronger and more vigorous than their parents. There seem to be two causes for this result. In the first place most of my seedlings have been artificially cropped, and some of them are real hybrids. Second, I think the old sorts have more or less run out.

The Crandall currant seems to be a sport of the old Missouri currant, and it is not so fixed in its habits as most of our older currants. I think it is of little value, except perhaps for hybridizing. I do not desire to convey the impression that there is no hope in new seedling currants, or in the labors of the hybridist. This is not in accordance with my observation. But the work must be better done, the subject more carefully studied, and the materials for experimentation more closely sought out. All my work heretofore has not been in vain, though most of it certainly has been. I have two white seedlings, saved out of the hundreds thrown away, that show improvement. One is like White Grape in every respect, except that the fruit is decidedly larger. The other is similar, but its distinctive feature lies in the foliage. For some unknown reason this does not seem to be relished by the worms. Perhaps this variety is a cross with the black, or the Missouri currant, although no other trace of that variety can be seen. I have both upon my grounds, and have several times attempted to hybridize them. But the pregnant fact, nevertheless, is that the foliage of this variety seems distasteful to the worms, and they let it severely alone.

I intend to have this variety tested by some of our leading nurserymen, under other conditions, and if it continues to be so near worm-proof in other places, I shall feel that my long task of attempting to improve our currants has not been in vain.

Fay is somewhat deceiving. It has the largest berries, but these contain really less pulp and juice than some other currants. The seeds are more numerous, and as large again as those of other varieties, and it consequently makes less jelly than do the smaller currants. The unusual size of Fay is largely due to its unusual development of seeds. There are twice as many seeds in the Crandall currant as in ordinary varieties, but they are not so large as those of Fay. The skin of the latter is also rather thick, so it will be seen that there is little room for pulp, and pulp, not skin and seeds, is what is desired.

The Crandall currant ripens at the wrong time of the year, during the raspberry season. But its flavor is better and more fruity than that of the common black currant. The berry is about the size of Lee and the clusters are emaciated, like its supposed parent. It may yet prove useful in hybridizing.

New York. D. S. Marvin.

Aurantium Pomelo.