HORTICULTURE. G45 



to forcing fruits and vegetables ; and the like. Vegetables and orna- 

 mental gardening are mentioned as affording valuable lines of work. 



Depth of sowing and planting, B. D. Halsted (New Jersey Stas. 

 Bpt. 1896, pp. 3.95, 396). — Beet seed covered 4 to G in. failed to germinate. 

 There was little difference in results from seed planted 2 in. and 1 in. 

 deep. With beans about one-half as many seed germinated in the G in. 

 planting and about two-thirds as many in the 4 in. planting as in the 

 1 in. planting. Beans, when planted 4 and G in. deep and the drills 

 filled gradually as the plants developed, germinated as well as those 

 planted at the ordinary depth, and the yield was practically the same 

 in all cases. With potatoes planted 4, G, and S in. deep, the 6 in. plant- 

 ing gave the largest yield, also the greatest percentage of scab, while 

 the 4 in. planting gave the smallest yield and percentage of scab. 



Experiments with mulching, B. I). Halsted (New Jersey Stas. 

 Bpt. 1896, pp. 393-395). — Mulchings of fresh hay, salt hay, and excel- 

 sior were employed with several vegetables. There was no appreciable 

 difference in yield of peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, tomatoes, beets, 

 and second crop of beans between the mulched and unmulched rows. 

 The mulched rows of the first crop of beans gave a somewhat larger 

 yield than the unmulched. The difference between the results here 

 reported and those of 1895 (E. S. R., 8, p. 886) the author believes to be 

 due to the greater rainfall in 189G. Salt hay was found better for 

 mulching than either of the other materials tried. 



Irrigation of garden crops, B. I). Halsted (New Jersey Stas. 

 Bpt. 1896, pp. 338-383). — This is a continuation of the experiment 

 reported in Bulletin 115 of the station (E. S. R., 8,. p. 127), a summary 

 of which is given in this report. The quantities of water applied to 

 the various crops and the dates of the applications are shown in tables. 

 With a majority of the crops irrigation in a season of normal rainfall 

 was found to be unprofitable. 



The yield of the first crop of peas was increased nearly 30 per cent 

 and the weight of the vines doubled by irrigation. In the second crop 

 the weight of the vines on the irrigated plat was somewhat less than 

 on the others. Few pods developed in either case on account of blight. 

 Tomatoes yielded less, the fruit was more spotted and more cracked 

 in the irrigated than in the unirrigated plats. As to the prevalence of 

 leaf blight, little difference could be seen between the irrigated and the 

 unirrigated plats. 



Irrigation had little effect on the yield of beans, peppers, cucumbers, 

 beets, turnips, and eggplants; on the amount of scab and blight of 

 beets; and on the amount of leaf blight and fruit rot of eggplants. 

 The proportion of turnips affected with club root was about the same 

 in the two cases, but the affected roots were somewhat more severely 

 injured on the irrigated than on the unirrigated plats. The amount of 

 bacterial blight of beans was somewhat greater in the case of the 

 unirrigated than of the irrigated plants. 



In the experiment with Rural No. 2, American Giant, and Early 



