HORTICULTURE. 151 



A note is given on experiments with fertilizers on newly set bogs. In this work 

 there was some evidence of fertilizer injury which, it is believed, was caused by 

 lack of proper drainage and irrigation. 



The cultivation of peppermint and spearmint, W. Van Fleet (U. S. Dept. 

 Agr., Fanners' BuL GD.'t {191')), pp. i2).— This describes the peppermint and 

 spearmint industry in the United States with reference to the extent of the in- 

 dustry, plants grown for the production of peppermint and spearmint, cultural 

 requirements, fertilizers, diseases and pests, yield, cost, and prices. 



According to the best obtainable estimates the total area of mint in 1914 in 

 the principal States of production, namely, Michigan, Indiana, and New York, 

 appears to be a little less than 25,000 acres, of which nearly 5,000 acres were 

 spearmint. Almost one-half of this acreage was new plantings, the remainder 

 being in fields two or more years old. It is concluded that mint culture on 

 suitable soils gives a fair average return, but that the industry is especially sub- 

 ject to fluctuations in prices and likely to suffer from overproduction if the acre- 

 age is too rapidly extended. 



Pecans: Varieties, influences of climate, soil, and stock on scion, H. P. 

 Stuckey {Georgia Sta. Bui. 116 {1915), pp. 299-328, figs, ii).— This bulletin 

 presents the results of studies conducted on the station grounds and in other 

 sections of Georgia during the past seven years. 



Data are given showing the character of the tree as well as the character and 

 yield of nuts for a large number of varieties set out, for the most part, in 190S. 

 Summing up the evidence for varieties thus far secured the IMoney Maker and 

 Robson are the two leading varieties with reference to vigor and early bearing 

 in the trees and quantity, quality, and early ripening in the nuts. These nuts, 

 while not so thin shelled nor quite so large as a number of others, run high in 

 percentage of meat, are of good flavor, crack out well, and are very early and 

 heavy yielders. 



From the behavior of the station orchard through seven years, it is calculated 

 that an orchard will come into profitable bearing about the eighth or ninth year 

 after transplanting, the number of trees per acre being an important factor in 

 determining this point for any given orchard. Other factors being equal, the 

 closer plantings yield quicker returns. In holding over samples of the various 

 varieties of nuts from year to year, it has been observed that the nuts harvested 

 in the fall become rancid and inedible soon after warm weather comes the follow- 

 ing spring, thus indicating that as large commercial orchards come into bearing 

 special attention must be given to determining the proper temperature for the 

 storage of pecans. 



Observations relative to influence of different climate and soils on similar 

 varieties of nuts show that high altitudes and stiff clay soils tend to decrease the 

 size of nuts. Extremely dry seasons tend to shorten the nuts in proportion to 

 their thickness. Most of the varieties, however, hold in a very pronounced form 

 certain of their individual characteristics regardless of changes in size. The 

 constancy of the percentage of meat or kernel of each variety grown under 

 widely separated soil and climatic conditions is rather marked. 



Data were secured from experiments conducted by H. W. Smithwick in which 

 a hickory tree was top-worked with fourteen varieties of pecans. A comparison 

 of nuts grown on these scions with nuts of similar varieties grown on pecan stock 

 suggests that top-working pecans on hickory stock greatly reduces the size of 

 the nuts. The shells of the pecans grown on this particular hickory stock were 

 perceptibly thinner than the shells of similar varieties on pecan stock. The per- 

 centage of meat was somewhat larger in the nuts grown on hickory stock ; at 

 the same time there was a lack of uniformity in the filling of the shells as com- 

 pared with the nuts grown on pecan stock. 



