HORTICiULTURE. 969 



Cultivation of temperate fruit in the West Indies {Agr. News [Barhddos], 3 

 (1904), Nil. 4S,p. oo). — Sonii'data are given mi tlir success ol)taiiie(l in the culture of a 

 nunil)er of temperate fruits at different elevations in the West Indies. It appears 

 that strawberries may be successfully grown on low lands, while with other fruit 

 like apples, cherries, pears, etc., success is only attained at the higher elevations, and 

 then only to a limited extent. It is believed doubtful to grow these fruits on a 

 renuinerative scale. 



Chemistry of the dog rose, K. Wiitmann [ZtscJir. Landw. Vemwlisw. Oesterr., 7 

 ( 1!>04), Xo. 2, pp. (;S-74)- — The fruit of the dog rose {lio.sa caniixi) , which is sometimes 

 used in presiTves, was analyzed l)y the author with reference to food constituents of 

 the fruit and mineral matter in the ash. Samples of these fruits were obtained in 

 diff(>reut years and in a numln'r of different localities, and the results of the analyses 

 of tiiese are tabulated. 



Averaging the data the results appear as follows: Water 32 per cent, extract 30 per 

 cent. The dried fruit contained 6 per cent of albumin, 5 per cent of acid, 3.5 per 

 cent of tannin, IS per cent of sugar, and 3 per cent of ash. Attention is called to the 

 fact that the more common orchard fruits seldom contain more than 0.5 per cent of 

 ash. The lime and ash of the dog fruit varied from 23. IS to 29.41 per cent, the pot- 

 ash from 2 to 4.5 p(>r cent, and the phosphoric acid averaged al)out 9.4 per cent. 



An experiment in shading strawberries, O. M. Taylor and V. A. Clark [Neiv 

 York Stale Sla. Bid. 24'}, 2'P- 35-58, jds. 2). — An account is given of the growing of 

 strawberries under shade for two seasons in three different localities in New York. 

 The material used for shading was a thin kind of cheese cloth known as "Bombay." 

 It cost about 4 cts. a yard, and when sewed together and hemmed, with rings 

 attached for securing it, the first cost was at the rate of about $350 per acre. The 

 cover was stretched about 20 in. above the ground. A heavier grade of cloth was 

 used in one experiment. 



A record is given showing the temperature of the air underneath the cloth and 

 outside, cloudiness, and evaporation. Generally speaking, the temperature of the 

 air underneath the cloth was a little higher than outside. This was especially true 

 on bright, sunshiny days. For the whole period the temperature underneatli the 

 cloth averaged 2.S° higher than outside. The temperature of the soil averaged 1.4° 

 warmer in the morning and 1° warmer at night under the cover than outside. The 

 ground was slightly more moist and the air more humid underneath the cloth than 

 outside. The cloth tempered the severity of the wind so that when a stiff breeze 

 wa.s blowing outside there was not enough wind xmder the cover to move a sheet of 

 jiaper lying on the ground. The intensity of light was consideral)]y modified l)y the 

 covering, while the evaporation was diminished al)Out half, the figures for 19 days 

 being an evaporation of 5 J in. in the open and 22 in. underneath the cover. 



The strawberry plants developed normally underneath the shade. This was 

 especially marked during the dry season of 1903, when many plants in the open were 

 killed or seriously injured. As the result of a heavy frost it was observed that many 

 of the leaves and all of the buds of any size not under the cover were dead, while 

 underneath the shade none of the leaves were injured. The injury to the buds of 

 Wilson and Ilaverland was as follows: With Wilson only 8.6 per cent ot the buds 

 shaded were injured, while 80 per cent of those not shaded were injured; with Ilaver- 

 land (j.5 per cent of the shaded buds werc^ injured, while of those not shaded 89.4 per 

 cent were injured. Shading a})i)eare(l to slightly increase the susceptibility of straw- 

 berry plants to leaf blight, and in one case more mildew was observed under the 

 shade than outside. Pollination of the jilants was as complete underneath the 

 covering as outside. 



As regards the yield, only when thin cheese cloth shade was employed was there 

 anv increase. With the heavier giade ol cloth there was a marked decrease in yield 

 with every variety grown, and in no case was the increase in yield sufficient to com- 



