HORTICULTURE, 773 



ripened last. With reference to their winter resistance the varieties are ranked as 

 follows: Alt-Paleschken, Probstei, North German Champagne, Russian Giant Stem, 

 Walkenhaus, Pirna, Lochow Petkus, Schlanstedt, and Heine Improved Zeeland. 

 The resistance to cold winters was below the average in the last 8 varieties. The 

 experiments presented no data from which conclusions as to the resistance of the 

 different varieties to lodging and rust could have been drawn. 



Improvement of sugar cane by chemical selection {Agr. News IBarhados], 3 

 {1904), No. 46, p. 10). — An absti'act is given of the main features of an investigation 

 by J. D. Kobus on the subject of raising improved varieties of sugar cane l)y vegeta- 

 tive reproduction. It was observed that the amount of sugar in the individual stems 

 of the same plant was likely to vary greath'. For the experiment in question plants 

 exhil)iting small variations were selected for 2>ropagation. The variability in the 

 amount of sugar was greatest in thick-stemmed, older varieties, and least in young 

 varieties recently selected from seed. The (juantity of sugar in the cane varied 

 directly with the weight of the same. 



Heavy plants produced heavy offspring and the descendants of plants with a high 

 sugar content were richer in sugar and heavier than unselected plants. Simple selec- 

 tions, however, of cuttings of heavy plants produced forms generally richer in sugar 

 but not markedly so, and the progeny of heavy plants poor in sugar seem to contain 

 a smaller quantity of this same substance than the progeny of light plants with a low 

 sugar content. Local variations in soil, which was apparently quite uniform, gave 

 rise to great differences between individual plants. It was discovered that the 

 increased vigor of plants as reflected in the larger yield of sugar was accompanied 

 by greater resistance to'the sereh disease. 



Wheat experiments, A. D. Hall {Jour. Southeast. Agr. Col., Wye, 1903, No. 12, 

 pp. 31-33). — Cooperative tests with Square Head Master and Red Lammas were 

 made on light loam with chalk subsoil, light sandy Icam, and deep loam soils. In 

 general the yield of grain was in favor of Square Head Master and the yield of straw in 

 favor of Red Lammas, which gave a longer and finer straw, but lodged more frequently 

 than tlie other variety. On the light loam with chalk subsoil Red Lanuuas also gave 

 the greater yield. Red Fife, Preston, and Percy obtained from Canada and sown 

 April 21 yielded 28 bu. 30 lbs., 24 bu. 25 lbs., and 20 bu. 21 lbs., respectively. 



HORTICULTURE. 



The culture substations, A. V. Stubenrauch {CaUfornin Sta. Rpt. 1902-3, pp. 

 IG 1-194). — A general account is given of the growth and productiveness of orchard 

 fruits, small fruits, and nuts, including apples, pears, quinces, almonds, apricots, 

 peaches, nectarines, plums, cherries, olives, figs, walnuts, persimmons, and grapes 

 grown at the Foothill, Southern Coast Range, San Joaquin Valley, and Southern 

 California substations. An account of the work with field crops is given elsewhere 

 (p. 764). 



Plums and apples at the Foothill Substation have done best on granite soil. On 

 the hill lands at this station it appears to be essential to irrigate walnuts. At the 

 Southern Coast Range Substation practically the whole of the second crop of grapes 

 was destroyed by linnets which visited the station in immense flocks. A large 

 numV)er of apples were grown at the San Joaquin Valley Substation, but under the 

 climatic conditions of the station none of these varieties kept well. The summer 

 temperature appears to be far too high for these fruits. Many of the apples are l)urut 

 and shriveled on the trees before they reach maturity. Blight has been especially 

 severe on pears at this station. Grajjcs yielded at the rate of 7 tons of fruit jteracre. 

 At the Southern California Substation pear blight is noted as making rapid inroads 

 on the station pear orchard. Duchesse d' Angouleme has proved one of the best late 



