lioKTICILTI 1M -.. 971 



In crossing Black Mexican <>n differenl varieties of Bweel corn, black has been 

 found a dominanl color. The flinty nature of tin- grain of " Earliest Table" when 

 crossed on Early Sunrise was a dominant character. Relative t<> tin- field-mixing of 

 corn tin- author states that "should a trucker plant field corn with his sweel every 

 germ cell of the latin- fertilized by tin- field Borl would develop into a starchy kernel, 

 but the six.*- of the car-, number of rows and 1 * ■ 1 1 •_-■ 1 1 1 and breadth of -rain arc largely 

 determined by the mother plant." 



Some experiments were also made in planting kernel- from a Bolid \f<\ ear between 

 two rows .if w I lite corn. In the resulting crop there was not a single instance of red 



grains being mixed with white grains, nor were white -rain- found on any of the 



red. ears produced, similar results were obtained when the "Striped Evergreen" 

 variety of sweet corn, which ha- grains more or It— splashed with red, was planted 

 under similar conditions. A number of unexpected results obtained in crossing 

 sweet corns are mentioned. 



Results of experiments with mushrooms, 1 '. Canning I Amer. Florist, 26 ( 1906 i . 

 No. 988, /'. 610, fig. /). — The author grew 5 varieties of American mushrooms in 

 comparison with varieties grown from English and French spawn. The details as to 

 date of spawning, first and last picking, total weight of crop, etc., are shown in 

 tabular form. 



The mushrooms were all grown in a bed under the greenhouse benches, an area of 

 *»s<|. ft. bed surface being given to each of the American varieties and L8 sq. ft. to 

 each of the English and French varieties. The heaviest yield was obtained from the 

 American variety Arvensis, 1."..!) lbs., followed by Alaska, ( Jolumbia, Bohemia, and Dr. 

 Galloway in the order named, the latter yielding but •"»."> lbs. The yield of English 

 spawn was 4.7"> lbs. on double the area employed with the American varieties, while 

 the yield from the French spawn was hut 0.5 lb. Both the English ami French 

 spawn is believed to have been 2 years old instead of fresh spaw n. 



Canning- fruit and vegetables. Preserving- fruit juices, E. F. Pernot {Ore- 

 gon si, i. /»'///. 87, />/'■ 14). — An account is given of experiments extending over 2 years, 

 in the canning of vegetables and fruits, ami the preservation of fruit juices for domes- 

 tic purposes. 



In commercial practice canned goods are usually processed to a temperature of 230 

 to 2n<>° F. for 20 to :;n minutes, as a result of which the tissues of the vegetables or 

 fruits are more or less destroyed aid the material becomes mushy, especially after 

 Shipping long distances. In the author's work, fresh, clean fruits and vegetables 

 were put in clean cans and covered over with water that had been boiled to sterilize 

 it. The cans were then sealed, after which they were heated to a temperature of 

 bi"» F. for 15 minutes. After being allowed to stand 24 to 4s hours, they were again 

 heated as previously and the operation repeated the third time, which completed the 

 process. 



Thus treated tomatoes, green beans, wax beans, cauliflower, asparagus, and cherries 



kept perfectly, and ranked a- the highest grade of canned g Is. Their natural 



color, flavor, and texture were retained, and the beans when taken from the can 



could bo broken in the same manner as w hen fre-h. l'.ean- preserved, in glass jars 



were m.t so satisfactory, as considerable difficulty was experienced in keeping them 

 tightly sealed during the second and third heating. The peas and corn treated in 

 this same manner were a failure, even when processed at a temperature of l'1l )0 F. 



for 20 minutes on ."» successive 'lays, but when processed at a temperature of 240° F. 

 for 30 minutes, kept well, but the product was inferior. 



The principle involved in this method of canning fruits and vegetables is that the 

 vegetative cells of the micro-organisms which produce fermentation in canned goods 

 are killed at a temperature of about luO° F. The epores, however, are not killed at 

 tins temperature. By waiting a day or so after the first heating many of these spores 



