HORTICULTURE. 253 



well. Specimens weighing 561 H'i^- i^^e recorded, thrmgh tlie average size appears to 

 be less than 20 lbs. 



Germination of truflie spores; culture and character of truffle mycelium, 

 L. ]\lATKrciioT {('ompl. Rend. ^im<L >SVv'. I'aris, J.l'l [lUO.l), No. IS, pp. 10^9-1 101). — 

 The author succeeded in growing pure ('ultures of the spores of the Perigord trnttle 

 {Tiiber melano>^porum) and of the Burgundy trufHe ( T. wicinatum) on cut jjotato 

 tnbers to which a nutritive liquid was added and the whole rendered as asei)tic as 

 possible. The spawn developed within a few weeks in practically unlimited (quan- 

 tities and was clearly proven to be identical with wild spawn. 



Artificial culture of the truffle, R. Dubois [Omijit. Rend. Acad. Sri. /V/r/.s, /,'?6 

 {190.3), No. 21, pp. 1291, 1292). — The author sut-ceeded in growing trnttle spores by 

 placing them in contact with living vegetable tissue. A thin piece of truftli^, the 

 ujiper part of which contained the asci, was introduced into a tuber or root able to 

 resist dessication for a long period. A notch or gash was first made in the tulier as 

 aseptically as i)Ossible, and the piece of truffle fitted tightly into this. The whole 

 was then kept in a moist dark place. Within a few weeks spawn developed at the 

 point of contact. The spawn was gathered and sown in vessels containing a gelatin- 

 ous mass, composed of cooked starch, glucose, glycerin, asparagin, and a little tan- 

 nin. The spawn developed rapidly, appearing in large white spots, but at the end of 

 the year had not produced fruiting organs. The spawn was then seeded at the foot 

 of truffle oaks. The results have not yet been ascertained. 



Fung-US cultures {Gard. Chron., 3. ser., S3 {1903), No. 861, pp. 414, 4/5).— This is 

 a brief review of the work of L. Matruchot and R. Dubois, noted above, who were 

 successful in cultivating truffle spores. In addition the work of E. Boulanger, who 

 succeeded in growing truffle spores as early as 1898, is noted. It is claimed that 

 Boulanger succeeded in germinating the ascospores of the trufHe in a sterilized 

 watery liquid. ' ' The spawn developed well on slices of carrot, on the same material 

 buried in calcareous earth, in calcareous earth only, on mold, and under the ordinary 

 conditions in which cultures are made, but carbonate or Insulphate of lime facili- 

 tated development. 



" The ascospores of Tidier wicinatum jdelded a well-developed spawn, and this gave 

 rise to a 'perithecium,' that is, to the truffle itself; tasteless, scentless, and deformed 

 doubtless, but nevertheless an adult perithecium, inasmuch as it contained normal 

 asci. The spawn also developed a conidial form, wherein the spores were united 

 together in numerous clusters and connected by mucilage." 



American horticultural manual. II, Systematic pomology, J. L. Budd and 

 N. E. Hansen {Neiv Yorl:- John Wiley d- Sons, 1903, pp. 491, pk. 9, Jigs. 3S6).— This 

 volume supplements Parti (E. S. R., 13, p. 1044), and contains an outline of the 

 numerous systems of classification which at one time or another have been iised for 

 classifying apples. Descriptions are given of all those varieties of fruits so far as 

 known which are recommended at the present time l)y horticultural societies and 

 growers. Nearly one-half of the book is devoted to the apple and the remainder to 

 the usual orchard and small fruits grown in the United States, including grapes, 

 cranberries, and nuts, and such subtropical fruits as tlie banana, date, fig, guava, 

 custard apple, loquat, olive, citrus fruits, pineapple, etc. 



Top-working' orchard trees, G. H. Powell ( U. S. Dept. Agr. Yearbook 1902, pp. 

 245-238, j)h. 4, Jigs. 8) . — A discussion of the purposes, methods, and advantages of 

 topworking fruit trees with detailed directions for doing the work. Topworking is 

 resorted to for the purpose of changing the variety, lessening the injury from sun 

 scald and insects, modifying the vigor of the tree, hastening fruitfulness, and per- 

 petuating desirable characteristics. Trees may l)e topworked either by budding or 

 grafting. Budding is believed to be usually more satisfactory than grafting. "The 

 operation is more simple, the wound heals more (]uickly, and tlie form of tlie tree 

 can be regulated to better advantage by inserting the buds on the body, but the most 



