HORTICULTURE. 1043 



leaf, or before they .-ire in blossoiu. Daisies, coclclelmr, biiidvveecl, raj^weed. 

 cliicory, slieei) sorri'l, yellow dock, wild lettuce, and many other weeds were 

 partially or wholl.v eradicated Irom tb.e lields where these tests were made. 



Three acres and liberty, !>. ILvu. kt al (New York and London: The 

 Macmillan Co., 1H07. />/>. .'/JJ, />/*•. i.'/). — This book is written with llic pni-jxise 

 " to awaken active and earnest thought upon th(> social betterment of our 

 rapidly increasing population.". Among the different subjects discussed are 

 buying a farm, results to be expected, methods of management, gardening, 

 tools and (Hiuiiinient. beds and greenhouses, various uses of laud, fruit, llowers, 

 drug plants, novel live stock, and buildings. 



HORTICULTURE. 



The garden book of California, Belle 8. Angier (San Francisco and New 

 York: Paul Elder d Co., 1906, pp. VII + 1J,1, pis. 20).— This book contains 

 suggestions for beautifying the home grounds by the use of trees, shrubs, vines, 

 and flowers, of which a large number of varieties are recommended for different 

 forms of planting. Chapters are devoted to simple gai'den methods, a planting 

 calendar, and a discussion of insect pests and plant diseases and their general 

 remedies. 



Among the special subjects considered tlre the culture of common plants, 

 bulbs, palms and tropical plants, roses and ferns, ferneries, hedges, tree plant- 

 ing and protection, back-yard problems, the making of pergolas, and the equip- 

 ment of the aviary. In the closing chapter a list is given of some of the most 

 valuable and showy native annuals, together with the varieties of native trees 

 and shrubs recommended. 



Beport of the horticulturist, C. P. Close (Delaicare Sta. Rpt. 1903, pp. 

 117-1. '/O). — The following lilies of work received especial attention during the 

 season of IIXJ.'J : The use of nitrate of soda on asparagus, root forcing on fruit 

 trees, orchard cover crops, pruning Kieffer pear trees, commercial fertilizers in 

 api)le orchards, fruits in preserving fluids, dipping nursery trees in kerosene and 

 crude petroleum, iiaint on fruit trees, and special pruning of fruit trees. Previ- 

 ous e.xiieriments with the use of nitrate of soda on asparagus have been noted 

 (E. S. K., 1.-.. ]>. 578). 



The outline of the asparagus test was as follows : 200 lbs. of nitrate of soda 

 was used per acre, applied in 4 equal applications 10 days apart, the first appli- 

 cation being made 10 days before the cutting began. This exi)eriment was con- 

 ducted at the farms of 2 cooperator.s and the results are tabulated. The gain 

 in yield for the fertilized plats over the unfertilized plats is not sufficient to 

 sigiufy any particular benefit from the nitrate of soda. 



Previous work with root forcing on fruit trees has also lieen noted (E. S. K., 

 in, p. o7H). In order to get more data from trees grown 1 year, 12 i)each trees 

 and 8 apple trees were planted in the spring of 1!)02. Of the 12 peach trees 

 4 had 2 strii)s of bark about A in. \\ide removed from the roots, 4 had 1 strip 

 i-emoved, and 4 were left as checks. Of the 8 apple trees, ;^ had 2 strips of 

 l)ark taken from the roots, 3 had 1 strip, and 2 were left as checks. The trees 

 were dug the latter part of November and the records of top growth and the 

 grade of the root systems are tabulated. The results obtained in this experiment 

 for the 2 seasons point to the impossibility of forcing a large devoloimient of 

 roots from the callus formed as the result of removing these strips of bark from 

 the roots. 



Tests were made with a large number of orchard cover crops, both at the 

 experiment station and with cooperators elsewhere, and notes are given as to 

 the behavior of each crop tested. 



