790 



H O K T 1 C U L T U R E 



December 4, 1909 



Seed Trade 



A NEW KIND OF CORN FROM 

 CHINA. 

 A small lot of shelled corn, ot a 

 kind that is new to this country, was 

 sent to the U. S. Department of Agri- 

 culture from Shanghai, China, in 1908, 

 and tested the same season. It proved 

 to have qualities that may make it 

 valuable in breeding a corn adapted 

 to the hot and dry conditions of the 

 Southwest. The plants raised in the 

 test averaged less than G feet in height, 

 with an average of 12 green leaves at 

 the time of tasseling. The ears aver- 

 aged 5 1-2 inches in length and 4 1-3 

 inches in greatest circumrerence, with 

 16 to 18 rows ot small grains. On the 

 upper part of the plant the leaves are 

 all on one side ot the stalk, instead 

 of being arranged in two rows on 

 opposite sides. Besides this, the upper 

 leaves stand erect, instead of droop- 

 ing, and the tips of the leaves are 

 therefore above the top ot the tassel. 

 The silks of the ear are produced at 

 the point where the leaf blade is 

 joined to the leaf sheath, and they ap- 

 pear before there is any sign of an 

 ear except a slight swelling. 



This corn is very different from a,ny 

 that is now produced in America. Its 

 peculiar value is that the erect ar- 

 rangement of the leaves on one side 

 of the stalk and the appearance of 

 the silks in the angle where the leaf 

 blade joins the sheath offer a protected 

 place in which pollen can settle and 

 fertilize the silks before the latter are 

 ever exposed to the air. This is an 

 excellent arrangement for preventing 

 the drving out of the silks before pol- 

 lination. While this corn may be of 

 little value itself, it is likely that, by 

 cross-breeding, these desirable quali- 

 ties can be imparted to a larger corn, 

 which will thus be better adapted to 

 the Southwest. 



The discovery of this peculiar corn 

 in China suggests anew the idea that, 

 although America is the original home 

 of corn yet it may by some means 

 have been taken to the Eastern Hem- 

 isphere long before the discovery ot 

 America bv Columbus. From descrip- 

 tions in Chinese literature corn Is 

 known to have been established in 

 China within less than a century after 

 the voyage of Columbus. But this 

 seems a short time for any plant to 

 have become widely known and used. 

 Besides, this particular corn is so dif- 

 ferent from anything in the New 

 World that it must have beein devel- 

 oped in the Old World, and for that 

 to happen in a natural way would take 

 a very long time. These ideas are 

 brought out in Bulletin 161 of the Bu- 

 reau of Plant Industry, which gives 

 also an account of some cross-breed- 

 ing experiments with the new corn 

 and the changes which crossing pro- 

 duces in the grains the same season. 



A CORRECTION. 



Editor HORTICULTURE:: 



Dear Sir: — I notice that in last 

 week's issue of HORTICULTURE you 

 credit Mr. Bui-pee with a certain 

 speech delivered at the Lonsdale Din- 



HEADQUARTERS FOR 



Fancy Holly 

 ^^ Holly Wreaths 



Mistletoe 

 Laurel 

 Lycopodium 



Write for our Special 

 Wholesale Price List 

 of Xmaa Greens. 



HENRY F. MICHELL CO, 



1018 Market St. 



PHILADELPHIA, PA. 



ner in Philadelphia. It happens that 

 this was delivered by yours truly. Of 

 course, I feel highly flattered to think 

 that any effusion of mine should be 

 credited to such a distinguished citi- 

 zen as Mr. Burpee, while on the other 

 hand, he probably may not feel as 

 elated as I did. 



W. C. LANGBRIDGE. 



We hope the above will reach the 

 eye of at least everybody who read the 

 wrongly credited communicjation. We 

 make due apologies to the two emi- 

 nent gentlemen, both of whom are tal- 

 ented enough and eloquent enough to 

 shine at any speechfest. — Ed. 



CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



Barteldes Seed Co., Denver, Colo.— 

 Trade Price List, Yuletide 1909. 

 Printed in red and green. 



CHICAGO NOTES. 



Michell's Seed House, Phila,, Pa.— 

 Folder of Christmas specialties, forc- 

 ing gladioli and asparagus seed. 



Winterson's Seed Store, Chicago, 111. 

 —Special Wholesale Price List of 

 Christmas Decorative Material. Printed 

 in red and green. 



Watkins & Simpson, Covent Garden, 

 London, Eng.— Novelties in seeds for 

 1910 and other specialties. Wholesale. 

 Colored plate of pansies. 



You helped me last spring to sell 

 lots of stock. I shall have more of 

 the same kind to advertise next 

 spring. 



Mass. H. J. B. 



A Scholarship Plan. 



The International Stock Show opened 

 Saturday, Nov. 27. This is an event 

 which brings many florists to Chicago. 

 On account of the reduced rates, they 

 come and book up holiday stock, etc. 

 Twenty scholarships to agricultural 

 colleges are to be awarded by 

 J. Ogden Armour to students who can 

 prove themselves expert stock judges. 

 The close of the contest for Monday 

 showed the first prize won by the 

 students of the Iowa Agricultural Col- 

 lege. Why would not some such com- 

 petitive scheme prove an inspiration 

 to would-be florists to better equip 

 themselves with a thorough education 

 along this line? Who can think it out 

 in time for trial at the Nat. Flower 

 Show in 1911? 



Personal. 



Mr. and Mrs. P. J. Fahy announced 

 the engagement of their daughter, 

 Florence, to Arthur L. Peffley of Min- 

 neapolis, in the Sunday Tribune. 



Visitors — J. Williiis, Danville, 

 111.; Julius Staack, Moline, 111.; Con- 

 rad Wolpe, foreman for W. W. See- 

 kins, Duluth, Minn.; Raymond De 

 Rycke, gardener for J. B. Grommers, 

 Zanda, Wis.; J. Edw. Taylor, State 

 Hort. Inspector, Salt Lake City, Utah; 

 .1. Landron, representing C. C. Moss 

 Co., San Francisco, Cal.; Milo Crozler, 

 Cedar Rapids, la.; Edw. Amerpohl, 

 Janesvill'e, Wis.; M. Bentzen, of Bent- 

 zen Floral Co., St. Louis, Mo.; John 

 E. Lafres, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Lacey 

 Young, Thompsonville, Mich. 



LILY OF VALLEY 



PERFECTION PIPS 



loco, $14.00; case of 2000, $26.00 

 Can be forced inio flower January ist. 



SELECTED 3 YEAR OLD 



1000, $11.00; case ol 2500, $26.00 



W. ELLIOTT ®. SONS, 



42 Vesey Street . 



NEW^ YORK 



