HORTICULTURE. 367 



regarding ginseng seeds. These should never be allowed to dry out, as they lose 

 vitality quickly by drying. They may be tested by throwing in water; those that 

 float are worthless. 



Recently considerable Japanese ginseng seed has been imported and sold as Amer- 

 ican seed because it is cheaper. The Japanese seed produces an inferior variety of 

 ginseng. It can be detected by the fact that it has ridges over its surface which are 

 not possessed by the American seed. Samples of seed which were claimed to be 

 of Manchurian origin were sent to the author for examination, but in every case have 

 been found spurious. 



The cultivation of mushrooms, B. M. Duggar (U. S. Dept. Agr., Farmers' Bui. 

 204, pp. 24, figs. 10). — This bulletin is designed to take the place of an earlier number 

 of this series (E. S. R., 9, p. 357). It contains directions for the commercial culture 

 of mushrooms, with an account of the insects and diseases affecting them, and direc- 

 tions for making spawn. 



The author advocates the tissue method of spawn culture which is described essen- 

 tially as follows: Test tubes or large-mouth bottles are filled with fresh stable manure 

 or with a compost and then sterilized. This material is then inoculated by selecting 

 from a bed of vigorous growing mushrooms a variety which has proved unusually 

 prolific. With a sterilized scalpel and forceps, the stem is broken off and the outer 

 skin peeled off. Small bits of the tissue of the mushroom are then taken and used 

 to inoculate the manure in the sterilized bottles. 



It has been found that within the course of a week, or sometimes within 2 days, 

 these bits of tissue will send out a small growth of mycelium which spreads to all 

 parts of the tube or bottle within 3 or 4 weeks. This material can then be used as 

 pure culture virgin spawn for inoculating bricks. This method of producing spawn 

 has been found to be commercially practicable, and 3 varieties of mushrooms named, 

 respectively, Alaska (a white sort), Bohemia (a brown sort), and Columbia (an 

 intermediate or cream-gray sort), have been developed which can be reproduced 

 true to type. 



Early garden peas, X. E. Hansen ( South Dakota Sta. Bui. 85, pp. 8). — In coopera- 

 tion with this Department the author tested 153 varieties of garden peas and the 

 results as regards the yields, period of growth, size and shape of pods, quality of 

 peas, etc., are tabulated for 80 of the earlier sorts. The earliest varieties were Alaska, 

 Extra Early, Thorburn Extra Early Market, First of All, First and Best, Pedigree 

 P^xtra Early. Some of the prolific late sorts of fine quality were Abundance, Admi- 

 ral, Stratagem, Everbearing, Bliss Everbearing, and Sutton Satisfaction. 



Recent cultural experiments with Pe-tsaii, J. Ctre (Rer. Ilort., 76 (1904), No. 

 16, pp. 387, 388). — The author recently conducted some experiments with Chinese 

 cabbage, P6-tsai, to see if a crop could not be grown without running to seed. Three 

 different seedings were made on the same day. The first was made in a very warm 

 bed with the idea of burning the first sprouts that germinated. They did not come 

 up until after those sown in the cold soil were showing. These plants were pricked 

 out when the cotyledons were well developed. Thus treated it was found necessary 

 to water them frequently. 



None of the plants seeded in the hot soil obtained full development. Two plants 

 developed to about f of their size, and in no case was the rudiment of a floral stem 

 observed. A second seeding was made in a bed less warm than the first. At the 

 end of 48 hours all the seeds had shown a good state of vegetation, ihese plants 

 were not pricked out before setting in permanent places. It w r as from this seeding 

 that the best results were obtained. Some of the fully developed plants obtained a 

 height of 55 to 60 centimeters with a head weight in some cases of 3 to 4 kg. In no 

 instance were seed stalks produced with this lot of plants. 



With the third seeding made in cold soil practically all of the plants went to seed 

 and none produced heads. From these experiments it is believed that in order to 



