444 EXPERIMENT STATION EECORD. 



The European or Vinifera grapes appear to be well adapted to culture in the 

 Rio (irande Valley, where native or American grapes are but little grown. The 

 Mission is the variety generally grown, but both earlier and later varieties are 

 desirable for prolonging the season. The Chasselas group of grapes appears to 

 be quite resistant to the crown gall, which is a prevalent disease there. 



From tests at the station it appears that a rather light soil is preferable to 

 heavy adobe for Euroi)ean grapes. As a protection against winterkilling the 

 vine should be hilled in the fall. Irrigating the hilled vine during the winter 

 was not found to be detrimental. From 4 to <> ii-rigations in sununer were 

 sufficient to mature a crop. 



Wild plant improvement, N. B. Pierce (Paeific Rural Press, 72 (1906), No. 

 19. pp. 292, 293). — The author states that while there are 805 experiment .sta- 

 tions and agricultural colleges and 252 important botanic gardens and arboreta 

 now in the world, not one has been foiuided for or specifically devoted to the 

 improvement of wild plants. It is believed that there is a lai'ge field for useful 

 work in this direction, and in substantiation of this statement the work that 

 might be undertaken with various species of cotton, grapes, flgs, persimmons, 

 olives, raspberries and blackberries, chestnuts and walnuts, clovers, millet, 

 grasses, and the various grains, vegetables, flowers, and timber trees is 

 suggested. 



All the hollies worth growing, W. Miller {G(trd. Mufi. [2V. Y.], // {1906), 

 No. ■'), pp. 23Jf-2S7, p(js. 10). — This article sets forth the horticultural value of 

 the various species of ilex, including the red-berried evergreens, the red-berried 

 deciduous species, the scarlet-orange group, and the black-berried group. Cul- 

 tural directions are given for the various hollies, with a planters' guide to the 

 species. 9 



Lawns and how to make them, L. Barron (Nctv York: Douhledai/, Page 

 d- Co.. 1906. jip. 11 'i. plx. SI). — This book contains very full directions for the 

 making of large and small lawns, renewing old lawns, fertilizing, grading, and 

 general care of lawns, with accounts of the ditferent species of grasses used for 

 lawns and lawn mixtures, and of the machinery and tools used in the making 

 and caring for lawns. 



In the final chapter a tabular presentation is given, showing the essential 

 differences in regard to soil lequirements, character and uses, prices, weights, 

 quantities to sow, etc.. of 17 standard lawn grasses. 



Pot fertilizer experiments with roses, F. Weber {(lartcnfora. ')5 (1906), 

 No. 20, pp. ')29-333). — A fertilizer experiment was carried out with the variety 

 Frau Karl Druschki, in which one pot was used as a control, one fertilized with 

 pigeon manure dissolved in water in the propoi'tion of 1 : 24, each pot receiving 

 about 0.2 of a liter per week ; one the same manure in the same projiortion and 

 amount per plant plus 3 gm. of sulphate of ammonia, and a fourth fertilized 

 with 2 gm. of nitrate of soda, 1 gm. double superphosphate, and 2 gm. of 

 chlorid of potash, all dissolved in 1 liter of water and applied at the rate of 

 0.2 of a liter per pot weekly. 



The work was carried on at 5 different experiment stations and the i-esults as 

 regards growth, resistance to disease, and the production of flt»wers recorded 

 for each station. Generally speaking, the smallest growth was made in the 

 control ]M)t. At 8 of the 5 stations the plants fertilized with minerals alone 

 were most resistant lo disease and insect attacks, while the average of the re- 

 sults secured at all of the stations showed that the minerals alone produced 

 from 2 to (') per cent more flowers than were ol)fained in any of the other pots. 



Further development of etherization in the forcing of lilacs, F. Leuien 

 {MiiUcr's Dent. Giirt. Ztg., 21 {1906), No. 'i). pp. r>30-r>3'i, figs. .',). — An account 



