1010] 



HORTICULTURE. 741 



In relation to the keeping quality of apples clearly indicates thai bo long as 

 moisture conditions are such as to produce normal fruit, the keeping quality 

 of the frail is not noticeably modified by thai factor. 



Experiments with orchard cover crops were continued, it was concluded 

 that In the rainfall section the late plowing under of the growing cover crop in 

 the Bpring resulted in the production of humus at the expense of the fruit crop; 

 hence onlj very limited value can l >* • derived from cover crops In the orchards 

 of eastern Washington. Nitrate of Boda lias given promising results In the 

 renovation of prune orchards in Clarke County. A list is given of i>"tai" 

 varieties for different sections of Washington. A study of frost Injury to 

 tender plants and fruit tree blossoms lias shown the amount of frosl injury 

 to be In many cases inversely in proportion to the amount of new growth 

 developed by the plant. Blossoms produced by the more vigorous plants are 

 more easily killed than those produced by less vigorous plants. 



Report from the division of horticulture for the year ended March 31, 

 1917, W. T. Ma.iun bt al. (Canada Expt. Farms Rpts. 1917, pp. 15, 16, 19, 

 35-38, 6>J, 70, !>,, 75. 80, 81, 87. 90, 91,-108, t05, 109, 114, til, 118, 121, 124, li 

 132, 133, 135, 1S6, 189, 140, l'i'i. 147, 148).— A brief progress report on horticul- 

 tural work at the Central Farm, together with notes on tests of fruits, veg» 

 tables, and ornamentals, at the branch farms and stations. 



Experiments with fertilizers on greenhouse crops, T. H. White (Maryland 

 Sta. Bui. 222 (WIS), i>p. 75-iu, fig. I). — A number of experiments designed to 

 determine the value of various organic and inorganic materials as fertilizers 

 for roses, carnations, and chrysanthemums are reported, together with sug- 

 gestions for using fertilizers. 



The author concludes from the studies as a whole that the best general 

 fertilizer for greenhouse crops is cow manure. When cow manure is mixed 

 witli tlie soil so that it is sufficiently rich none of the Other manures or fer- 

 tilizers seem to have any other effect than to make the foliage darker green in 

 color. Dried sheep, cattle, or hog manure induced the growth of mote and 

 longer shoots on carnations than the chemical fertilizers, hut dried horse 

 manure did not seem to have much direct manurial value. 



Raw bone meal or phosphate rock with dried blood were good fertilizers for 

 roses. A mulch of stable manure placed around rose plains Induced a new 

 growth of shoots when chemical fertilizers failed to do so. Either organic or 

 inorganic fertilizers in solution gave good results with carnations. Nit rati' of 

 soda applied at the rate of 3 oz. to 20 sip it. of bench space once a month, 

 beginning February 1, was a good fertilizer for carnations. 1 tried blood, raw 

 bone meal, and nitrate of soda gave as good results with chrysanthemums as 

 the commercial brands of chemical fertilizers or I Ik- dried animal manures. As 

 measured by the growth of chrysanthemums, leaching proved to lie a good 

 practice on solid beds of soil that had not been changed for several years. 

 Enough water should be applied to cover the bed at least '1 in. deep, if none of 

 it soaked Into the soil. 



The pollination of greenhouse tomatoes, T. 11. White (Maryland Sta. Bui. 

 222 (1918), pp. 98-101, figs. 2). -Four crops of tomatoes were grown in these 

 studies, J. W. Reichard and A. White assisting in the work. Natural pollina- 

 tion was compared with hand pollination, 10 varieties being used. 



Generally speaking, band pollinations made a large increase iii the quantity 

 and size of the fruit. The Chalk Jewel variety was bast benefited by hand 

 pollination and did not bear heavily under either method. The Hubert Marvel 

 and Sterling Castle varieties set fruit nearly as well with natural as with 

 hand pollination. Reichard suggests that this is due to the fact that these 



