HORTICULTURE. 789 



Electro-horticulture, range of incandescent light, F. W. Rane 



{Proc. aS'oc. rro)notio)i A(jr. iSvL ISOii^ pp. 105-108, fujti. .V). — An account 

 is given of an experiment made at the West Virginia Station witli a 

 cluster of S lO-candlepower bulbs. Thay were placed at the end of a 

 central bench and the light thrown along the bench by a reflector. The 

 plants used in the test were spinach, lettuce, laud cress, and cauliflower. 

 The light was kept running from about 5 to 11 p. m. for nights per 

 week, from November to January 11. There seemed to be no effect 

 exerted upon the cress except possibly an earlier germination, but the 

 growth of the other plants was accelerated to the following distances 

 from the light: Cauliflower, 20 feet; Grand Rapids lettuce, 19 feet; 

 Rawson Forcing House lettuce, 6.5 feet, and spinach, 16.75 feet. The 

 cauliflower grew taller near the light, but gave larger heads when farther 

 away. In general, the lettuce gained in height but lost in weight as it 

 approached the light. 



The two freezes of 1894 and 1895 in Florida, and what they 

 teach, H. J. Webeer {U. iS. Bept. Agr. Yearhool- 1895, pp. 159-171,2)1. 

 1, fiijs. 7). — An account is given of the two freezes and the amount of 

 damage done in Florida in 1894 and 1895. The first freeze, December 

 27-29, caused a serious loss of oranges and lemons, killed many of the 

 young citrus trees, and seriously injured the old ones. Guavas, pine- 

 apples, and many tropical fruit trees were frozen down throughout the 

 northern and central parts of tlie State. 



The second freeze, which culminated on February 8, killed all the 

 varieties of citrus trees throughout the State except in the extreme 

 southern portion and in a few protected localities. Where the trees 

 had been banked with earth before the freeze a portion of the trunk 

 was saved, and this practice is thought desirable in order to protect 

 the point of nuion in trees budded or grafted near the ground. Citrus 

 trees having a single main trunk were found to endure cold better than 

 those having several trunks. Windbreaks, forest trees scattered 

 among fruit trees, and fires distributed at intervals proved beneficial. 

 Little difierence was noticed in the subsequent growth of frozen trees 

 whether pruned soon after the freeze or left unpruned. No injurious 

 effects were observed from leaving the frozen tops attached, bnt it is 

 thought in general that early i^runiug gave rather better results. In 

 restoring orange and lemon groves frozen to the ground, the method 

 of cutting the trees off below the soil and crown grafting has proved 

 much better and quicker than waiting for sprouts to grow from the 

 base and budding them when they have reached sufficient size. What 

 appeared to be the quickest way to build up nursery stock ami small 

 trees kille<l down by the freeze was to immediately cut them an inch or 

 two below the surface of tlie ground and cleft graft them. 



Pineapples were injured as far south as Biscayne Bay when grown in 

 the open. When grown under sheds they were not seriously injured 

 south of the 27th parallel. The strictly tropical fruits were injured 



