42 EXPERIMENT yTATIOX RECORD. 



ditions for tlio soUiii« »>f fruil. The orcluuds should be located with reference 

 both to generjil and to local climate. Varieties of fruit may be selected with 

 reference to time of blooiniuf: and with reference to their ability, from one cause 

 or another, so to withstand injurious weather as to escape in some degree in- 

 jurious climatal :ijrencies. Cultural treatment to induce strong vitality probably 

 heli)s plants to withstand stresses of harmful weather. The climate changes in 

 short cycles, but such oscillations are not permanent, and it is jtrobably beyond 

 the power of man to change the climate by flooding, draining, planting or 

 destroying forests, etc. 



Blooming time is next briefly considered relative to the influences tending to 

 hasten or retard its advent. The dates of blooming for 866 varieties of fruit, 

 including the api)le, ju'ar. peach, i)lum, cherry, and grape, are given. The data 

 were taken from the station oi'chards and are gi\en for the years 19<)2 to 1!»07, 

 inclusive, for the tree fruits and for the years 1X02 to ]8!»S for the graiie. The 

 dates are those of the first open blossoms and the full bloom and were taken 

 from trees grown under normal conditions as to pruning, distance apart, and 

 other factors which might influence the blooming period. An examination of 

 the list shows that under normal conditions and during the average season, 

 varieties of any one species overlap sufficiently for the purpose of cross-polli- 

 nation, with the possible exception of the very early and the very late Aarieties. 



Relative to the belief that early varieties bloom earlier than late ones and 

 that late varieties are less liable to have their blossoms injured by late frosts, 

 the author concludes, after a study of the varieties for which blooming dates 

 are given in connection with the period of ripening given for the same varieties 

 in fruit manuals, that there is no correlation between blooming and fruiting,' 

 although there are many apparent exceptions. 



The average of data taken for 5 years shows the length of time the several 

 fruits are in bloom as follows: Apples, 9 days; peaches, 8 days; pears, plums, 

 and cherries, 7 days ; and grapes, 10 days. The actual length of the blooming 

 period may vary considerably under different weather conditions. An inspec- 

 tion of the dates of blooming of all the fruits shows a variation of several days 

 in most seasons between the apitea ranee of the first blossoms of the different 

 varieties, which can be taken advantage of in selecting sorts to avoid injury 

 from frost. A list is also given showing early and late blooming varieties of 

 apples, pears, peaches, plums, and cherries. 



Pruning' fruit trees, W. S. Thornber ( Washington Sta. Popular Bui. 3, pp. 4, 

 fiffs. S). — This bulletin contains popular directions for pruning apples, pears, 

 sweet cherries, and peaches. 



Notes on the avocado fruit. O. Loew (Porto Rico Sta. Rpt. 1007, pp. 18, 

 1!>). — A detailed descrii»tion of the avocado, with a brief note on a study made 

 relative to the softening of the fruit. 



Repeated shipments to New York have failed on account of the decay of the 

 fruits, attributed to injuries to the skin, permitting the entrance of fungi. The 

 author found, however, that where perfectly healthy fruit without any injury 

 and with the stem still attached were selected and keiit at .3.5 to 40° C. in a 

 thermostat, the skin commenced to turn brown after 4 days. Two days later 

 the fruit was soft and the skin had begun to shrink. After another 2 diiys the 

 entire skin was deep brown and showed considerable and irregular shrinkage. 

 The flesh was found to be discolored and sour, but neither microbes nor myce- 

 lium were observed. It is believed that not even the most careful i)acking pro- 

 posed will sto]) these chiinges, but cooling with ice will retard them. 



Dry-land olive culture in northern Africa, T. H. Kearney ( U. S. Dept. Agr., 

 liur. f'hiiit huliis. fiiil. I2j. pp. '/N. /(/v. '/. fif/x. 10). — This liulletin contains an 

 account of the cultivation of olives without irrigation in the vicinity of Sfax in 



