HORTICULTURE. 141 



flinty grains to reproduce tlieir kind. Tlie opinion is advanced that tlie tend- 

 eucj- to produce starch is neither an ear characteristic, as is the color of the 

 cob, nor a grain character, like the color of the grain, but takes an inter- 

 mediate place between them. Malakosby white grains and pinkish grains were 

 again tested. The white seed bred true, while of the pinkish seed, one-half 

 of the resulting ears were pinkish and one-half were white. Iowa Silver Mine- 

 Country Gentleman cross proved its superiority over ordinary sweet corns by 

 malving a good crop of ears under bad conditions, such as poor soil and a dry 

 season. 



When the Pride of Nishua, a large field variety of dent corn with reddish 

 cob, was crossed with white cob varieties of sweet corn, the redness of cob of 

 the former variety appeared to be transmitted as a dominant Mendelian 

 character. 



The effort to produce a tomato of marketable size with a long axis and a 

 seedless, fleshy interior, was continued, and it is thought that the desired form 

 of tomato is nearly realized. An attempt is also being made to eliminate the 

 •glands upon stem and foliage which yield the i-ank-smelling exudation common 

 with ordiuarj- kinds of tomato plants. Notes are given on the structure of 

 the tomato flower cluster and the tomato calyx. 



The work with eggplants is largely with hyl)rids of American and Chinese 

 species, in the hope of developing a fruit of marketable size with a firm flesh 

 that will neither shrivel nor decaj' in the short period which suffices for the 

 destruction of the ordinary kinds. In addition to notes on the newer ci'osses, 

 a study with tabular data is given of the characters of hybrid fruits. 



The breeding work with beans was continued along lines previously noted. 



The newer investigations with squashes have to do with studies of trans- 

 mitted characters and correlations l)etween characters. The study of crossing 

 and continued selection to establish the cross has now been carried through 4 

 years of selection. A list of crosses is given showing the stages of variability 

 throughout the 4 years. Biometric records are given of the parents and 

 blends, both for winter and for summer squashes, together with observations 

 drawn from the study of blends with their parents. 



Similar character studies are reported for peas and peppers. 



Report of the horticulturist, M. A. Blake and A. J. Farley (Xcw Jersey Stas, 

 Rltt. 1908, ijp. 'i3-53, 56-61, 63-86, pis. 13, dgms. 4). — This includes a progress 

 report on the peach investigations being conducted at High Bridge and Vine- 

 land, the long-continued fertilizer experiment with apples, strawberry tests, 

 and asparagus breeding work (E. S. R., 19, p. 1037). Experiments with roses 

 have been taken up in which two kinds of soils, nitrogen in five different forms, 

 and various amounts of potash are being compared. An experiment was also 

 begun to determine the proper jiroportions of sand and compost to add to red 

 shale soil to secure the best returns in growing carnations. 



The data and discussion relative to the experimental peach orchards have to 

 do with the operations of pruning, fertilization, spraying, cover cropping, and 

 general orchard management, including figures on the cost of the various 

 operations, and on the annual growth made by the trees during the season of 

 1907. The total expense of the High Bridge orchard for the three seasons 

 ending in 1908 has been 47 cts. per tree. During the past season the Vineland 

 orchard was enlarged to over 1,000 trees. The details of the work in estab- 

 lishing this new section are given. 



The various row systems of planting and training strawberries are discussefl. 

 A number of varieties of strawberries are being tested preliminary to further 

 investigations. Data are given showing the names of the varieties, the dates 

 of the first, the heaviest, and last pickings, and the total yield per row in 

 grams. 



