HORTICULTURE. 697 



of maiinre applied. Irrigation was comiueuced late in the first season 

 aiul continued until after the third crop was harvested. At the close 

 of the second season the tops of the plants were mowed off and burned 

 between the rows with what was left of the mulching material. 



The total yields for the successive seasons were 1,038.6, 7S6.9, and 

 1,0!)0.1 boxes. Six varieties yielded best the first year, 3 varieties the 

 second year, 12 varieties the third year, several nearly the same for all 

 seasons, but the majority of the kinds yielded less the second season 

 than either the first or third. 



Descriptions are giveii of 10 of the most productive varieties. The 

 author recommends Beder Wood, Wartield, and Parker Earle for market 

 or home use. 



Frost threatening the destruction of the crop just when the plants 

 were coming- into bloom, an attempt was made to prevent the damage 

 by covering the rows with marsh hay. This had been used as a winter 

 protection and had been stacked near at hand for mulching purposes. 

 The plants on the three-fourth acre plat were covered 3 times, at an 

 expense of 15.79, or about |8 per acre. All exposed blossoms Avere 

 killed, but those covered escaped injury and produced a crop realizing 

 more than $300 per acre. 



A series of experiments was begun in 1892 to test the relative pro- 

 ductiveness of early and late formed matted rows. On one plat all 

 runners were picked off until September 1 and then allowed to form 

 plants; and on the other plants were allowed to form only before this 

 date. The yield in 1893 from the plat of early-formed rows was 202.5 

 qt., from the late-formed rows 100 qt. As no account was taken in this 

 test of the relative number of plants in the rows, a second trial was 

 conducted in 1894 in which the numbers of ijlants in the rows were 

 made uniform. . The early-formed rows gave 202.-1 qt., the late-formed 

 rows 101.1 qt. From these experiments the author concludes that " the 

 earlier formed matted lows were more productive; . . . the earlier 

 formed plants were moie productive; . . . we can not depend upon 

 plants to form well-matted rows late in the season." 



Grovrth of trees, shrubs, and other plants on alkali soils, C. 

 H. Shinn (California iSta. h'pt. 1895, pp. 41<>—i;21). — Xotes are given on 

 tests which have been conducted for several years at the San Joacjuin 

 Valley Station on the growth of trees on alkali soils. As some of 

 the.se have not been sufficiently tested, the experiments are to be con- 

 tinned. 



Kolreuteria paniculata, a handsome, small tree, was found to grow in 

 soils that were very alkaline. In fact, it and Atriplex .setnihaccatum were 

 the only culture plants growing in such places. Tamariv gallica showed 

 remarkable resistant powers, growing (piite readily in what are known 

 as black alkali soils. The European sycamore [Flatanus orientalis) 

 has grown well at the Tulare Station in soils which were too strong 

 in alkali for the growth of Eucalyptus glohulus. Of a number of 

 14780— No. 8 5 



