HORTICULTUKE. 669 



and were also characterized by a long, slender form, the seed end being narrow and 

 undeveloped. 



Pollen taken from Kieffer trees 50 miles distant were no more effective than pollen 

 from the same tree. The difference in the degree of self- fertility was noted in dif- 

 ferent orchards, where in some places no self-fertilized pears developed, and in one 

 case more than half of the total number of self-fertilized pears grew on a tree at 

 Newark. 



For practical purposes, therefore, it is believed that the Kieffer should usually be 

 looked upon as a variety that is improved by a pollenizer. There seems to be no 

 ideal pollenizer for the Kieffer at present. The Garber is frequently used, but not 

 enough is yet known about this variety to feel sure of its bearing tendencies. The 

 Le Conte is subject to rot at the core, while Manning, Duchess, Howell, and Bartlett 

 blight badly. 



A pollenizer which equals the Kieffer in vigor, fruitfulness, and beauty and far 

 surpasses it in quality is wanted. 



The classification of plums, F. Craxefield (Ann. Rpt. Wisconsin State Hort. 

 Soc, 34 (1904), pp- 145-153). — A pomological classification is given of our cultivated 

 plums, including the European and Asiatic sorts and the native American plums. 

 A list is given of 40 well-known varieties of native plums, showing the species to 

 which each belongs and the source of origin whether from the wild or under 

 cultivation. 



It is stated that at least 90 per cent of the seedlings of any given variety of plum 

 will fruit earlier than the parent. The best varieties produce the best seedlings. 

 "Certain varieties, as the Quaker, produce seedlings varying but little from the seed 

 parent, while others, as the Wildgoose, break easily into a multitude of types." 



Chemical composition of some tropical fruits and their products, E. M. 

 Ciiace, L. M. Tolman, and L. S. Munson ( U. S. J>>/>t. Ayr., Bureau of Chemistry Bui. 

 87, pp. 38). — The authors report special studies of Cuban fruits, ami fresh and pre- 

 served pineapple. The Cuban fruits examined included oranges, grapefruit or 

 pomelos, limes, fresh and preserved, sweet lemons, tamarinds, fresh and preserved, 

 guava and guava preserves, bananas, mangoes and mango preserves, anonas, fresh 

 and preserved, sapotas, fresh and preserved, mamey, fresh and preserved, hicaco, 

 cashew (Maranon), and star apple (Caimito). 



In addition to the usual data, ash analyses of these fruits and of pineapples were 

 also determined. Attention is called to the fact that the ash of but few of the fruits 

 is characteristic. "The citrus fruits contain somewhat large amounts of lime and 

 iron. . . . The ash of the tamarind contains an extremely large amount of silica, 

 of which not quite 3 per cent is sand. Banana ashes are low in lime and magnesia 

 and high in chlorin. . . . 



" It is difficult to explain such results, inasmuch as the analyst worked upon the 

 flesh alone and employed the usual methods of obtaining the ash. In order to 

 ascertain the quantity of chlorin lost during the combustion of the pulp, two sam- 

 ples were ignited with sodium carbonate, the chlorin determined and calculated 

 back to the ash. It was found that if all the chlorin occurring in the pulp could he 

 obtained in the ash it would amount to only 16 per cent. Naturally a somewhat 

 lower result was obtained by the writer using ordinary methods of combustion, but 

 amounts of chlorin 10 per cent greater have been reported by another analyst. a 



"The ashes of the mangoes and the anome show nothing characteristic; those of 

 the mamey, sapota, and hicaco contain large amounts of chlorin, twice as much as any 

 of the other samples, although the caimito also contains a large amount of this con- 

 stituent. The pineapple ash shows no marked amount of any constituent by which 

 it could be identified, though it contains more than the average amount of potash. 



a California Sta. Rpt. 1892-3, p. 277. 



