HORTICULTURE. 245 



Varieties of blackberries, raspberries, gooseberries, currants, and 

 strawberries are also reported upon. The author reports haviDg con- 

 ducted some experiments with a view to the production of new varieties 

 of strawberries, in which pollination was performed on 124 flowers, 

 from which he obtained 88 perfect fruits and 21 imperfect ones. As a 

 result of these crosses he has now growing about 500 seedling plants. 

 He has also 39 seedlings derived from crosses effected in the greenhouse 

 during the past winter. 



The Jerusalem artichoke, H. L. de Vilmorin (Jour. Agr. Prat., 61 (1897), II. No. 

 31, pp. 201-208, pi. 1). — A popular article on the history of the plant ami its use anil 

 cultivation in France and Belgium. Four varieties air described. 



Manuring asparagus, ('•. Wythes (Garden,52, No. IS 



Early celery, W. H. Jenkins - Imer. Gard., IS 1891 i, Yo. 136, p.557).— Notes on 

 blanching and marketing early celery. 



Mustard and cress for market (Jour. Rort., 49 (1897), Xo. 2548, pp. 1".?. 103). 



Vegetable growing in the South for northern markets, P. H. Roli S | Richmond: 

 Southern Planter Pub. Co., I896,pp. 255, figs. 38). — The book consists of revised lectures 

 to classes in horticulture, it is designed to give concise directions for the prepara- 

 tion of soil, use of fertilizers, and planting and can- of vegetables to obtain the ear- 

 liest crops, and the best methods of packing lor shipping, of raising seed, etc. 



Success in vegetable growing in the Smith depends largely upon securing an early 

 crop. The methods of culture calculated to increase earliness are therefore given a 

 prominent place in the book. With the exceptions of alluvial lands, southern soils 

 are poor in the elements of plant food and require correspondingly large applica- 

 tions of fertilizers, yet the fertilizers wasted in many cases destroy the profits. 

 Throughout t'his book, therefore, especial attention is given to the preparation and 

 use of fertilizers and the amounts required for different crops, a specific formula 

 being given for each vegetable considered. 



In the general discussion of fertilizers the author says: "The amount of any ele- 

 ment in a special fertilizer is governed by the amount of that element removed from 

 the soil by that particular crop." It may be fairly questioned whether this is in all 

 cases entirely correct, because much plant food in addition to that removed with the 

 cr-op, especially in the case of nitrogen, may be lost from the soil by leaching and 

 tliTOUgh agencies of nitrification and denitrification, and also because the relative 

 amounts of the various elements removed from the soil by a particular kind of plant 

 may depend to some extent upon the relative abundance of those elements in the soil 

 in which the plant is grown. 



As a manual giving concise directions for the many operations connected with 

 the production and marketing of vegetables the book will undoubtedly be found 

 very useful to vegetable growers in the South. 



Garden notes, J. 11. Shepakd and E. C. Chilcott (South Dakota Sta. Bui. 52, 

 pp. 13-31, pis. 3). — Notes arc given on a number of varieties of garden vegetables 

 grown under irrigation. 



Apple culture, F. F. Butler (Agr. da:. Tasmania, ■', (1897), No. l,pp. 11-13). 



Banana cultivation in Nicaragua, T. O'Hara (U. S. Consular Rpts., 34 (1S97), 

 No. 203, pp. 556-563). — The present status of the industry is noted and tin- question 



of profit discussed. 



Improved varieties of oranges, G. E. Walsh ( Sclent. Amer., 71 (1897), Xo. 4, p. 54; 

 reprinted in Florida Agr., 24 (1897), Xo. 31, pp. 4S1, 482; and Florida Former and Fruit 

 Grower, n. ser., 9 (1S&7), Xo. 32, pp. 498, 510). 



Race types of peaches (Florida Farmer and Fruit Groicer. n. ser., (1897), Xo. 33, 

 Pie 515, 516). — From a paper by R. H. Price read before the Texas Horticultural 

 Society. 



