IRISH GARDENING, 



159 



it chance to be one possessing the female tendency the 

 result will be the production of a female. It is worth 

 noting- that G. B. Wilson, in recent investigations with 

 homiptcrous insects, has obtained results strikingly 

 similar to those discovered by Correns in the bryony 

 plant. Furthermore, it may be stated that the sex 

 tendency of any reproductive cell can be d<;termined by 

 certain structural characters observable by means of a 

 microscope. These observations, however, do not en- 

 tirely exclude the possible influence of food, as it is 

 conceivable th,'it latent char.acters of either sex may be 

 developed imder speci;il feeding. 



This sex question was very fully discussed at the recent 

 meeting cif the British Association in Dublin, when Mr. 

 L. Doncaster gave a lucid summary c">f the investigations 

 carried on up till the present time, together with an 

 account of his own breetiing experiments with the goose- 

 berry moth, which it is interesting to note falls into line 

 with G. B. Wilson's purely microscopical studies. 



The Effect of Electricity upon 

 Plants. 



THI'2 subject of the practical application of elec- 

 tricity to the growth of platits was introduced to 

 the agricultural sub-section of the British Associa- 

 tion by Sir Oliver Lodge, whose remarks covered 

 practically the same ground as we summarised last 

 month. Dr. J. H. Priestlej', of University College, 

 liristol, who has had a good deal of actual experience 

 with the particular system adopted at Bitten, Gloucester 

 and Evesham, gave some interesting particulars con- 

 cerning the results already obtained at these centres. 



At Bitton the insulated conducting wires were carried 

 about sixteen inches and at Gloucester five feet above 

 the tops of the plants both in the open and in the green- 

 houses. These wires were provided at intervals with 

 short pieces of fine wire, hanging free end downWflrds, 

 to act as discharging points. At Evesham, as mentioned 

 last month, the wires were, for convenience of cartage, 

 placed much higher. The results of electrification in 

 the case of different crops were as follow : — 



(a) At Bitton— 



Cucumbers, 17 per cent, increase. 

 Strawberries (5-year plants), 36 per cent, increase. 

 ,, ( I -year plants), 80 per cent, increase, 



and more runners. 

 Broad beans, 15 per cent, decrease, but ready for 



picking 5 days earlier. 

 Cabbages (Spring), read)' for picking 10 days 



eai'lier. 

 Tomatoes, no differences. 



{b} At Gloucester — 



Beet, 33 per cent, increase. 



Carrots, 50 per cent, increase. 



Turnips, an increase (slugs troublesome). 



The ainount of sugar yielded by the electrified beet 

 was I per cent, higher than the non-electrified plants. 

 Some of the results of the Evesham experiments devised 

 by Sir Oliver Lodge were given last month. 



Oue ver)- interesting fact observed by Dr. Priestly 

 was that in no case could he discover the presence of 

 starch in the leaves of the electrified plants. He also 

 foimd that in the case of the cucumbers a bacterial dis- 

 ease made its appearance, but that it made very little 

 headway among the electrified plants, and he assumes 

 that this inmunity is due to the presence of some chemical 

 substance in the cell-sap induced by the electric force. 

 The physiological action of electrification is not at 

 present understood, but a suggestion was made that one 

 advantage may be the formation of oxides of nitrogen by 

 ihe oxidation of free nitrogen, or of ammonia in the air. 



Current Topics. 



By Peter Brock, Horticultural Instructor, Co. 

 t'ermanagh. 



THE weather for the past four weeks has for the 

 most part been wet, windy, and sunless. In con- 

 sequence of the long-continued inclemency 

 autumn flowers and many other occupants of the 

 garden have a battered look typical of their condition 

 in other years a month nearer winter. Tall apple trees 

 in exposed positions have been subjected to a severe 

 thinning of fruit by the gales. Still, the greatest loss 

 of all is falling on the farmers who have been busy on 

 all favourable opportunities reaping the corn that 

 has seldom k^oked better at the beginning of September, 

 but which is now in a saturated state, and altogether in 

 a sad plight in many places. It appears as if the pros- 

 pects which at one time looked so full of promise are to 

 share the fate of the milk pail which the cow filled and 

 then kicked. However, the darkest cloud has its silver 

 lining, and if it clears up soon we may hope for a spell 

 of bright and bracing weather to dry the grain and 

 complete the harvest. Such a change will be welcomed 

 for the maturing of fruit and other trees before the 

 rigours of winter set in. 



INIany 3'oung fruit trees arc in a stunted condition this 

 autimin, having made little wood or foliage, and only a 

 few scraggy fruits, through want of moisture at the 

 roots during the greater part of summer, due to being 

 overgrown with rank weeds and grass. These will 

 now be well moistured at the roots. It is, however, 

 too late in the season for the moisture to make amends 

 for the hoeing that should have been done to preserve the 

 moisture required by the trees during the active growing 

 season. Such trees are crippled in constitution and re- 

 duced in value, to say nothing of the time that has been 

 lost. 



The prevailing argument against hoeing is, that 

 hay-making, cutting and winning turf, shovelling or 

 moulding, and spra) ing potatoes, and in some cases reap- 

 ing the corn and digging potatoes, must all be attended 

 to before one hour can be spared to clean the dozen or so 

 of fruit trees. It is an old and generally true saying 

 that "where there's a will there's a way." However, 

 those who plant fruit trees with no greater ambition to 

 derive pleasure or profit from them than let them take 

 chance against the robbing of rank weeds and grass in 

 such a season as the past might as well let fruit- 

 growing alone. 



Several fruit growers in this county (F"ermanagh) 

 who last spring tried the new proprietary winter 

 spray fluids. Cooper's V, and Voss's No. i, were 

 disappointed with the results on eggs of apple psylla, 

 aphida;, winter moth caterpillars and mussel scale ; 

 although in some cases, especially where the spraying 

 was done late, the above pests appeared to be 

 considerably reduced. Besides acting as insecticides, 

 these fluids were reputed to be a remedy for the well 

 known apple and pear scab, Fusidadiuui. Their effect 

 in this line, as fungicides, is now well marked in nearly 

 all the experiments tried last spring, as trees that 

 previously produced fruit of little commercial value 

 owing to scab kre this year greatly improved in this 

 respect. There is ample proof that the date and the 

 condition of the atmosphere when spraying is done 

 tend to produce varying results, as there is a difference 

 in favour of spraying late— just before the buds open — 

 against the spraying done early in February ; also 

 applying it on a dull, hazy day appears to give better 

 results than under a bright sun and quick-drying air. 

 The experiments have been carried out on reputedly 

 scabby trees of such kinds as Wellington, Scarlet 

 Crofton, Blenheim Orange, and some nameless local 

 sorts. 



