HORTICULTURE. 237 



successive crops being formed ou nt-w growth until June or July when the 

 fruit was liei)t piclied. Fruit bearing then ceased until the latter part of 

 October when tlie main crop was borue, after which the plant usually died. 

 With plantings made from May to August no fruit was borne until the main 

 crop was produced in October and November. The grapes in the station vine- 

 yards continue to make excei)tional growth, the tendency being to produce 

 vegetative growtli at the expense of fruit. Three varieties have been forced into 

 bearing by 2 heavy prunings, one in spring and the other in the early fall, to- 

 gether with frequent bud pinching. Other varieties have not been benefited by 

 this practice and in some cases the effect seems to be negative. 



The work of acclimatizing, selecting, and breeding various vegetables was 

 continued. Grafting eggplant was found to be not only practicable but advis- 

 able, especially for home use. The best stock for this purpose is the Berengena 

 cimarrona, which is found in almost every part of the island. The " susumber," 

 which is used in Jamaica as a stock for eggplant, has not thus far proved very 

 successful in Porto Rico. A strain of cucuhibers of the White Spine type has 

 been developed that is m'uch more resistant to disease than the ordinary form, 

 and bears heavy crops of extra fine fruit. A strain of peanuts developed by 

 selection is reported as liaving an extra fine large sweet nut, and as yielding 

 at the rate of over 90 bu. per acre in the trial planting. Three strains of cow- 

 peas have been developed, one of which has a i)od of a dark purplisli color when 

 ripe. It made good growth and matured good crops of seed when all other 

 varieties tried nearly failed. Several varieties of cowpeas and sword beans, 

 procured from Venezuela and some of the islands of the West Indies, are being 

 acclimatizefl. The strain of " melon de China," previously noted, has been 

 further developed by cross breeding with the Kockyford melon. Tests of the 

 cross thus far reported are very favorable. Trial plantings were made of a 

 large ntimber of Blinn's best resistant strains of muskmelon (E. S. R., 19, p. 

 944), but the results as to disease resistance were almost without exception 

 negative. Native resistant types have also failed during periods of intense 

 disease ravages. 



In the work of propagating ahd distributing various fruits, it was found that 

 the breadfruit tree can be quite successfully propagated from a modified form 

 of root cutting. The soil is removed from the base of the parent plant and the 

 larger roots are exposed for a distance of several feet. These are severed about 

 2 ft. away from the tree and the ends left exposed. In a short time new^ plants 

 start from each cut end which can be transplanted when well rooted. 



The results of pineapple experiments and observations have been previously 

 noted (E. S. R., 21, p. 45). It has been found that the Red Spanish variety 

 does not adapt itself well to the heavy soils, while the Cabezona seems to prefer 

 such soils, provided they are well drained. Some of the sandy soils appear to 

 be too fine grained for good drainage, and are not considered suitable for 

 pines. The work of breeding a variety of spineless pine by selection gives some 

 promise of success. 



Report of the horticulturist, A. Dickens (Kansas <s7rt. Ri)t. 1!)08, pp. LIII- 

 LV). — Lime-sulphur wash used on peach trees as a preventive of scale also 

 proved effective in combating the peach louse, leaf curl, and brown rot. The 

 trees were sprayed in March and observations made in May. It was found 

 that the late varieties suffered a heavier loss from rot than earlier ones, thus 

 indicating the need of a later spray. 



Work in protecting peach trees from frost during and immediately after the 

 blooming period, indicates that when the wind velocity is below 7 to 8 miles an 

 hour, pots of crude oil placed at the rate of 100 per acre, will afford protection 

 down to 22° F. One gallon of crude oil burned in an open pot lasted nearly 4 



