The Middle West

The goal of the work at the University of Illinois has been better varieties that ripen earlier and later than Elberta in order to spread the period of harvest. Attention is given to hardiness, firmness of flesh, type of tree, productiveness, disease resistance, and dessert quality in the selection of parents for the different crosses.

The most promising selections—about 100 out of more than 10,000 seedlings that have fruited-------are given further tests in selected orchards in Illinois and in some Eastern States. Tests of storage and freezing qualities also are made of the most promising selections.

As a result of this program, which is under the direction of M. J. Dorsey, seven promising selections were named in 1946: Prairie Dawn, Prairie Sunrise, Prairie Daybreak, Prairie Rose, Prairie Schooner, Prairie Clipper, and Prairie Rambler.

Hardiness of the tree and flower buds to low temperatures is the chief objective in breeding peaches for Iowa. Several large yellow freestone selections resulting from fourth- and fifth-generation seedlings of Hill's Chili seem promising, and budded trees have been put under test. T. J. Maney, who was in charge of the peach breeding until his death in 1945, also obtainedseveral promising hardy yellow-fleshed peaches by crossing peaches with Prunus davidiana, although the flavor and the size of fruit are not ideal. Approximately 1,000 hybrid seedlings have been planted at the Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station; about 10 of them have been propagated for a second orchard test.

Objectives of the program at the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, under the direction of Stanley Johnston, are : To combine the excellent appearance and firm, fine texture of Redhaven in a series of varieties with larger size than Redhaven; to obtain in these new varieties a greater resistance to winter cold than is found in present commercial varieties; to originate a series of varieties having the characteristics mentioned above and ripening over a period of 5 weeks before Elberta and 1 week later, and to obtain superior clingstone varieties for use of the commercial canning industry in Michigan. Between the introduction of Redhaven in 1940 and the introduction of Fairhaven in 1946, none has met the standard the station has set for a new peach.

Peach breeding at the Missouri State Fruit Experiment Station, at Mountain Grove, is under the direction of P. H. Shepard. The principal objectives are: To obtain superior varieties with winter bud hardiness and late blooming; to produce early and medium-early freestone varieties that will stand shipping and that have good quality, production, and texture; to produce an early cling variety that has high quality, firmness, and attractive color; and to obtain better freezing varieties than are now available.

About a dozen medium-early freestone selections are now being tested intensively, and two, the Loring and the Ozark, both of which resulted from the crossing of Frank with Halehaven, were named in 1946. They are medium-early, firm freestones with good color, quality, and texture.

The Frank and Japan Giant Cling have been used extensively in crosses to obtain a better early cling variety. The Japan Giant Cling has transmitted its characteristic of high sugar content to all its offspring.