HORTICULTURE. 353 



breeding for early flowering, plants which produced flowers from the 

 lowest nodes rather than those which first showed flowers were selected, 

 and the results showed the correctness of the theory. It seems to me 

 that what Americans have done in the development of this flower sug- 

 gests possibilities with others and that we ought to look forward to the 

 production of our own flower seeds of all kinds." 



Adherence to type of seed breeding, W. W. Tracy (Gardening^ 

 6 (1898), No. 138, pp. 282, 283).— The author notes some of his experi- 

 ence in breeding vegetables and flowers to illustrate the value of first 

 forming an ideal and of then adhering to it strictly. He says: a The 

 highest quality and most practically valuable seed of a variety is not 

 that which from a large planting will produce a few superlative plants 

 but that from which the largest proportion of the entire product will be 

 of fine type. Uniformity of product is really the most important object 

 of seed breeding, and to secure it we must have first a clear concep- 

 tion of just what in every particular an ideal plant of the variety 

 should be, and secondly we must adhere rigidly to that ideal in our 

 selection of breeders from year to year, and that we may do so it is 

 essential that we have on record a full, minute, and accurate descrip- 

 tion of the ideal plant we are working to produce and select such 

 plants and such only for breeders, rejecting those that differ from 

 the ideal in any way even if the difference is of itself an improve- 

 ment. . . . An intimate acquaintance with most of the stocks of 

 vegetable and flower seeds in common use convinces me that the great- 

 est horticultural need of the age is clearly defined ideas of just what 

 ideal plants of the different varieties propagated by seed should be 

 and a closer adherence by seed growers to such ideals in selecting 

 stock." 



Report of horticultural department, C. B. Waldron (Nortlt Dakota Sta. Bpt. 

 1897, pp. 25; 26). — Experiments with celery and cauliflower are outlined. No results 

 were secured on account of destruction of the plants by cutworms. A destructive 

 disease of raspberries is noted. 



Marketing fruit, M. Craig (Oregon Sta. Bui. 51, pp. 8). — Suggestions on picking, 

 packing, and marketing fruit. 



The export of our tender fruit, J. W. Robertson (Canad. Rort., 21 {1898), So. S, 

 pp. 303-307, fi y s. 2). — A reprint from the report of the Commissioner of Agriculture 

 [Canada] on experimental fruit shipments to Great Britain. The picking, packing, 

 and shipping of fruit, and the construction of fruit packages, are briefly discussed. 

 Tables show the amount of various fruits imported by Great Britain from different 

 countries. 



Influence of the honeybee on the fruit crop, L. D. Stilson (Nebraska Farmer, 26 

 (1898), No. 35, p. 554).— A popular article read before the Nebraska and Southwest- 

 ern Iowa Horticultural Societies. 



Chemical fertilizers for garden and orchard, R. Dumont (Prog. Agr. et lit., 30 

 (1898), No. 29, pp. 78-82). 



The use of fertilizers in horticulture, A. Hkbert and G. Truffaut (Compt. Rend. 

 Acad. Sci. Paris, 126 (1898), No. 25, pp. 1831-1834). 



The propagation of plants by cuttings ( Wiener lllus. dart. Ztg., 2S (1S9S), No. 

 8-9, pp.- 295-299). — A popular article on cuttage. 



