HORTICULTL'RE. 539 



A portion of the pineapples was placed in the ship in a compartment held at a 

 temperature of 50° F. The fruit was not pre-cooled and the compartment did 

 not attain the above temperature until 2A days from the time of sailing. Under 

 these circumstances the loss was practically the same in refrigeration as on 

 the after deck. 



Shipments were made to San Francisco of Chinese bananas, some bunches of 

 which were wrapped in dried banana leaves and others were entirely unpro- 

 tected. Neither method was satisfactory. The results previously secured rela- 

 tive to methods of picking, packing, and shipment, of avocados were confirmed 

 in 1907. It is especially emphasized that the spaces between the avocados 

 should not be filled with paper as is often done. 



Cape fresh, fruit export trade, season 1908, C. Du P. Chiappini (Cape 

 Good Hope, Spee. Rpt. Trades Comr. London, 190S,' pp. 16). — A report on the 

 export fruit shipments of the Cape of Good Hope relative to the size of the 

 shipments, condition of the fruit, prices received, varieties, grading, and pack- 

 ing, with suggestions and recommendations to growers for improving conditions 

 and for the further extension of the fruit business. 



Peach, apricot, and prune kernels as by-products of the fruit industry 

 of the United States, F. Rabak iU. S. Dcpt. Agr.. Bur. Plant Indus. Bui. 

 133, pp. 7-J}). — The present commercial supply of almond oils is derived from 

 European countries and is manufactured, not alone fi'om almonds, but to a 

 great extent from apricot, and in some cases, peach kernels. This bulletin con- 

 tains the results of an investigation conducted to obtain information as to peach, 

 apricot, and prune kernels, with special reference to their similarity to sweet 

 and bitter almonds and to compare chemically the fixed and volatile oils ob- 

 tainable from them. The methods of extracting these oils are discussed in 

 detail and consideration is given to their commercial uses. 



The investigation shows that the fixed and volatile oils which can be derived 

 from peach, apricot, and prune kernels compare very favorably as to their 

 physical and chemical properties and in some cases are almost identical with 

 the commercial oils obtained from sweet and bitter almonds. The oils from 

 these kernels are at the present time substituted for the rarer almond oils and 

 can be used for the same purposes. Peach, apricot, and prune kernels are 

 cheaper and furnish a more available raw material than bitter almonds. Hence 

 their increased use might sufficiently reduce the price of these oils and create 

 a greater demand for them. Owing to the ready saponification of these oils 

 they should find a demand in the toilet-soap industry, and their production in 

 the United States is suggested on account of the large amount of raw material 

 available. The processes of extracting and distilling fruit-kernel oils are not 

 particular]}' complex and could be carried on in establishments such as can- 

 neries already equipped with steam or other power at comparatively small 

 expense. It is suggested that the press cake, owing to its high content of nitrog- 

 enous matter, might be employed either as a stock food or as a fertilizer. 



Commercial fertilizer experiments with coffee, G. Helmrich (Tropen- 

 pflanzcr. BcUiefte. 9 (100>i), .Yo. //. pp. 185-220, pis. 12). — An extensive series 

 of fertilizer experiments conducted by the author on his plantations in Guate- 

 mala are reported. Potash, phosphoric acid, nitrogen, and lime were used both 

 alone and in combination and were compared with stable manure. The results 

 are presented in tabular form and are fully discussed. The author concludes 

 that although the application of the organic manures is indispensable in coffee 

 culture, the best plants and largest returns are secured by the additional use 

 of a complete fertilizer. 



70454— No. 0—09 i 



