HORTICULTURE. 637 



horrios. ffr:ii)ps, i)0;irs. npplos. plums, Itlnokhorrips, etc.. aro noted nnd n nnmher 

 (if the unsolved iii'ohlcnis now < onrronlinsj AnitMMcan ponioloj^ists niontioiied. 

 Tlie author holds that the pi'acticc of pnipajjatinj; our conunon fruits as followed 

 by most nurserymen is radically wronj;'. tending to deterioration of varieties 

 rather than to imi)rovement, since buds are often selected promiscuously from 

 either bearing or barren trees and from luirsery stock of unknown character. 



Results from work in breeding hardy fruits, ('. (J. 1'attkx (.1h». Rpt. 

 Xrhr. Ilort. t<tK:. 31 ( 190(1). pit. .lHf)-il3). — The author began breeding hardy 

 fruits, iiarticularly apph's, in llie West about ISCO. An acount is given of this 

 work, resulting In the production of the Patten greening api)le and the securing 

 of many important seedling ajtples of large size and good (luality. The author 

 has been able to secure a cross between the native Soulard crab ■•md a Pippin 

 apple. 



Crop improvement by utilizing wild species, C. E. Bessey {Ann. Rpt. 

 Xebr. Ilori. Soc. 31 (I !)(!(!). /<//. UG-123). — In securing new crops for agricul- 

 tural purposes from wild plants the author calls attenticm to the value of our 

 various species of native graiies. wild wheat grasses, wild barley, blue grama 

 grass, bird-foot clover (Lotus amcricanus). buffalo peas (.Istragalus crassi- 

 carpu.s). tomato cherries (Solanum triflorum). ground nuts (Apios apios). 

 Iiriiirie ap])!e (Maliift /och.s-/.s-). dwarf wild cherry {Fniiuoi drmis.'ia), Nebraska 

 sand cherry (P. bc^.scj/i), buffalo berry {Lcparyyvava arffcntca). low sumach 

 (Rliiifi trilohata). and hawthorns. 



A curious effect of grafting by approach, A. Nomblot (Jardin, 20 (1906). 

 \(i. .'lid. pp. 313, Vl'i, fi(j. 1). — An account is given- of grafting by approach the 

 variety of pear Mme. Chaud.v on Beurre Supertin. A branch on the stock 

 coming out below the graft produced fruit similar in form and qualities to that 

 liroduced on the scion, due it is thought to the reciprocal action of the scion. 

 -Vn illustration is given showing this similarity in form of the fruit. 



Fruit varieties most popular on the Pacific Slope, E. .1. Wickson ( Pacific 

 Rural Prc.s.'i. 12 (1906). \o. 25, p. 392). — The author sent a circular of impiiry 

 to nurserymen throughout the State of California as to the most popular 

 varieties of fruits they were propagating. The answers to these have been 

 tiibulated for ajiplcs, apricots, cherries, grapes, peaches, pears, plums, and 

 prunes. 



Peach growing in Texas, E. J. Kyle (Texas *S7«. liiiL So. pit. 29. fins. 15). — 

 Detailed directiims with numerous illustrations are given for all the various 

 phases of peach culture as observed in Texas. 



Relative to the cropping of young peach orchards the author states that the 

 results of two years' tests at the station indicate the following rotation as best: 

 -Vn early maturing crop that will come off the land about .lun(» 1, followed by 

 cowpeas, peanuts, sweet potatoes, or some ci'op that v.ill mature late in the 

 sunmier. After the first crop is taken off the soil is thoroughly broken and 

 pulverized and the soil on each side of the trees kept stirred until about 

 Se]itemiier 1. 



"The advantage of jilanting such crops as Irish potatoes, tomatoes, etc., is 

 that the soil is well fertilized, having more plant food added than is removed by 

 the crop. Then again these crops come off early, so that the soil can be gotten 

 in line condition before the s(>cond crop is i)ut on. P.y this method the soil is 

 Iccpt stirred throughout the suiiiiuer and the trees are kt'pt going until Se]j- 

 teniiier." 



Olive pickling, V. T. P.ioi.etti { Cdlifoiiiid Sin. Circ. 2'/. pp. /'/, fifjs. 12). — 

 .V discussion is here given of the value of olives as food, with details of the best 

 methods of gathering, sorting, grading, pickling both ripe and green olives, 



