1916] HORTICULTURE. 41 



damage from lower temperatures near the tanks. The cars required a very 

 small amount of ice during transit. 



A refrigerator car loaded with precooled fruit .showed a rapid cooling down at 

 the beginning of the trip as compared with a slow rate of cooling in a refriger- 

 ator car loaded with fruit not precooled. 



Pruning the bearing' prune tree, V. K. Gabdnee (Better Fruit, 10 (1916), No. 



9, pp. 9-11, fifjs. 6). — A discussion of pruning with special reference to the 

 maintenance and proper distribution of fruit spurs in bearing prune trees. 



Gooseberries, O. M. Taylor (New York State Sta. Circ. 46 (1915), pp. 5). — 

 Concise directions are given for growing gooseberries, including information 

 relative to the control of insects and diseases and varieties. 



Winter protection of the Vinifera grape, F. Garcia and J. W. Rigney 

 (Neiv Mexico t<ta. Bui. 100' (1016), pp. 32, figs. 10).— Thin bulletin describes 

 experiments started in 1006 to determine, among other things, the effect of 

 winter protection upon the vines and yield of five varieties of Vinifera grapes. 



Summing up the results for several seasons it was found that the simple bank- 

 ing up of the dirt around the vinos protected them during the winter and that 

 the yields were very satisfactory. Unprotected vines were winter injured every 

 time, except once, when there was considerable rainfall during the winter. 

 With reference to resistance to winter temperatures Muscat of Alexandria and 

 New Mexico Mission were most resistant, followed by the Black Cornichon 

 variety. The Emperor and Flame Tokay varieties were slightly less hardy 

 than the Black Cornichon. 



Irrigating the vines alone without covering them did not prevent winter 

 injuiy. Vines that were irrigated either before or riglit after covering showed 

 no material advantage over those covered and not irrigated, but irrigation either 

 before or after covering did not make the vines any more susceptible to winter 

 injury, and irrigating just before covering makes the plowing of the soil and 

 the banking of the vines easier. 



Directions are given for banking up and uncovering the vines. The observa- 

 tions indicate that it is a good plan to uncover the vines from two to four 

 weeks before the pruning takes place, which, at the station, is usually done the 

 first week in April. If the vines are left covered too long the base buds are apt 

 to grow and be injured, either in pruning or uncovering. The two or three 

 weeks difference in time of covering did not show any material influence on the 

 yield. In general it is recommended that the vines be covered from two to 

 three weeks after the first frost. 



The hybrid direct bearers in the valley of the Rhone in 1915, A. Des- 

 MOULiNS and V, Villakd (Proff. Agr. et Vit. (Ed. VEst-Centre), 37 (1916), Nos. 



10, pp. 228, 229; 11, pp. 258-260; 12, pp. 274-279; 13, pp. 306-311).— Tlnn is the 

 usual progress i-eport (E. S. 11., 34, p. 231) relative to the behavior of a large 

 number of hybrid direct bearing grapes, with special reference to their resist- 

 ance to disease and drought and their adaptation to various soil conditions. 



The two groups of varieties of the Hicora pecan and their relation to 

 self-sterility, H. P. Stuckey (Proc. Soc. Hort. ScL, 12 (1915), pp. 41-44).— A 

 report of investigations conducted at the Georgia Experiment Station, the 

 results of which are summarized above. 



Dahlias and their culture, F. H. Hall (New York State Sta. Circ. 43 (1915), 

 pp. 23, pis. 8). — In this circular the author gives a brief history of dahlias, 

 together with the classification of dahlias as recently adopted by the American 

 Dahlia Society, and descriptive lists of various types of dahlias considered 

 worthy of recommendation for general culture. Concise directions for the 

 culture and care of dahlias are also included. 



