HOETICULTURE. 145 



Tlio antlior s]io\vs that tlio faotor of fii'st importance in protection against 

 wintei" injury is the s«>curinfj of hardy varieties; second, the selection of u com- 

 paratively liisrii site for the orcliartl : and. third, (he use of cover crops, which 

 dry out liie soil cai-JX' in llie fall and in(hice c.-irlN' malurit.x'. In Ihe State of 

 Nebraska cover crops unist be considei'cd jiriniarily from the stand])()int of 

 (heir effect on the soil moisture, rather (li.in from their fertilizins; vahie. 



The author thus sums up the requirements of an ideal orchard covei- crop for 

 Nebraska : "It should start growth promptly in order (o insiu'(> an even stand 

 smd to choke out weeds. It should grow vigorously to insure a heavy winter 

 cover and to dry the ground in case of late-growing trees, so as to hasten their 

 matiu'ity. It should be killed by the early fro.sts so that it \Aill stop drying the 

 groiuid after dangei' of late tree growth is passed, and to help conserve our light 

 fall rains, so nuich needed by the trees in wint(>r. ... A cover crop should 

 be heavy enough to furnish as good direct protection as possible against freez- 

 ing and thawing of the ground, and it slionld starid sufficientl.v erect to hold 

 snow against the power of strong winds. . . . Finally, in ease of poor soils or of 

 old and feeble trees, the cover crop should be a leguminous one, in order that it 

 may add to the store of nitrogen in the soil, and thereb.v increase the vigor of 

 growth of the trees." 



This excludes from use siich crops as rye. winter wheat, vetches, and clovers 

 which live over winter, and late-growing crops, like field ])eas, rape, oats, and 

 barley. Of the crops killed by early frosts the most satisfactory have been 

 corn, cane, and millet. These crops start promptly into growth in nndsummer, 

 choke out the weeds, dry out the ground, and make an erect winter cover which 

 holds the snow fairly well. In dry falls, corn makes a poorer growth than cane 

 or millet. 



" Millet makes a good cover if it can get six weeks of growth before frost. 

 It stands nearly erect and thus holds the snow well, and is so leafy that it 

 affords fair winter protection even without snow." 



A number of tables are given showing the effect of various cover crops on soil 

 and moisture in both the spring and fall, on the depth to which the ground is fro- 

 zen underneath them, and their effectiveness in holding snow. Crops which stand 

 erect catch the snow and hold it, and the ground freezes to a less depth under- 

 neath than crops which mat down. A good covering of snow is one of the most 

 effective means of preventing alternate freezing and th;iwing of the ground, 

 and also prevents the ground from freezing so deeply. 



Picking-, packing, and marketing the apple, L. B. JunsoN (Idaho Sta. Bui. 

 .j-'i, pp. 37, pis. 11). — Popular directions are given for the harvesting, picking, 

 and marketing of apples, including an account of packing houses and fittings, 

 and directions for organizing fruit growers into associations to secure better 

 packs and higher prices. The appendix contains a circular of advice to growers 

 and packers distributed among the members of the Hood River Apple Growers' 

 Union, the text of the Canadian Fruit Marks Act of 1901, and the articles of 

 incorporation and by-laws of the Ilood Kiver Fruit Growers' Union. 



Relative to the time of harvesting ajiples. tlie author calls special attention 

 to the necessity of harvesting Jonathan apiilcs when the seeds have turned a 

 light brown. If (he fruit is not picked until well colored and the seeds are dark 

 around the edges, it is likely to rot at the core while still sound on the outside. 



Orange cultivation in the Khasi hills, B. C. Basu (Agr. Jour. India, 1 

 (1006) , Xo. J, pp. (>2-G7). — About 1(10 s(iuare miles of the Khasi hills are suitable 

 for orange cultivation. The oranges grown are known to the world as the Sylhet 

 oranges, and are i)roduced entirely from seedlings, which bear at the end of 

 about 7 years. The general methods of culture are given in detail. 



