HORTICULTURE. 239 



The results of tests made of subirriyatiou r. surface watering for lettuce 

 ami carnations indicate that any benefit derived from subirrigation does not 

 warrant the extra expense of construction. From the data secured there ap- 

 pears to be no marked difference between tomatoes, carnations, and lettuce 

 grown in solid beds and those grown in benches. 



Several ordinary garden varieties of tomatoes were compared with the IjOril- 

 lard, a commonly used forcing variety. All of the varieties succeeded about 

 equally well imder glass, but with some varieties the fruit was too large for 

 the winter trade. Tests were made for 4 seasons of different planting distances 

 for tomatoes. A good average distance apart to set the plants appears to be 

 1 by 2 ft. 



Progress in some of the new work [with vegetables and flowers] of the 

 Bureau of Plant Industry, B. T. Galloway (U. S. Dept. Agr. Yearbook 1901, 

 pp. 139-lJi5, pis. 3). — A brief statement of the progress being made in the de- 

 velopment of new lettuces and tomatoes for growing under glass and rust- 

 resistant asparagus, and of improvements in lily culture, together with a de- 

 scription of a new summer-blooming dahlia, a hybrid form developed by G. W. 

 Oliver and which has been named the Cosmos. 



New hybrid fruits, N. E. Hansen {South Dakota Sta. Bill. 108, pp. 3-16, 

 figs. 8). — In this bulletin, a continuation of previous work (E. S. R., 16, pp. 

 369, 370), brief notes are given on several hybrids resulting from crosses of the 

 native sand cheirj' (Prtiniis bcsseyi) and the native plum {P. amcricana) with 

 choicer fruits, including hybrids of the sand cherry with the following plums: 

 Chinese Apricot, Japanese, Sultan, Gold, Bartlett, Climax, native, Persian Pur- 

 ple-leaved, and Pennock Hybrid; the Gold and Red June plums with the sand 

 cherry ; and the sand cherry with the peach and the European sweet chexTy 

 and apricot. Hybrids are also reported of reciprocal crosses between the na- 

 tive and European plum; Pniiius simoni with the native plum, and the native 

 plum with the .lapanese plum and Chinese Apricot plum. Cuts are given of 

 some of these hybrids, of which the more important are the Hanska and Tokeya, 

 ci'osses of the native plum with the Chinese Apricot plum and of the native 

 sand cherry with the Chinese Apricot plum, respectively. 



The improvement of the native sand cherry by selection from many thousand 

 seedlings is still in progress, and the fourth generation is about to fruit. Sev- 

 eral of the third generation, which are an inch in diameter and of good quality, 

 have been sent out for preliminary trial. Only one has been named, the Sioux. 



The breeding work thus far shows that the native sand chen-y amalgamates 

 readily in hybridizing with other species, and that excellent results may be 

 hoped for, especially with hybrids of the .lapanese plums. It has been demon- 

 strated that it is possible to secure fruits combining the hardiness of native 

 stone fruits and. at the same time approaching the size and quality of the 

 choice cultivated stone fruits from Europe and Asia. 



Promising new fruits, W. A. Taylor (U. S. Dept. Agr. Yearbook 1907, pp. 

 30.5-320. pis. 8). — Historical notes and descriptions with colored illusti'ations 

 are given for several recently introduced or little known fruits and nuts that 

 are considered worthy of testing in various sections of the country, including 

 the Delicious and Ensee apples, Lambert cherry, Miller and Ruby persimmons. 

 King orange, Sandersha mango, and Wolford, President, Sovereign, Kincaid, 

 iind Mantura pecans. 



A study on the volume-increment of fruits, G. Riviere {Jour. Sac. Nat. 

 Hort. France, -',. ser., 8 {1907), Dec. pp. 7'/ 7-750). —Tabulated data are given, 

 together with the conclusions reached, relative to a study made by the author 

 in conjunction with (J. Bailhache on the increase in volume through the grow- 

 ing season of the fruit of several varieties of early, medium, and late season 



