HORTICULTURE. 753 



has been observed between them, except that for the first 6 or 8 years 

 the whole root trees threw up from their roots more water sprouts than 

 the piece root trees. 



Prune growing in Oregon, TJ. P. Hedrick (Oregon Sta. Bui. 45, 

 pp. 5—75) Jigs. 18, ph. 4). — This is a popular discussion of prune growing, 

 including climate and soils, planting, cultivating, pruning, thinning 

 fruit, cross-pollination, varieties, stocks, picking fruit, curing and evapo- 

 rating it, evaporators, diseases of prunes, etc. 



About 20,000 acres are devoted to prune growing in the State, mainly 

 in the Willamette and Umpqua River valleys. Bich, loamy river bot- 

 lom and valley soils are recommended as best for prune growing. Shal- 

 low soils are to be avoided. Myrobalan plum is most used as a stock for 

 grafting prunes, though Marianua is considered a better stock by the 

 author, because it does not dwarf the tree, its seedlings are not so varia- 

 ble, its roots do not sucker so much, it unites with all varieties of prunes, 

 and cuttings from it root much easier than from the Myrobalan. Thin- 

 ning fruit is strongly recommended. Descriptions are given of most 

 varieties of prunes that have been tried in the State and of many others 

 that have succeeded in California. 



Descriptive notes on the shot hole fungus (CyUndrosporium padi), 

 brown rot (Monilia fructigena), black knot (Ploicright'm morbosa i, prune 

 rust (Puccinia pruni), curl leaf of the Italian prune, and gummosis are 

 given, together with remedies for each. Studies at the station have led 

 to the belief that "gummosis is the result of a degeneration of the tissues 

 of the tree, brought about by injuries, principally by frost, and secondly 

 sun scald." The author also thinks that overcultivation and lack of 

 drainage may cause the trouble. He recommends wrapping the trees 

 with heavy paper, cloth, or straw to protect them from frost and sun- 

 scald, and favors any treatment that will insure thorough maturity of 

 the wood. The author considers the curl leaf of the Italian prune to be 

 closely associated with injury from hot waves to the somewhat delicate 

 epidermal leaf cells of the Italian prune. 



The composition of Oregon prunes, G. W. Shaw (Oregon Sta. 

 Bid. 45, pp. 91-98). — A preliminary investigation of the composition of 

 Oregon prunes is reported. The author briefly discusses the importance 

 of such studies. Tables showing the composition of samples of both 

 fresh and dried prunes of different varieties are given, together with 

 explanatory notes on the analyses. 



The average weight of the Petite prunes examined was 24.9 gm., of 

 the Italian prunes, 32.4 gm.; the ratio of pits to fruit in the Petite 

 averaged 1 :14, in the Italians 1 :19. A comparison of ripe and unripe 

 fruit was made, the ripe fruit being such as fell from the trees after a 

 very gentle shake, and the unripe such a fell only after a very vigorous 

 shake. The comparison showed that from 100 lbs. of fresh ripe fruit 

 there could be obtained 40 lbs. of dried fruit, and from an equal quantity 

 of unripe fruit only 35 lbs. The edible portion of the product of the 



