970 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



was omitted from the complete fertilizer the plants were yellowish, the leaves thick 

 and small, the stems weak, and the flowers few in number, small, and liollow at the 

 center. 



The results secured with good potting soils in the other experiments on the whole 

 indicate that a potting soil for chrysanthemums should contain '2h gm. of nitrogen, 

 I2 gm. of phosphoric acid, and I4- gm. of potash per kilogram. For the out-door 

 culture of chrysanthemums it is suggested that the chrysanthemum soil contain at 

 least li gm. of nitrogen, 1 gm. of potash, and 1 gm. of phosphoric acid per kilogram. 

 In practice it is advised that a soil for chrysanthemums be made up of 2 parts of 

 good sandy loam and 1 part of leaf mold. These should he thoroughly mixed and 

 a sample sent to a chemi.-;t {or analysis. With a knowledge of the elements that a 

 chrysanthemum soil should contain the fertilizers to be added can be easily deter- 

 mined. An excess of nitrogen in the soil favors the development of diseases. Should 

 this element be lacking it may be added in the form of dried blood, horn, or guano. 

 Potash is best added in the form of sulphate of potash and phosphoric acid in the 

 form of superphosphate of bone or of precipitated phosphate. With the chrysan- 

 themums grown in pots it is extremely desirable that soluble manures be added, 

 beginning about August 15. 



The effect of climate on the different plants is shown quite clearly. There was a 

 different-e of aI)out 3 weeks in the development of the plants 1)etween Lille and 

 Avignon. The fertilizers also appeared to l)e more effective in the north of France 

 than in the south. 



Conference on roses at the Holland House (Jour. R<kj. J fori. Soc [/>o»t/o»], J7 

 {1903) , No. 2-3, pp. 445-563, figs. 34). — At this conference, which was held in London, 

 June 21 and 25, 1902, the following papers wei-e presented: A Synoptic Table of the 

 Sections of the Genus Rosa According to the Classification of M. Crepin, by .1. 

 Geromc; Rose Forcing in America, by Anne Dorrance; Some Wild Asiatic Roses, by 

 M. L. de Vilmorin; New Hybrids to Aim at, by Viviand-jMorel ; On Different Ways 

 of Striking Roses, V)y Viviand-]Morel; Sensitiveness of Cultivated Roses to Changes 

 of Weather, by E. ^lawley; The Hybrid Tea, by J. H. Pemberton; Exhibition Roses, 

 by <i. Paul, etc. 



Mendel's principles applied to orchid hybrids, ('. C. IIukst {Jour. Boi/. Hort. 

 Soc. iLondoii], 27 {1902), No. 2-3, pp. 614-624, figr.. .?).— The hybrid orchid Pnpliio- 

 pedlhnn X Leeanmn, obtained by crossing the 2 species Pnpliioped'dum spiccriainiui 

 and /'. insigne, was crossed with F. boxallii with the idea of testing Mendel's theory 

 as to the purity of the single character determinants in the germ cells of hybrids. 

 During the pas- 4 years 49 hybrids thus obtained have flowered. There was an 

 extremely wide variation in the form and color of the different hybrids, no two of 

 the flowers obtained lieing alike, and the extreme forms were very distinct. If the 

 species P. spicerlanuin be represenled by S, P. insigne by I, Paphiopcdilum X Lecaiiuiii 

 by SI, Paphiopediltnii boxallii by B, progeny of the crosses of the two latter, accord- 

 ing to Mendel's theory, must come out for any single character, either BS or BI, but 

 not BSI. This is exactly what happened. The dorsal sepal of the hybrid was 

 selected as the single character for investigation and examined with respect to (1) 

 groundcolor, (2) markings on ground color^and (3) median band, the average for 

 these 3 factors being 76 BS and 71 BI, which is a fair approximation to the ecjuality 

 which Mendel's theory presumes. It is therefore believed that as far as these 

 experiments go "they conflrm JNIendel's theory of the purity of the determinants in 

 the germ cells of hybrids . . . and for all practical purposes Mendel's jirinciples 

 may be safely accepted as a working f jrnuila for the hybridist in general, and the 

 orchid hybridist in particular." Illustrations are given of 32 of the hybrids which 

 happened to flower together. 



The book of the -wild garden, S. W. Fitzhekbert {London and New York: John 

 Lane, 1903, pp. 96, pis. 9). — Cultural and descriptive notes on hardy plants for out- 



