258 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



raisins. California i>ro<liKH's [jractic^lly all the raisins grown in this country, devot- 

 ing about ()5, 000 acres to this industry. Tiie same State leads in the production of 

 wine, though nearly 70 j)cr cent of the si)arkling wines an- made in the State r)f New 

 York. 



Wine making at home, (i. McCakthy {BuI. Nortli Carolimi State Bd. Agr., 24 

 (J90J), Nu. 4, pp. 10-19). — lirief directions are given for manufacturing red wines, 

 and a recipe for cordials. 



Fertilizing the vineyard, K. H. Tvvight {Pdclfir Rural Prr.<<.t, 66 (190.3), No. 7, 

 p. 100). — Fertilizer foruiulas and methods of working them out for vineyard apj>lica- 

 tion are given. 



The agaves, a remarkable group of useful plants, K. W. Nelsox (T. X Dipt. 

 Agr. )'ciirhouk 19()J, pp. 313-320, pis. 4)- — The range of culture of these plants, meth- 

 ods of growth, and uses for food, drink, soap, fiber, etf., are discussed. 



The flower garden, Ida D. Bkxxett {New Yorh: McClure, riiillips it- Co., 1903, 

 ph. 34,}ip. 257 ). — This book contains considerable information on the culture of hardy 

 outdoor ornamentals, and suggestions on tools, equijjment, and methods of work. 

 Chapters are given on annuals from seed, on vines, T^ulbs, and tuberous-rooted plants, 

 aquatics, hardy lilies, window l)Oxes, foliage plants, roses, and shrubs. There are 

 also chapters on the location and arrangement of the garden, soils, fertilizers, etc. 



Home floriculture, E. E. Rexford {Neio York: C)r(tnge Judd Co., 1903, pp. 300, 

 figs. 72). — This book is intended as a practical guide to the care and management of 

 flowering and other ornamental plants of the house and garden. The subject is dis- 

 cussed from the standpoint (jf the amateur. 



Plants as a factor in home adornraent, L. C. Corbett ( U. S. Depl. Agr. Year- 

 hook 1902, pp. 501-518, ph. 3, figs. 3). — This article discusses the aesthetic value of 

 l)lants, their arrangement for adornment about the home, and gives the character- 

 istics of a large number of shrubs and deciduous trees and plants used in landscape 

 gardening. 



Lilac forcing in France {Gardening, 11 {190-i), No. 263, pp. 354, 3.55, figs. 3; 12 

 {1903), No. 265, pp. 3S5, 3SG,figs. 5). — An account of French methods of forcing lilacs. 



Blind versus flowering ^vood for rose cuttings, L. C. Corbett {Arner. Flori.'ft, 

 20 {1903), No. 773, pp. 298-300, fig. 1). — The author studied the effect on flower pro- 

 duction of growing roses from cuttings made from blind wood and from flowering 

 wood, respectively. By blind wood is meant a branch of the rosebush which is 

 terminated by a leaf instead of a flower bud. The experiment was carried on for 5 

 years. Each year the flowering wood for propagation was selected from plants grown 

 from flowering wood, while the blind wood was taken from plants proj^agated from 

 blind wood. It was intende<l in this way to study the cumulative effects of propaga- 

 tion through a series of years. 



As between the blind-wood and the flowering-wood cuttings, little difference was 

 fomid in their respective tendencies to form roots. The jilants also grew with equal 

 vigor. During the first year of the experiment plants propagated from flowering 

 wood produced 156 per cent more flowers than plants propagated from blind wood. 

 During the second and succeeding seasons the percentage of flowers produced from 

 the flowering wood decreased instead of increasing. The percentage of flowers pro- 

 duced on the blind-wood plants also decreased but not in so great a proportion. The 

 average number of flowers {)er plant obtained with 2 varieties for the season Dec-em- 

 ber 1 to May 31 for 5 years is as follows: Bride — from blind wood 8.2B, from flower- 

 ing wood 16.59; Bridesmaid — from blind wood 12.29, from flowering wood 16.98. 



In order to test the relative merits of new plants produced from cuttings and plants 

 2 years old, a number of plants jiroduced from blind an<l from flowering wood were 

 left in the greenhouse over summer. These were severely pruned back and part of 

 the earth in the benches replaced with fresh soil. The pruned plants were after- 

 wards slowly started into growth. They produced most of their crop in the fall and 



