HORTICULTURE. 1 5 5 



14, p. 250), to the effect that French-grown peed produces plants true to type, while 

 American seed produces plants man)' of which air pithy and green. This result is 

 believed to be due to the more thorough " rogueing" practiced by French seedsmen. 

 In the station experiments seed was raised from a typical stalk of the < roldefi Self- 

 Blanching variety that was completely pithy. Of 12 plants grown from this seed 

 every one was pithy, and 11 of the 12 developed into large, coarse-growing green 

 plants having no resemblance whatever to the type of Golden Self-Blanching. 



" During the same year seed was saved from a solid stalk and from a pithy stalk of 

 Dwarf Golden Heart. From the seed of the solid stalk 14 plants were started and 

 12 harvested. The 12 plants were true to the type and free from pithiness. From 

 the pithy stalk, 20 plants were raised and everyone pithy. They showed as decided 

 reversion of type as the plants from the pithy seed of the Golden Self Blanching 

 variety. Many of the plants from the pithy seed showed the fine parsley-like foliage 

 so common in the wild species. 



"After giving this matter careful study there seems to be no doubt but thai pithi- 

 ness in celery is due to the parent plant, and not to any extent to the soil, methods 

 of culture, etc. We believe that the foregoing results fully prove the inference made 

 in Bulletin 83, that pithiness in American celery is due to a lack of 'rogueing' or 

 removing of the pithy plants from the seed beds of American celery seed ,y ruwers> 

 We also believe that green plants that are not true to the type are caused by the 

 same oversight, namely, by not removing from the seed beds every plant that does 

 not conform to the type of Golden Self-Blanching celery. From a very small amount 

 of work with several other varieties of celery, we are convinced that what is true of 

 the Golden Self-Blanching is true of them. 



"The cause of pithiness is hereditary and dates back to the seed-producing plant. 

 The difference in soil, cultivation, season, methods of handling, etc., has very little 

 to do with causing pithiness. The seed is contaminated before it reaches the grower, 

 by a condition that he can not help." 



A table is given showing the relative amount of pithy and green celery produced 

 by seed from 29 different seed firms. In some cases as much as 30 per cent of the 

 plants grown were pithy. It is believed that much of the so-called French seed 

 obtained from American sources is adulterated with American seed, and directions 

 are given for detecting such adulterations. The authors believe that "just as good 

 seed can be gi'own in this country as in Europe, if our growers will give the same 

 care and attention to it. In our work it has been the rarest case to find a pithy or 

 green stalk in celery seed that is imported direct from the best growers in Europe. 

 We believe that such a record can be established by our American growers, if they 

 will 'rogue' their plants, by removing all plants that are pithy and that do not con- 

 form to the type of the variety wanted." 



Ovidius, a new winter vegetable, G. T. Grigxax (Rev. Hort. [Paris], 76 

 (1904), Ab. 8, pp. 177-179, figs. 2).— Under the name of "Ovidius" the plant Crambe 

 tularin has this year been introduced to French commerce. One of the peculiarities 

 which it is claimed must be observed in the culture of this plant is that the seeds 

 must not be covered. If covered with soil they fail to germinate. Germination at 

 best appears to be very slow and irregular. In the fall the young plants are covered 

 over with earth about 2 meters deep, through which the blanched stalks push their 

 way the following March or April. One of the advantages of the plant is that it 

 comes early in the season before asparagus. The decapitated plants form new shoots 

 which serve for production the following year. Directions are given for preparing 

 the plant for the table. 



The seeds of garden beans, Dexaiffe (Jardin, IS (1904), No. 412, pp. 110-118, 

 figs. 4)- — French varieties of garden beans are classified and illustrations given of 

 the seeds of about 60 varieties. 



8405— No. 2—04 4 



