HORTICULTURE. 1077 



The fruit industry of Jamaica, W. E. Smith {Proc. Agr. Soc. Trinidad, 6 {1904), 

 pp. 1S-S4, ph. J). — Tlie autluir visiteil Jamaica and here reports the results of his 

 observations on the fruit industry of that ishind, more particularly as related to 

 bananas and oranges. The cost of clearing and preparing the land for bananas in 

 that island is i)laced at £10 per acre, and the net profits under goo<l management 

 about £10 per acre. The author suggests the desirability of this industry for Trini- 

 dad, provided it can l)e operated upon a sufficiently large scale to induce the regular 

 visitation of fruit vessels during the shipping season. 



The fruit supply of Auckland, W. A. Boucher {New Zealand Dept. Agr. Rpt. 

 190S, pp. 4SS-44~, ph- y)- — Some statistics are given on the importations of fruit and 

 on the present status of the citrus and deciduous fruit industry. 



Fruit buds, P. ICvans {Missouri Fruit Sta. Bid. 10, j)p. 14). — Tables are given 

 which show the percentage of a full crop of fruit buds which set on 118 varieties of 

 peaches, 15 varieties of plums, and 6 varieties of cherries in the fall of 1903, the per- 

 centage of buds which were alive soon after the severe weather of January 26, W04, 

 and the percentage of leaves on the trees November 16, 1903. In addition, tables 

 are given showing the maximum and minimum temperatures for each day of the 

 months from April, 1903, to January 31, 1904, with the amount of precipitation on 

 the same dates. It is expected that from these tables information can be obtained 

 as to the relative hardiness of different varieties of peaches and the suitability of the 

 same with respect to this point for use in breetling purposes. 



Freezing points of fruit juices, J. B. Reynolds {Otilario Agr. Col. and Expt. 

 Farm Rpt. 1903, pp. 13, 14, fig- 1)- — The freezing point of the juice of apples, plums, 

 peaches, pears, grapes, and quinces was determined by the following method: 



"A test tube about 6 in. long and h in. in diameter was placed erect in a larger 

 vessel and was packed about with salt and ice, approximately in the proportion of 

 one part of salt to two of ice by weight. This produced a very active freezing mix- 

 ture. A small quantity of the juice was then poured into the test tube, a ther- 

 mometer was inserted, the juice constantly stirred, and the temperature watched, the 

 tube being lifted out of the freezing mixture from time to time for this purpose and 

 the thermometer read through the tube. The temperature continued to fall until 

 flakes of ice had formed throughout the juice, when a stationary point was reached. 

 At this pcjint the temperature remained until nearly all the juice was frozen, when 

 it again l)egan to fall. This stationary temperature was taken as the freezing point. 

 As a check upon the work, the stationary point was watched for as the juice melted. 

 It was found to correspond very closely with that observed during freezing." 



The average results, which are taken as representing the minimum temperature 

 for cold storage rooms, were as follows: Apples 29.3° F., plums 29.8°, peaches 29.66°, 

 grapes 27.86°, pears, 28.88°, quinces 29.12°. 



Storing- nursery stock {Nat. Nursergman, 13 {1904), No. 3, pp. 31, 33). — This arti- 

 cle is based on the information obtained by o))servation and from letters of inquiry 

 sent out to representative nurserymen. From the information obtained, it appears 

 that the majority of nurserymen, especially the larger and more progressive, are 

 using frost-proof winter storage facilities of one kind or another for nursery stock. 

 It is believed that nursery stock is in a better condition to thrive when dug in the 

 fall and stored in an even temperature approximating the freezing point than when 

 allowed to stand in the nursery subject to wide fluctuations of temperature such as 

 occur in winter. 



Breeding apples in Minnesota, W. Elliott {Proc. Amer. Potnol. Soc, 1903, pp. 

 134, 135). — -An account is given of the growing l)y Mrs. T. E. Perkins of seedlings 

 from Malinda apple seed. The seed was planted in 1893 and in 1903 132 trees bore 

 fruit. From these trees 109 kinds of apples, representing early fall, early winter, 

 and late winter sorts were exhibited at the meeting of the American Pomological 

 Society in Boston in 1903. 



