HORTICULTURE. 549 



per cent, but that when taken from a very dry climate to a moist region tlie gain 

 may amoutxt to 25 per cent. Oats were much less su1)j('ct to fluc^tuatiom^. The 

 heavies^t loss observed was 3.4 per cent in oats stored from fall until May. In one 

 instance there was a loss of only 7 lbs. in 100 bu. The loss of weight in corn when 

 the entire i)lant is stored in the silo is quite marked. Four tests showed an average 

 loss of S.32 percent. In some instances the loss varied from 14.57 to 20.36 per cent. 

 When tiie entire corn plant was cured in tlie field the variations tluring sulisetpient 

 storiiig depended u|)on the dryness of the air. In one case 4.8 tons of cured fodder 

 whicii had been cut September 1, weighed 7.5 tons on the 8th of the February 

 following; and in another, 25.5 tons of green corn weighed 5.2 tons after curing on 

 November 11 and 8.5 tons by February 8. Corn husked when very damp and 

 cribbed early in October lost 30 per cent in weight by the middle of February, while 

 dry corn cribbed October 21 lost 11 per cent by the last of January. Other cases on 

 record show a shrinkage of less than 3 per cent by January 1. Losses of 9 and 20 

 per cent during an entire year are recorded for ear corn which was quite dry when 

 put in the cril). At husking time the cob represents fully one-fourth of the total 

 weight of the ear, but when properly stored until sjiring the weight of the cob 

 decreases to less than one-fifth of the weight of the ear. The results of experiments 

 made at Houghton Farm showed a loss of about 7.45 percent in the weight of shelled 

 corn from October to March., while the loss in the cobs was fully 36 per cent. 

 Results on record show that 2 tons of fairly dry and well-stored Hungarian grass 

 seed lost 96 lbs. in weight from November until the following July. Very dry tim- 

 othy hay put in the mow from the field on June 27 lost only 7 per cent in 6 months. 

 In other instances timothy hay lost 13.8, 15.7, and 21.7 per cent during storage. A 

 case is reported where early and late cut timothy lost in the barn Ijetween fall and 

 spring 29 and 21.5 per cent respectively. It is stated that clover, from the time it is 

 mown until it is perfecth' cured loses about 60 per cent in weight. Well-cured 

 clover hay lost in one instance 9 percent and in another only 3.6 per cent by Novem- 

 ber. In still another instance the loss amounted to 11.2 per cent between July and 

 February. A crop of clover sown in March and cut in August had lost 22.6 per cent 

 in weight by spring. Observations on the shrinkage of cord wood have been previ- 

 ously reported (E. S. R., 10, p. 195). 



Grain elevators, N. A. Cobb {Agr. Gaz. Xew South Wales, 13 ( 1901), No. 2, pp. 

 255-SOl, Ji(/.f. 29, pi. 1) . — This is a comprehensive discussion of the elevator and bag 

 systems of handling grain. Special attention is given to the American, European, 

 and Australian elevator systems, and different appliances and apparatus are dis- 

 cribed and figured. 



HORTICULTURE. 



Som^e results obtained in crossbreeding plants, B. D. Halstead {Proc. New 

 Jersey Stale Iloii. Soc, 20 (1901), pp. 144-150). — Some results obtained in crossbreeding 

 corn, dwarf Lima beans, tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, and salsify are noted. With 

 the Lima beans the cross was made bekveen Henderson and Burpee varieties, the idea 

 being to condjine the prolificacy of the former with the large size and good quality 

 of the latter. The Burpee was used as the niother plant in each instance. The 

 crossed plants were remarkably vigorous and productive. Some closely approached 

 the Henderson and others the Burpee. It is believed that by further crossing or 

 inbree<ling, j)rofitable new sorts may be secured. A hybrid was also obtained by 

 cro.ssing the ordinary cultivated salsify, having violet-purple flowers, with the wild 

 species, having yellow flowers, which promises to be more resistant to blight and 

 mold than the (jrdinary salsify. 



Composition of artichokes, C. H. Jonks and B. 0. WnrrE ( Vermont Stu. Rpt. 

 1900, pp. 3d2-386). — Improved French white artichokes, a variety of Helianthus 



