HORTICULTURE. 851 



The date palm, J. W. Toumey (Arizona Sta. Bui. 29, pp. 102-150, 

 Jigs. 13). — Notes are given on the early history of the date palm, the 

 history of the date palm and some of its seedlings in Arizona, the dis- 

 tribution and present condition of the date palm suckers imported by 

 the Department of Agriculture in 1890, of which 39 are now living, 

 methods of propagation and growth, distinction of the sexes, the fruit 

 of the date palm, which varies greatly in many respects, imports of 

 dates since 1800, and insects and other enemies of the date, making 

 especial mention of a scale insect (Parlatoria victrix) introduced on 

 imported palms and considered the most serious enemy of the date 

 palm in this country. An especial study is made of the climate to 

 which the date palm is adapted. The climatic conditions in countries 

 where the date palm is native are stated and the conditions in southern 

 Arizona studied comparatively. Tables are given showing the average 

 annual precipitation and mean monthly maximum and minimum tem- 

 perature at 3 stations in southern Arizona and statious in northern 

 Africa for a period of years. These show a great similarity between 

 the climatic conditions of southern Arizona and the regions adjacent to 

 the Sahara Desert. Not merely these theoretical considerations, but the 

 experimental fact that date palms from both seedlings and imported 

 suckers are now growing and fruiting satisfactorily in various localities, 

 make it probable that date culture will, in time, become an important 

 industry over considerable areas of the interior arid region of the 

 Southwest, of which southern Arizona may be considered the center. 

 As an ornamental tree the date palm flourishes as far north as San 

 Francisco and southern Colorado, but produces fruit of value only in 

 arid regions where the air is dry and summer heat intense. Abun- 

 dance of water within reach of the roots is necessary to the fruit's per- 

 fection. In a comparative study of the soils of the date regions of 

 northern Africa and southern Arizona, it is found that both possess 2 

 essential features for date culture, namely, paucity of humus and 

 abundance of alkali. 



Results of experiments in the cross fertilizing of plants, shrubs, 

 and trees, W. Saunders (Canada Expt. Farms Rpt. 1897, ]>p. 60-67^ 

 69, 70, Jigs. 16). — This article was read before the British Association 

 for the Advancement of Science, August, 1897. The writer reports 

 work which was begun in 1808 and has been continued at intervals 

 since then. 



American varieties of gooseberries were crossed with European vari- 

 eties with the object of improving the size and quality of the fruit, and 

 obtaining varieties unaffected by mildew, which damages the European 

 sorts so severely. Of several hundred seedlings, Pearl and lied Jacket 

 have become popular sorts both in Canada and the United States. 

 Attempts to cross the European gooseberries with the wild smooth 

 gooseberries (Mibes oxyacanthoides) were unsuccessful. With the wild 

 prickly gooseberry (K. cynosbati), a number of interesting hybrids were 



