No. 2, March, 1921] HORTICULTURE 149 



973. Grant, J. A. Grading and packing fruit for market. Agric. Jour. [British Columbia] 

 4:358-359. 1919. 



974. Green, W. J., Paul Thayer, and J. B. Keil. Apples adapted for Ohio culture. 

 Monthly Bull. Ohio Agric. Exp. Sta. 5'" : 270-271. 1920.— A discussion is given of the varietal 

 characteristics and bearing habits of the Yellow Transparent which render it suitable for 

 culture in Ohio. — R. C. Thomas. 



975. Green, W. J., Paul Thayer, and J. B. Keil. Varieties of apples adapted for 

 Ohio culture. Monthly Bull. Ohio Agric. Exp. Sta. 5«: 180-186. 1920.— This is a discussion 

 of the relative merits of the Baldwin, Ben Davis, and Northern Spy varieties for Ohio cul- 

 ture. — R. C. Thomas. 



976. Hedrick, U. P. European grapes in eastern America. Proc. Amer. Pomol. Soc. 

 1917: 46-52. / pL, 1 fig. 1918. — A general account of the results of investigations at the New 

 York (Geneva) experiment station with Vitis Vinifera is given. In 1911 cuttings of one 

 hundred and one varieties of European grapes were obtained by the experiment station and 

 cleft-grafted below ground onto several different species of Vitis. During the seven fol- 

 lowing years, several unfavorable seasons were encountered. The grapes passed through 

 several very severe winters and some unusually hot, dry summers. The author states, 

 "These test seasons have proved that European grapes will endure our (New York) climate 

 as well as the native varieties except in the matter of cold, — they must have winter protec- 

 tion." Two methods of winter protection were used; some vines were covered with earth 

 while others were wrapped with straw. The earth cover proved to be cheaper and more 

 efficient. The vines are laid down and covered with a few inches of earth. Special pruning 

 practices are necessary, due to the necessity of laying the vines down in winter, and a prac- 

 tical system is explained. The growing of European grapes is encouraged, and a list of good 

 table-varieties is given. The author finally suggests that much more experimental evidence 

 and information concerning the growing of European grapes in this country is needed, and 

 exhorts different investigators to carry on experiments in this field. — E. C. Auchter. 



977. Heinicke, Arthur J. Concerning the shedding of flowers and fruits and other 

 abscission phenomena in apples and pears. Proc. Amer. Soc. Hortic. Sci. 16: 76-83. 1920. — 

 Studies made of the shedding of leaves, fruit, petals, etc., showed that such abscission was 

 due to the behavior of living cells near the base or at the node of the organ doomed to fall. 

 In flowers and fruits, which were allowed to abscise in a humid atmosphere, a band of glisten- 

 ing tissue appeared around the base of the pedicel one to three days before abscission 

 occurred. This band was the rim of a plate of cells that lie between the pedicel and cluster 

 base. Just prior to separation, the walls of two to six tiers of cells on the abscission region 

 gave a red color when treated with hydrcholoric acid, thus indicating that lignificationhad 

 occurred. Tests for reducing sugars showed a heavy but non-localized brick-red precipitate 

 both before and during the abscission process. Tests for nitrates showed no localization 

 with reference to the separation region. The same was true of iron compounds. Catalase 

 activity was especially marked in the separation zone. — Fruits doomed to fall, especially in 

 cool, humid weather, did not gain in size as rapidly as the others. They appeared to be more 

 matured, showing more of the normal color, and the flesh appeared and smelled more like ripe 

 tissue. Fruits which fell did not appear to have as high a sap concentration as shown by 

 depression of freezing point. — Flowers or young fruit injured by cold usually fall. Flowers 

 are often similarly influenced by nutritional conditions, as was shown by some nitrate and 

 sugar studies. Flowers with short stems did not set so well as those having longer stems. 

 When the fleshy portion of the fruit was removed, the stem abscissed. Flowers exposed to 

 illuminating gas fell off, and when fruit was coated with grafting wax, abscission generally 

 followed. It was suggested that severe root pruning in early spring might be a factor in the 

 abscission of immature fruits. — Water forced or pulled through twigs, spurs, etc., seemed to 

 check abscission. Nitrogen in the tissues appeared to be an important factor in delaying 

 leaf fall. This was shown practically when certain apple trees which had received an appli- 



