354 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



of Sharpless, Van Deinan, Beder Wood, aud Hunu. Beder Wood gave 

 the best results. It has the advantage of being perfect flowered, early, 

 and having a comparatively small amount of foliage. Its disadvantage 

 is the light color of its berries. The Beder Wood of the first lot aver- 

 aged 6 berries per plant. From 8 to 12 plants yielded a quart of fruit. 



The prices and demand for winter-grown strawberries are noted. 

 The authors recommend starting with very strong plants which have 

 been kept growing vigorously and which are free from insects aud 

 fungus diseases, the use of early, perfect-flowered varieties, devoting 

 an entire house to the crop, growing plants near the glass, hand-polli- 

 nation in dull weather, liberal use of liquid manure after the berries 

 have set, and keeping the fruit from wet surfaces. 



Small fruit trials at the college, L. E. Taft aud H. P. Gladden 

 (Michigan Sta. Bui, 142, pp. 149-103).— Tabular data are given compar- 

 ing the vigor and productiveness of plants, the size, form, color, quality, 

 and firmness of fruit, and the date of blooming and ripening of 126 

 varieties of strawberries. Descriptive notes are given on 29 varieties 

 which fruited for the first time at the college in 1896, and on 20 new 

 varieties of 1895. The yield of the perfect-flowering varieties was much 

 smaller than of imperfect ones. The authors believe the difference to 

 be due to the weakening effect of pollen production. 



Similar tabular data are given on 23 varieties of black and hybrid 

 raspberries and 17 varieties of red raspberries. Descriptive notes are 

 given ou 22 varieties of black and hybrid raspberries, 13 red raspberries, 

 3 blackberries, 1 dewberry, 18 grapes, and the Mayberry, Loganberry, 

 wineberry, aud strawberry-raspberry. 



Wind-breaks, P. W. Card (Nebraska Sta. Bui. 48, pp. 69-96, figs. 3, 

 pis. 2). —The bulletin treats of wind-breaks in relation to fruit produc- 

 tion, giving the results of experiments at the station and a summary of 

 the views of fruit growers on the subject. 



Circulars were sent to fruit growers throughout Nebraska and in 

 other States, requesting their observations and opinions on matters 

 relating to the effect of wind-breaks on fruit production. The replies 

 indicate that, while there are some objections to the use of wind-breaks, 

 their advantages entirely outweigh their disadvantages. The most 

 prominent beneficial tendencies of wind-breaks on the western plains 

 are to conserve moisture during the growing season by checking the 

 evaporation from soil and plants, to protect plants from occasional hot 

 winds, and to prevent the loss of fruit from windfalls. A beneficial 

 effect of less importance in the West is the tendency to hold snow in 

 place. A disadvantage of wind-breaks is the favorable conditions they 

 sometimes afford to the development of plant diseases, especially apple 

 blight iu the West and grape diseases in the East. Wind-breaks may 

 also in rare instances either prevent or induce frost. The protection 

 wind breaks give to insects and birds is sometimes detrimental and 

 sometimes beneficial. 



