218 



revealed the presence of sand, mixed grasses, and numerous weeds in 

 considerable quantities. 



^OTES ox METHODS OF CROSS-POLLIXATIOX, F. A. SlEEINE (pp. 



S7-92). — Two methods of oastratiug- the flowers of the plum were tried 

 at the station in 1890, as follows: 



"(1) Careful opening of the buds and picking out the stamens with a 

 tine i)air of tweezers. This was a verj' tedi(ms way, but the petals 

 helped to protect the tender style and stigma. (2) The cutting or tear- 

 ing off of the whole calyx wliich bears the petals and stamens, leaving 

 the ovary uni>rotected. Tliis was done by taking the base of the bud 

 betw«M'n tlic inongs of tlie tweezers, simply holding tlie])iul sutticicntly 

 close but not pincliing it. tlicn by giving the tweezers an upward jerk the 

 part of the eiilyx wliich Items the stamens will be removed." 



The same inetlnKis were used on the cherry, and the second method, 

 with slight variations, on the apjde and n>se. 



Successful <*rosses were obtained by using the pollen of Kentucky 

 blue grass on the female plant of Texas blue grass. '' In a white sport 

 of red elover artitieial pollination was tried Mitli its own i)ollen, but seed 

 was not i)roduced.'' From planting corn in an isolated part of the held, 

 removing the tassels, and hand-pollinating the ears without covering 

 better results were <d)tained than from covering the corn with sacks. 

 Before simrise was found to be tin' best time for ajiidying tlie jxtllen. 



Notes on insects, H. Osbokn, M. S., and H. A. Gossard, B. S. 

 (pp. 95-115, plate 1, tigs. 10). — General statements regarding the injuries 

 to meadows and pastures In' insects, with suggestions as to means 

 for thi'ir lepression; notes on the tend<'rfoot lcat'ho]»per {lHedr(Hrj)htilii 

 moUipes), hurtful leaf hopper {Dcltacephnlus immivus), D. d4;hilis, destnn 

 tive leal' ho])])er [Cioddula exitiosn), clover seed midge {Cccidoniifin 

 hfiiiniinicola), horn fly (Hamafohio serrata), and apple nuiggot {Trj/pcio 

 pomonclhi): and directions for spraying orchards. The four figures 

 illustrating the notes on the first four insects named above are original. 



Blossoms of okchakd fruits, J. L. Budd, M. H. (pp. 11.">-118). — 

 "The observations of the j)ast 30 years on the praiiies west of Lake 

 Michigan sustain the proposition that the varieties of orchard fruits 

 vary in hardiness of fruit buds and blossoms quite as much as they do 

 in relative hardiness of tree. The ]>roposition can also be sustained tiiat 

 the typical ironclad tree has hardier tVuil biuls and blossoms than the 

 one that poorly withstands our trying changes of summer and winter." 

 This is illustrated by references to a nundu'r of varieties of apples, eher- 

 ries, plums, and ]i«'ars. Attention is «'alled t<i the fact that som«' of 

 the Silesian and South Bussian cherries have an additional provision lor 

 escajiing untimely frosts in bearing two distinct sets of blossoms, ont'<»f 

 which o])ens later than the other. In view of the accunudatiug evi- 

 <lcnce that fruit trees are not likely t(» be self-fertilized, tlie author 

 advises the alternating of \arieties in the rows of orchards, with spceial 

 attention to ditiierences in the time of blooming. 



