HORTICULTURE. 341 



India's poppy and opium, W. II. Michael (Daily and Confiular Trade Rpt.s. 

 [[\ .Sf.]. lixn, Xo. 2'J,li, pp. 1-3). — A brief account of poppy culture uiul the 

 preparation of opium for market in India. Deep plowing is said to be prac- 

 ticed for the poppy, whereas with utlier crops grown in India shallow plowing 

 is the rule. 



In the operation of sowing, the poppy seed is mixed with sand so that it 

 will not be sown too thicl<. and one-third of the required amount is then scat- 

 tered over the field, after which the field is watered. When the soil is suffi- 

 ciently dry the land is again plowed more shallow than at first, harrowed, and 

 another third of the seed sown. Similar treatment follows the second sowing, 

 when the field is sown for the third time. Three pounds of poppy seed are 

 required for 1 beegah or about i acre of land. The entire crop is purchased 

 by the Government with the exception of small amounts, which are reserved 

 for the use of the farmers. 



The value of the opium export from India in 1906 is given as $;>0,r)40,080, 

 of which $24,032,260 went to treaty ports in China. The Government pays 

 $2.90 per seer (a little over 2 lbs.) for licpiid opium, 8 to 10 cts. per seer for 

 the dry cake, 4 to 6 cts. per bundle for the dry stalks, and 49 cts. per seer for 

 seed in heads. I'ractically the entire crop is raised on small farms. 



Lemon grass in Ceylon, H. Wright and M. K. Bamber- {Circs, and A<jr. Jour. 

 Roy. Bot. Gard. Ceylon 3 {1906). No. 19. pp. 263-2701), dgm. i).— The cultiva- 

 tion of lemon grass in preference to that of citronella is said to be increasing in 

 many parts of Ceylon on account of the high price at present paid for the pure 

 oil of the former. This circular contains an account of experiments with lemon 

 grass conducted at the I'eradeniya experiment station since 1901, including' a 

 botanic description, the climatic and soil t-onditions, cultivation and distillation 

 at the station, together with several reports on the physical and chemical prop- 

 erties of the oil obtained. A diagram is given of a citronella oil still. 



In the past the cultivation of lemon grass has been confined to the southern 

 parts of Ceylon, in places near sea level and supplied with a rainfall of 100 in. 

 or more, and an average temperature of 80° F., but in the present experiments 

 the grass has been successfully cultivated at an elevation of 1,600 ft., where the 

 annual rainfall is alH)nt <S2 in. and the mean annual temperature about 75.5° F. 



Four seasons in the garden, E. E. Rexford {Philadelphia and London, 1907, 

 pp. 307, pis. 27). — Popular directions are giAen for the making and care of 

 lawns and of gardens of various kinds for different seasons of the year, includ- 

 ing the winter window-garden, and greenhouse cultivation of flowers. Atten- 

 tion is also directed to the culture and care of bulbs, palms, and decorative 

 plants, together with an account of the organization of a village improvement 

 society and suggestions for forming such societies. The text is well illustrated. 



A case of degeneration of tuberous plants, N. Bernard {Btil. tSoe. Linn. 

 \orniandie, .5. .s-er., 9 {190.')), pp. 2-51, 2o2). — A brief note is given on the behavior 

 of plants of 2 species of coleus (C coppini and C. daso), which were sent from 

 Lake Tchad, in the interior of Africa, to the botanical garden at Caen. The 

 tubers of both species were grown in a temperate greenhouse and in the open 

 ground, but in both cases failed to reproduce tubers. The plant grown in the 

 open ground remained small and insignificant, while the plant grown in the 

 greenhouse grew well and produced abundant roots. The author is of the 

 opinion that this degeneration may be attributed more to the change of environ- 

 ment than to the change of climate. 



The hybridization and propagation of orchids from seed, F. Lkdien (.1/67- 

 k-r's Dciit. dart. Ztg., 22 {1907), Nos. 18, pp. 206-216; 19, pp. 217-228; 20, pp. 



