870 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Witli ^Jcj'd ^^l'lliIlJr for tin" price mentioned, or at even half this amount, it is 

 ht-iicvc<l more pn.lital)!!- t.. fj;ro\v seed than to dig the roots for drying. Special 

 altt'iition is calli'd to tiie (lesiral)ility of phmting ginseng among shallow-rooting 

 shade trees. Tlie Scotch pine has proved espec-ially valuable for shading purposes. 

 It is sulliciently open to let the sunlight thnjugh almost everywhere, and it sheds a 

 large amount of foliage for mulching material. White pine has also proved fairly 

 gooil when the trees were not too numerous. Cedars and spruces should not be used 

 at all. Beds under walnut trees have done very well. With the approach of winter 

 the beds are now regularly covered over with about 3 in. of evergreen needles. 



Field culture of tomatoes, A. Guy {Prog. Agr. el Vit. {Ed. IJEsI), 25 {1904), 

 No. 4, pp. 113-118). — An account is here given of the field culture of tomatoes in the 

 southern i)art of France for the London market. Directions are included for hand- 

 ling till' crop and shipi)ing. 



Watermelon growing, A. J. McClatchie {Arizona Sia. Bui. 47, pp. 302-807, 

 jl,j_ 7).— ropular directions are given for the culture of watermelons in Arizona, 

 sjiecial attention 1)eing given to varieties, irrigation, and cultivation. While all 

 varieties of watermelons thrive in Arizona, the variety Augusta is considered most 

 desirable as an early melon. Next in earliness is the Alabama. For the main crop 

 the Florida and the Rattlesnake are most in favor. Sweetheart and Blue Gem are also 

 grown to a considerable extent for the home market and for shipping. The Chilean 

 is considered an excellent late melon. 



Subirrigation in the greenhouse, W. M. Munson {Amer. Agr., 73 {1904), No. 8, 

 p. 201, Jig. 1). — Several methods of subirrigation in the greenhouse are described. In 

 an experiment with radishes the percentage germination of the seed was about the 

 same, whether subirrigation or surface irrigation was practiced. The yield, however, 

 of first-class roots on the subwatered section was about 15 per cent greater than on 

 the surface-watered section. In another experiment the number of marketable 

 bunches obtained on the subwatered section was more than twice as great as the 

 number obtained from tlie surface-watered section. 



Principles of plant growth, A. T. Erwin {Trans. Iowa Hort. Soc, 38 {1903), 

 pp. 233-236) . — Special attention is called in this article to the desirability of heading 

 ajiple trees low in Iowa. With low-headed trees there is less sun scald, the trees do 

 not dry out as much in winter, the wind can not get so great a leverage on them and 

 thus ])low them down, the fruit in falling is not bruised to so great an extent, spray- 

 ing is more easily jierformed, and harvesting can be done much more rai)idly and 

 easier than where high heading is practiced. One of the disadvantages of low head- 

 ing is the difficulty of cultivating close to the trees; but since with mature trees the 

 feeding rootlets an; at considerable distance from the trunk, it is believed that culti- 

 vation close to the body of the tree is not nearly as essential as it is generally thought 

 to be. 



An experiment was made in storing fruit by putting Wealthy and Wolf River 

 a])ples in a cellar at harvesting time, and also storing in sheds. Those placed in the 

 cellar decayed much more quickly than those put in sheds, owing to the fact that the 

 cellar kcjit warm much longer than the shed above ground. 



Production of new varieties, G. A. Ivins {Trans. Iowa Hort. Soc, 38 {1903), pp. 

 34o-34S, pi. 1). — The author gives an account of growing a large number of seedling 

 strawberries, plums, apples, and grapes. 



With strawl)erries the greatest success has been achieved in crossing on the Bubach 

 variety. Two new varieties have been thus secured, one of which produces very 

 large berries. The piiiking season of both continues about 8 weeks. They are 

 staminate varieties and are considered good plant makers. A seedling of Beder 

 Wood i)roved earlier, of better quality, higher color, and fully as productive as that 

 variety. Another of llaverland proved more produ(^tive than the mother plant. 

 Only one pistillate variety has been secured which is considered promising. It is a 

 very large berry with nearly black foliage and lias been named "Marv E." 



