HORTICULTURE. 639 



Inini sli.idc uiust lie supiilicil l).v the use ol" sonic interonltiu'al crop or liy 

 iiiaiiuriuii;. The question as (o the hetter method of culture from a practical 

 stan(li)oiut, therefore, resolves itself into which method is the more economical 

 in iiny jiarticnlar case. 



The varieties of cultivated pepper, C. A. Bakhek (/)r/>/. Ai/r. Mitdni^ Bill. 

 .16'. PI). 123-133, pis. 3). — V l)otanical account is ^iven of the principal species 

 and varieties of cultivitted black i)ei)per vines. The ."'> main types of good vines 

 iire the Halaincotta, K.allivalli, and ('beriakodi. These classes with the several 

 varieties cominj; under each are described. I'lates are also f?iven sbowinj; 

 liepper flowers and fruits of the different classes. 



Every farmer can raise evergreens, C. S. Harrison (Ticciiiictli Cent. Far- 

 mer. 1907. No. 317, p. 9, figs. 3). — As a I'esult of 35 years' experience in the semi- 

 arid regions of tlu> West the author states that in growing seedlings of the pon- 

 derosa or bull iiiiie. the best results are secured if they are grown in the open 

 sunlight. If grown under screens they are likely to damp off and it is difficult 

 to get a good stand. 



(Jenerally speaking, the seed should be sown in the fall, but spring sowing can 

 be made if the seed is first soaked in warm water, the water being changed 

 every 12 hours and the seed kept in a warm place. Thus treated, the seed will 

 sprout within '^ or 4 days, when it should be planted in a well-prepared bed 

 and covered with an inch of sand or fine earth. The soil must be kept moist 

 until the plants come up. 



Seed two or three years old has been found as satisfactory as new seed. 

 About a pint is used to each 8 feet square of bed surface. In digging np the 

 trees he advises that the roots be obtained full length. Fair success has been 

 obtained by digging the trees from the seed beds when 4 years old, but prefer- 

 ence is given to plants 1 to 2 years old. 



The action of ether in forcing plants (Amer. Florisit. 27 (1906). No. 968. 

 PIK lo.'il. 1(1.12). — This is a translation of an article taken from Revue Horticole 

 giving an account of ■") different experiments in the use of ether for forcing 

 l)lants. 



In i)reparing lilacs for forcing it is stated that they are dug up about Octo- 

 ber 1.5, when the buds are well formed, with a ball of earth attached and left 

 in the open if the weather be dry, or put under sheds if it rains. In either 

 case, the leaves are left upon the branches. After 2 to 4 days, when the plants 

 wilt and the bark begins to wrinkle, ;ill the leaves are cut off, leaving the stems, 

 whii-h are not easily removed. The plants are stored 7 or 8 days in a dry 

 l)lace and then taken into the greenhouse for forcing. 



Gener.'illy speaking, the action of the ether was found to vary greatly, 

 depending upon whether the plants wi're rested or not. With rested plants 

 (>therization hastened the blooming jieriod but a few days, while with non- 

 rested plants it reduced the forcing period by half and gave far better blooms. 



At a temperature of (i(i° and a dry atmosphere .'! to 4 oz. of ether per cubic 

 yard was found sufficient, wiiilc in .n moist atmos])here np to 8 oz. was used 

 with impunity. The duration of the etherization process should correspond 

 with the time necessary for a com])lete evaporation of the ether used. In a di'y 

 atmosphere the temperature should not be over (iO to ('>~>°. but if the air is 

 moist, 70 to 77° is not too warm. 



Etherization appears to be most effective with lil.-ics. Much less f.avorable 

 results were secured with snowballs. Azaha iiioDi-s. iind Dciitzkt (irucilix. In 

 .". tests with lily of the valley, the first gi-nwth :ii)i)ear(>d (piite rapid, but the 

 l)looming period was in no case hastened niore than is Ikhu's. 



