HORTICULTURE. 



95T 



satisfactory results. Myrtle, lieliotrope, and fuchsias watered with liquid manure made 

 up of a mixture containing 13 i)er cent phosphoric acid, 13 nitrogen, and 11 per cent 

 potash, and diluted with water in the proportion of 1:1,000, have given very good 

 results. Analyses of the parts of the plants above ground show c-onsiderable increase 

 in the percentage of ash content of the plants receiving the fertilizer. Other experi- 

 ments in fertilizing tobacco, tomatoes, coleus, and begonias with the commercial 

 fertilizer known as "Martellin" are reported, but without striking results. In an 

 examination of apples which had been stored in a cellar for 3 months, it was found 

 that in 6 out of 8 cases there was a considerable decrease in the specific gravity, acid, 

 sugar, and extract content. In the other 2 cases there Avas an increase in specific 

 gravity, acid, sugar, and extract content. The changes which took place in the 

 composition of different blueberry wines after Si years' storage in a cellar are 

 tabulated. 



Caoutchouc plants and their culture, O. Warbirg, trans, by J. Vilbouchevitch 

 {Les plantes a caoutchotic d leur ciillKve. Paris: A. Challamel, 190^, pp. XVI -^307, 

 Hgs. 26) . — Attention was called to this work when it appeared first in the original 

 German (E. S. R., 12, p. 955). In the present translation into French the text of 

 the German has been closely followed. The translator has included such new facts 

 regarding the value of different species of caoutchouc-producing trees and the 

 methods of handling them as have come to light since the oriijinal publication 

 appeared in 1900. The statistics of caoutchouc production and consumption have 

 also been brought up to date. Many other supplementary notes have ))een added, 

 besides a valuable index. These new features have increased the size of the work to 

 nearly double that of the original volume, and have added greatly to its usefulness. 



Vanilla, its culture, and some notes on apiculture as an economic auxiliary- 

 agent in its fertilization, E. D. Duran {La vanilla, su cultivo, el beneficio y algunos 

 apuntes sobre apicultura como un agenle auxiliar economico para la fecundacion. Guate- 

 mala: MiniMerio de Fomenio, 1899, pp. 36). — A popular treatise. 



Experiments in subirrigation of flower beds, F. Cranefield ( Wisconsin Sta. 

 Rpt. 1901, pp. 321-326, figs. 4)- — A comparison was made as to the cost and value of 

 surface and subwatering flowerbeds. The beds were each 5i by 8 ft. In the surface 

 watered bed the ground was prepared by simply spading it 1 ft. deep. One sub- 

 watered bed was first excavated to a depth of 17 in. The sides were bricked 12 in. 

 high and the bottom covered with a 2-inch layer of cement. Gravel 2 in. deep was 

 then spread on the bottom and a little freshly cut grass spread over it to prevent the 

 soil from working into the gravel. A vertical tile reaching into the gravel was then 

 set up at one end of the bed to serve as an inlet for water. In the case of the other 

 subwatered bed, the ground was excavated to a depth of 15 in., the bottom and sides 

 puddled with clay, and a layer of glazed sewer pipe placed midway in the bed, with 

 lines of common drain tile branching off on either side. After the.«e beds were refilled 

 with earth, all were planted to castor beans, Caladium, cosmos, Pennisetum, coleus, 

 and canna plants. The growth of these plants was most luxuriant in the subirrigated 

 beds and the plants in the cement bottoni bed made a stronger growth, were more 

 vigorous, and blossomed more freely than in the tile watered bed. The following 

 table shows the differences in average height of {)lants in the different beds: 



Heigld grontli of plants in surface and Kuhiratered beds. 



Surface watered 



Subwatered (cement) 

 Subwatered uile) 



Castor 

 beans. 



Cosmos. 



Feet. 

 4.8 

 8.0 

 7.0 



Feel. 

 4.7 

 5.0 

 4.7 



Coleus. 



Pennise- 

 tum. 



Feet. 

 1.7 

 3.2 

 2.6 



Feet. 



3.7 

 4.7 

 4.5 



