HORTICULTURE, 645 



The culture and curing of vanilla in Mexico and in other countries, in- 

 cluding suggestions for improving the industry, R. Lopez y Parra (La 

 Vainllla sii Cultivo y Bencficio en la Rei)ublica Mexicana y cii cl Extranjero y 

 Algunas Consideraciones Sobre el Perfeccionamiento de Este Rico Producto Agri- 

 cola. Mexico: Govt., 1911, pp. 78, i)ls. 5). — Part 1 of this pamphlet discusses the 

 culture and curing of vanilla in Mexico, and part 2 deals with methods em- 

 ]iloyed in other countries. Part 3 contains general considerations relative to 

 the improvement of native methods of culture and curing. 



Sweet pea studies, J. Craig and A. C. Beal (Ncic York Cornell Sta. Bui. 

 sol, pp. 7Ji9-76'i, pi. 1, fig. 1). — This comprises the results of field and forcing 

 tests of sweet i^eas conducted cooperatively in 1909-10 hy the Cornell Station 

 and the National Sweet Pea Society of America. In the field tests 469 different 

 varieties of Lathyrus odoratus from various sources were studied, together with 

 a number of allied species and genera. The forcing tests conducted under glass 

 for 2 seasons included 75 winter-flowering varieties. The majority of the 

 varieties received for advance trial as well as those introduced in 1909 and in 

 1910 were true to type, although a number of unfixed or mixed stocks were 

 noted. A list is given of the commended and highly commended varieties. 



Autumn plantings of 3 varieties were compared with spring plantings of the 

 same varieties. Starting with October 20, 1909, 5 successive plantings 10 days 

 apart were made. Eight spring plantings were made from March 12 until the 

 end of May. Four to 4S per cent of Mont Blanc, 5 to 82 per cent of King 

 Edward, and 20 to 81 per cent of Countess Spencer came through the winter. 

 The first 2 varieties gave the best results from the planting of November 10, 

 and Countess Spencer did best from the earlier plantings. Plantings made 

 either in fall or spring, when the surface of the ground was frozen, gave a low 

 percentage of germination. The first 3 fall plantings of Mont Blanc came into 

 bloom June 6 and the last on June 20. The fall plantings bloomed 2 weeks 

 before the regular spring plantings of the same variety. Dry, hot weather 

 brought all of the April plantings into bloom at the same time, the earlier 

 plantings producing taller plants. On the later plantings the amount of bloom 

 and length of stem was much reduced. The results indicate that white-seeded 

 sweet peas should not be planted until the ground is warm, and that planting of 

 the garden varieties after May 10 is hardly worth the trouble. 



In the forcing tests varieties of the 3 winter-flowering groups, winter or 

 Christmas flowering, Telemly, and the Engelmann group (Lathyrus odoratus 

 praecox) were studied. A brief historical sketch of these groups is given. 

 Only one variety tested proved to belong to the outdoor type. As to time of 

 flowering the winter-flowering sweet peas were divided into 2 groups, the extra 

 early flowering and the winter-flowering proper. The first group blooms about 

 3 weeks earlier but has smaller flowers and shorter stems than the latter. The 

 varieties of the true winter-flowering group are crosses between some of the 

 extra early group and the garden varieties of sweet peas. When studied along 

 with 5 species of vetch (Vicia) no hybrid suspect between the vetch and 

 Lathyrus odoratus was observed. The forcing varieties are classified according 

 to color and discussed. A summary is also given of the leading varieties classi- 

 fied by color. 



Our ornamental plants, P. F. F. Schulz (Unsere Zierpflanzen. Leipsic, 

 1909, pp. VIII +216, pis. I'l, figs. 10/f). — The author here presents popular bio- 

 logical studies of a number of park, garden, and indoor ornamental plants, 

 selected from the principal groups of the plant kingdom, including cryptogams, 

 conifers, monocotyledons, and dicotyledons. 



