138 HORTICULTURE [Bot. Absts., Vol. IV, 



FRUITS AND GENERAL HORTICULTURE 



8S0. Ackermax, A. J. Two leafhoppers injurious to apple nursery stock. U. S. Dept. 

 Agric. Bull. S05. 35 p. PI. 1-5. 1919. — Two distinct kinds of injury to apple nursery stock 

 were observed by the author while working at West Chester, Pa. Investigations reported are 

 for work carried on at this place and in Western Maryland. Two species of leaf hoppers, 

 namely Empoasca mali and Em-poa rosae cause the injury. Complete history, range of dis- 

 tribution, food habits, life history, character of injury, natural enemies and remedial meas- 

 ures for each are reported. Data on successful spraying experiments using 40 per cent nico- 

 tin sulfate of varying strength with and without fishoil soap (2 to 50) are also given. A list 

 of publications on both species of leafhoppers is appended. — E. V. Hardenburg. 



881. Alderman, W..H. Fruit growing in West Virginia. Trans. Indiana Hortic. Soc. 

 1918: 145-147. 1919.— Popular. 



882. Aldermax, W. H. Is thinning fruit profitable? Trans. Indiana Hortic. Soc. 1918: 

 75-91, 176-177. 1 fig. 1919.— The author discusses the results of experiments on thinning of 

 apples in West Virginia. The experiments were begun in 1912 on the varieties, York Imperial, 

 Ben Davis, Rome, and Baldwin. The objects were: (1), to determine the effect of thinning 

 on the size and quality of the fruit of that crop; (2) to determine the best time to thin; (3) to 

 determine the effect on the next year's crop. The results over a 5-year period on a study of 

 41 varieties showed thinning to have a marked effect on the size of the fruit and it increased 

 the amount of marketable fruit. There was no influence on the quality of the fruit except 

 color. The color of the fruit was strikingly improved. The results also showed that the 

 cropping habit of the tree could not be varied very much by thinning and the evidence would 

 indicate that thinning of fruit had absolutely no effect of the crop of the succeeding year. 

 Furthermore, from the evidence at hand there was nothing to indicate that thinning the 

 fruit from the spur this year would cause it to fruit next year. The author states that the 

 best time to thin is just after the June drop, from June 15, to July 1. The most satisfac- 

 tory results in size and number of fruits per tree were obtained when the fruits were thinned 

 from 6 to 7 inches apart on the branch. The author also states that if trees are bearing heavily 

 and are not in the most vigorous condition, it will pay and pay well to thin for the sake 

 of the one crop, but it should not be expected that the thinning will influence the crop of the 

 succeeding year. — F. P. Cullinan. 



8S3. Anonymous. The new overbearing raspberry, La France. Florists' Exchange 48: 738. 

 3 fig. 1919. — Both fruit and foliage of this new raspberry, La France, were seen at the autumn 

 flower shows in New York. The writer, on October 10, 1919, saw 40,000 plants in the nurs- 

 ery and private garden of the discoverer. The canes and leaves are stiffer than those of the 

 Cuthbert, and have but few spines. La France sends out a great number of underground 

 stems from which heavy shoots spring, sometimes at a distance of 10 feet from the parent 

 plant, on which fruit is borne the first season. La France was fruiting heavily when seen, 

 though frosts the two nights previous had nipped all tender vegetation. The fruit is borne 

 in racemes, 1 to 3 feet long, on the under side of the tops of the canes. In one and the same 

 raceme were seen buds, blooms, fruit just setting, and green and ripe berries. The indi- 

 vidual berry of La France is about twice as heavy as that of the Cuthbert, and the drupes 

 from two to three times as large as those of other berries. The berry is deep pink in color, 

 juicy, and of delicious flavor. The owner stated that La France is a chance seedling, found 

 by him in 1913, and tested for 6 years. It has a long bearing season, from the middle of June 

 onward, and the autumn crop is heavier than the June crop. The canes of La France sur- 

 vived the winter of 1917-1* without injury, while standard varieties of raspberries and of 

 blackberries were killed to the ground. — L. A. Minns. 



884. Anoxymous. Trained fruit trees. Nation. Nurseryman 27: 157. 1 fig. 1919. — It 

 is possible to train fruit trees to grow on walls in America as in Europe, the climatic condi- 

 tions presenting no difficult ies. — W. N. Chit*. 



