Report of the Horticulturist. 



To the Director of the Cornell University Agricultural Experiment 

 Station : 



Sir. — The activities of the year in the horticultural division 

 have been expended chiefly in two directions — in the study of 

 forcing structures and the growing of vegetables in them, and in 

 investigations of hardy fruits. The crops receiving special atten- 

 tion under glass are tomatoes — upon which two bulletins have 

 already been issued — lettuce, radishes, forcing cucumbers and 

 caulihowers. A variety of other crops have been grown inci- 

 dentally and some of them will be made special features in the 

 year to come. We now have unusual facilities for the study of 

 methods of green-house construction, as we have, in both the 

 experiment station and the university proper, ten glass-houses, 

 all dilfering in construction and exposure. Some detailed reports 

 upon them will be made as soon as funds for the purpose can be 

 found. A test of the comparative merits of -steam and hot wattr 

 for forcing-house heating was made duriug the ^vinter of l8yi-2, 

 and was published as Jitdletin 42. This investigation is continuing 

 the present winter. We are also continuing the experiments with 

 the use of the electric arc-light in the forcing of plants, a subject 

 upon which we have already made two formal reports (Bulletins 30 

 and 42). Two lamps are running at the present time. 



Our fruit iuvestigations have fallen largely in two dii'ections — • 

 the study of plums and of the brambles. A large bulletiu upon 

 the native plums and cherries (No. 38) was issued early in the 

 season, and one upon Japanese plums is now in course of preparar 

 tion. Upon the brambles, a bulletiu was issued last year devoted 

 to dewberries (iS'o. 34j, and Mi*. F. W. Card, FeUow in Horticulture, 

 is giving an entire year to the investigation of raspberries, black- 

 berries and dewberries. Our general fruit plantations, which 



