740 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



in the soil, espec-ially in hot weatlier. For tliis reason the antliors recommend 

 the use of plain cow excrement without the urine, to be worked into the soil a 

 month or two previous to setting the plants. The soil should be a rather stiff 

 garden loam, which has been preferably rested from cultivation for a season 

 under some shade plant such as cowpeas. 



In previous investigations conducted at the statioii in which chrysanthe- 

 mums and lettuce were grown on the same soil for 8 years, it was found that 

 although the soil was uot disease-infected the plants did not grow as well as 

 they should, notwithstanding the addition of lime (E. S. R., 20, p. 238). In 

 1907 the upper 6-in. layer of this old soil, which had previously formed a 

 solid bed 20 in. deep, was placed in a new greenhouse on a 6-iu. layer of coal 

 ashes. Chrysanthemums, lettuce, and sweet peas were grown on this soil and 

 on an annually renewed sod compost as ordinarily used for greenhouse work, 

 the old soil being fertilized each year. The results for a period of 5 years 

 indicate no material difference between the growth of the plants on the 2 beds. 

 It is suggested that in the old bed of earth which was 20 in. deep any in- 

 jurious salts or other matter that may have been carried downward immedi- 

 ately began to rise again as soon as evaporation at the surface commenced, 

 whereas when only 6 in. of the soil was used on the bed of coal ashes, the 

 injurious substances were washed down into the coal ashes by a hea\'y 

 watering. 



As tried for one season there appears to be no material difference in the 

 yield of roses grown in a house extending north and south and in one extend- 

 ing east and west. A test of sprinkling roses from overhead water inpes as com- 

 pared with the ordinary method of hose watering resulted in a considerable 

 increased yield for the overhead system, although it appears that hose watering 

 is more effectual in combating the red spider. 



[Keport on horticulture] (Philipinne Ayr. Rev. [English Ed.], 5 {1912), No. 

 1, Pi). 3t-oo). — An outline is given of experiments with fruits and vegetables 

 being conducted by the Philippine Bureau of Agriculture. 



Vegetable growing in Alabama, P. F. Williams and 11. M. Conolly (Ala- 

 batiui Col. 8ta. Circ. IJf, pp. Ji2, figs. S). — This circular contains popular direc- 

 tions for growing the more important commercial vegetables, as well as vege- 

 tables for the home garden and those which have hitherto received little atten- 

 tion in Alabama. The subject matter is based both on experiments conducted 

 at the College Station and on data collected in different sections of the State. 



Truck crop potatoes, T. C. Johnson {Virginia Truck Sta. Bui. 7, pp. 131- 

 15 'h flO'i- 6)- — A popular treatise on potato culture in the tidewater region of 

 Virginia. The phases discussed include soils, preparation of soils, rotations, 

 manures and fertilizers, seed potatoes, planting, cultivation, treatment of 

 potatoes for scab, spraying, harvesting, and marketing. 



Some preliminary tests were conducted at the Truck Station to determine tlie 

 relative merits of Virginia summer-grown, Virginia fall-grown, and Maine- 

 grown Irish Cobbler potatoes for seed purposes as truck potatoes. In the test 

 the northern-grown seed gave the best early yield but practically the same total 

 yield as the Virginia fall-grown. The summer-grown seed gave the smallest 

 yield throughout the test. It was also found impractical to carry Virginia 

 summer-grown seed through the winter for planting the following spring, 

 although it does appear feasible to hold potatoes which are harvested in the 

 late fall for planting the next July. In the latter case, however, " it is deemed 

 best to hold the crop in good root cellars until the middle of the winter and 

 then place in cold storage. They should go into storage before the eyes begin 

 to swell," 



