HOKTICULTURE. 237 



and ripening periods, characteristics of the form, color, etc., of 151 

 varieties of strawberries, 62 raspberries, 29 blackberries, 23 currants, 

 20 gooseberries, 69 cherries, 49 peaches, 55 pears, 10 quinces, 46 

 plums, 103 grapes, and 122 apples. Brief notes on a number of vari- 

 eties of nuts, including almonds, chestnuts, filberts, and walnuts, are 

 also given, together with descriptions of a number of varieties of 

 fruits which have not been described in previous reports of the station. 

 Following the severe freeze of the winter of 1898, experiments were 

 made in pruning back peach trees which had been more or less injured. 

 The authors summarize the results obtained in this experiment briefly 

 as follows: 



"Very severe pruning or removing all the tops down to the stumps of main 

 branches proved dangerous to the life of the trees. More moderate pruning or cut- 

 ting back on branches from one-half to three-fourths of an inch in diameter gave 

 good results. Trees pruned in the ordinary way were not, at the close of the season, 

 in quite so good condition as tliose ])runed more severely. These results are not con- 

 sidered conclusive. ' ' 



Early spraying with copper sulphate solution in March proved, under 

 ordinary conditions, an ofl'ectual remedy for leaf curl. 



Pollination in orchards, S. W. Fletcher {New York ConnlJ Sfa. 

 Bui. 181, pjj. 34O-064, ^(ji^. )io). — This bulletin discusses popularly 

 various reasons why flowers of orchard trees often fail to set fruit, 

 and the general subject of self-sterilit}^ of orchard fruits, giving sug- 

 gestions based on the experience of the avithor and others as to the 

 planting' of mixed orchards so as to overcome these defects. 



Vigorous growth of wood, fungus diseases, frost injury, and con- 

 tinuous rain during the blooming season are given as some of the 

 factors which prevent the setting of fruit. "In general the cause of 

 self-sterility is that the pollen of a variety is unable to fertilize the 

 pistils of that same variety." Self- sterility, however, is not a constant 

 character, and some varieties which are self -sterile under certain con- 

 ditions may be nearly self-fertile under more favorable conditions. 

 Orchard fruits can not be separated into self-sterile and self-fertile 

 varieties. The following list, based on the author's experience and on 

 the reports of over 500 fruit growers, is considered a conservative list 

 of varieties which tend toward self -sterility, and which, therefore, 

 should not be planted alone in large blocks: 



"P«fr.s.— Angouleme (Duchess) , Bartlett, Clapp, Idaho, Kieffer, Xelis. Apples. — 

 Bellflower, Primate, Spitzenburg, Willow Twig, AVinesap. Plums. — Coe Golden 

 Drop, French Prune, Italian Prune, Kelsey, Marianna, Miner, Ogon, Peach, Sat- 

 suma. Wild Goose, and, according to Waugh and Kerr, all other varieties of native 

 plums except Robinson. Peach. — Susquehanna. Apricot. — White Nicholas. Cher- 

 ries. — Napoleon, Belle de Choisy, Reine Hortense. Most of these varieties are self- 

 fertile in some places, but the weight of evidence shows them to be uncertain." 



The mutual aflinity of certain varieties for cross pollinating each 

 other, the necessity for planting with self-sterile trees, trees which 



