HORTICULTURE. 445 



followed by failure of the crop. The crosses are discussed relative to variations 

 in shape, weight, color, and shell. The principal phases discussed in connection 

 with the blend crosses of peppers are type of foliage and range of leaf forms, 

 position of the fruits, seedless fruits, and secondary pistils in peppers. 



Determinations of the number of seed cavities of several varieties of tomatoes 

 show that this characteristic is fairly constant when the normal number of seed 

 cavities is 2 or 3, as in the smaller sorts, such as Currant, Cherry, etc. It is 

 quite variable on the other hand in the large, flat, and irregular kinds, such as 

 Ponderosa. Crosses of the smaller and larger fruited sorts resulted in a great 

 variety in number of seed cavities. 



A number of hybrid forms were studied in the ornamental border. Of these 

 the carnation-pink hybrids are particularly promising. A hybrid of Hibiscus 

 manihot upon the okra (//. esculent us) was remarkable for its extreme vigor, 

 large size, and strong blooming tendency, and may give promise as an oi-na- 

 mental annual. 



The variations in the following wild plants are discussed and illustrated : 

 Dandelion, shepherd's purse, mandrake, catmint, and the heads of the oxeye 

 daisy. Observations of the velvet leaf (Alutelon ahutelan) were made on the 

 relation of position upon the plant to the number of seed vessels, from which it 

 appears that the fruits situated upon the main stem or near it and conse- 

 quently better nourished have the greatest number of seed vessels. 



Meteorological data as to rainfall, temperature, and sunshine during the 

 growing season for the past 21 years are included. 



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

 Stas. Rpt. 1909, pp. 79-99, pis. Jf). — This comprises a progress report on the 

 peach investigations being conducted at High Bridge and Vineland and the 

 greenhouse investigations with carnations and roses (E. S. R., 22, p. 141), 

 together with some additional data on the long-continued fertilizer experiments 

 with cherries, and brief descriptions of a number of newer varieties of straw- 

 berries tested during the year. Experiments in dipping peach trees to control 

 the peach root aphis are noted on page 462 of this issue. 



In connection with the peach investigations at Vineland, measurements are 

 being made each spring of the amount of annual growth made by the trees. 

 These data for the seasons of 1907 and 1908 are here tabulated. A striking 

 difference In the amount of injury to the young trees by wind and rain was 

 noted with the various varieties. Generally speaking the varieties of the Per- 

 sian group type sustained severe injury to the more tender leaves, while varie- 

 ties of the North China type were but slightly injured. The peach leaf curl 

 caused much damage in private orchax'ds in the vicinity of High Bridge during 

 the spring of 1909. The trouble was effectively controlled in the station 

 orchard, however, by a thorough spraying with lime-sulphur, when some 

 Elbei'ta trees left unsprayed as a check were quite seriously affected. The 

 variety Mountain Rose was only very slightly affected, even when unsprayed. 

 The failure of lime-sulphur to control the curl in a number of cases is attrib- 

 uted to imperfect preparation of the mixture or a lack of thoroughness in its 

 application. 



In the fertilizer experiments with cherries which were started in 1896, all 

 the plats have received an annual application of equal parts of ground bone, 

 muriate of potash, and acid phosphate at the rate of 500 lbs. to the acre and 

 certain plats have received an additional annual dressing of 150 lbs. of nitrate 

 of soda. since 1900. The nitrate of soda plats have yielded a larger quantity of 

 fruit, and it is believed that this increase will be more marked as the trees 

 grow older and require more nitrogen. 



