74 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 339 



Thus, the setup for testing herbaceous material is about complete. Limited 

 space, prohibitive cost of maintenance, and proximity of the Arnold Arboretum, 

 prevent and exclude indiscriminate field work with woody plants. Work with 

 trees and shrubs must be confined almost entirely to individual experimental 

 projects. 



Approximately two hundred clons of Hemerocallis have been assembled for 

 the purpose of study and evaluation during the next few seasons. This study is 

 being started in the hope that out of the chaos now surrounding the garden 

 forms of this genus will come some few superior selections. 



A current sampling of opinion of prominent horticulturists, plant specialists, 

 and landscape planters, is being made to determine, if possible, a basic list of 

 woody plants for New England parks, gardens, and roadsides. This study has 

 thus far turned up the following strong trends: (1) Increasing unpopularity of 

 weeping trees and other similar garden monsters, (2) A greater interest in native 

 plants (for instance, there are 70 varieties of Tsuga canadensis in cultivation), 



(3) The growing unpopularity of garden forms of Chamaecyparis and Thuja, 



(4) Intense dislike for plants having variegated leaves or yellow foliage, (5) 

 Increased interest in woocly plants for ground cover and rock garden, (6) Greater 

 appreciation on the part of the planter of the bearing of ecological factors on 

 satisfactory culture, (7) A growing interest in fastigiate trees other than Populus 

 nigra italica, and (8) Realization that the term "hardy" as applied to a plant 

 is most indefinite. 



Clonal Apple Investigation. (George Graves, Waltham.) Anewproject. 

 There are no results to report as yet. 



To date East Mailing stocks No. 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 12, 13, 15, and 16 have been 

 assembled in anticipation of getting investigation under way. 



DEPARTMENT OF OLERICULTURE 

 Grant B. Snyder in Charge 



Packet Seed Studies. (G. B. Snyder and A. P. Tuttle.) A large majority 

 of home gardeners buy their vegetable seeds from the neighborhood store in 

 either packet or bulk lots. It has been found that seeds purchased in this 

 manner frequently have a variable germination and are not true to the name 

 under which they are sold. In order to check these factors, state inspectors 

 purchased some 150 lots from various stores in the State. These included ten 

 of the more important vegetables: beans, beets, carrots, lettuce, onions, pars- 

 nips, radishes, spinach, squash, and turnips. 



Field notes on germination indicated fair vitality in most lots. There was 

 some variation in trueness to name of a few lots. Only one source, however, 

 produced plants from every lot which were definitely off type and variable in 

 maturity as well as disease susceptibility. 



Systematic Studies of Turnips and Rutabagas. (G. B. Snyder.) De- 

 tailed plant and root records were taken of 15 lots (13 varieties) of rutabagas 

 and 15 lots (15 varieties) of turnips. This is a cooperative project with the 

 Federal Division of Fruit and Vegetable Crops and Diseases, and the data 

 obtained will be used in the compilation of a Federal type book. 



Systematic Studies of Vegetables. (A. P. Tuttle and G. B. Snyder.) 

 During the past few years a large number of improved and new varieties of 



