

HORTICULTURE. 549 



1898 showed that one season's growth after forcing was sufficient for 

 the plants to regain their normal vigor. In the winter of 1897-98 a 

 test was made with a bed 25 ft. square, to determine the amount of 

 coal necessary to force a given area of asparagus and the value of the 

 product. The steam was first used December 29, the first asparagus 

 was cut January 12, and cutting was continued until February 25. 

 Steam was forced into the tunnels a total of GO^ hours; 2,308 lbs. of 

 coal, valued at $1.82, were used in heating the bed. The yield was 162 

 bunches (80 lbs.), valued at from 10 to 20 cts. per bunch. 



It was found that about 5 minutes at a time was as long as steam 

 could be forced into a tunnel without danger of overheating the aspar- 

 agus. In regard to the advantage of allowing the steam to come in 

 direct contact with the soil, the author says : 



"The steam, coming in direct contact with the soil, readily penetrates it, heating 

 the whole bed uniformly ; whereas if the tunnels are heated by inclosed steam or 

 hot-water pipes, the soil becomes too hot and dry close to the tunnels, while it is too 

 cold midway between them. Forcing steam into the tunnels keeps the soil moist 

 and maintains more continuous fermentation of the manure mulch, thus promoting 

 steady heat." 



The bulletin concludes with general remarks and suggestions on the 

 culture of asparagus in Missouri. 



Improvement of the wild carrot by grafting it on the cultivated 

 carrot, L. Daniel (Gompt. Bend. Acad. 8ci. Paris, 127 (1898), No. 2, 

 pp. 133-135). — The author reports the results of grafting the wild car- 

 rot upon a well-known variety of cultivated carrot having red roots. 

 The stock exerted an influence not only upon the scion itself, but also 

 upon the seedlings of the scion. The seedlings presented anomalies in 

 the number and form of the cotyledons, the young plants from the 

 grafted wild carrot were larger, greener, and less villous than those 

 from the ungrafted wild carrot — i. e., in general intermediate between 

 the wild and cultivated carrot. As the plants became older some of 

 them followed the spreading habit of the wild carrot and others the 

 erect habit of the cultivated carrot. The roots were white, like those 

 of the wild carrot, but with a diameter from 2 to 3 times that of the 

 latter and from one-fourth to one-third that of the cultivated carrot. 

 Out of 30 plants from the grafted carrot 8 ran to seed the first season, 

 an occurrence which, though fairly common in the cultivated carrot, is 

 very rare in the wild carrot. The author believes that these results 

 demonstrate the possibility of improving wild plants by grafting, fol- 

 lowed by an intelligent selection of the offspring of the scion. 



The fruit industry and substitution of domestic for foreign- 

 grown fruits, W. A. Taylor ( U. 8. Dept. Ayr. Yearbook 1897, pp. 

 305-314, pis. 5). — This article treats of the history of the development 

 of the fruit industry in the United States and of the importation and 

 exportation of fruits, and notes briefly the possibility of substitution of 

 domestic for foreign-grown fruits. Numerous tables are given showing 



