102 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 369 



and is less influenced by soil variability. When studied on a statistical 

 basis, shape indices may be manipulated with confidence and small though 

 clear-cut differences may be ascertained. 



331 New and easy ways to prevent damping-off of seedlings. By W. L. Doran. 

 Amer. Florist 1(2):2. 1939. 



Ordinary vinegar is a good disinfectant for preventing damping-ofT of 

 seedlings when applied to soil at the rate of 1 pint per square foot before 

 the seed are sown. After sowing small seeds, it is a good practice to water 

 the soil from below by setting the containers into shallow pans of water 

 and removing them as soon as the soil becomes saturated; and if pre- 

 ferred, a soil fungicide may be applied at this time. Satisfactory control 

 of damping-off without injury to the seeds has been obtained by IJ^ 

 quarts of vinegar or 2 to 3 teaspoonfuls of formaldehyde to a gallon of 

 water, applied in this way. 



332 Relation of seeds to pre-harvest Mcintosh drop. By Lawrence Southwick. 

 Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. Proc. 36(1938) :410-412. 1939. 



A moderate but statistically significant correlation was found between 

 seed number and time of pre-harvest drop of the Mcintosh apple. Seed 

 number varied widely for different trees, probably as a result of variability 

 in the effectiveness of pollination, but this did not seem to alter appre- 

 ciably its association with the date of drop. 



333 Furthei notes on the Mailing clonal stocks in relation to Mcintosh and 

 Wealthy. By Lawrence Southwick and J. K. Shaw. Amer. Soc. Hort. 

 Sci. Proc. 36(1938):113-137. 1939. 



Variability studies indicate that very little benefit can be expected 

 from the use of clonal-rooted trees in establishing and maintaining per- 

 formance uniformity in an orchard in Massachusetts. 



334 Abnormal behavior of newly set Oldenburg buds. By J. K. Shaw. Amer. 

 Soc. Hort. Sci. Proc. 36(1938):126-128. 1939. 



Of 150 buds set in August 1937, only about 30 percent grew normally. 

 The others produced all sorts of abnormal flowerlike growths and various 

 intergrades between flowers and shoots. Most of the abnormal growths 

 later developed leafy shoots that grew into good one-year whips but were 

 not so tall as those that started normally. 



336 The effect of storage methods on ripening and quality of tomatoes. By 

 Eleanor A. West and Grant B. Snyder. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. Proc. 36 

 (1938):695-700. 1939. 



The optimum length of storage, at temperatures of 45° to 50° F. and 

 relative humidity of 45 percent, was between 20 and 30 days for firm ripe 

 tomatoes and 30 days or more for green mature tomatoes. The latter 

 developed a red color during storage. Shrinkage, including loss of weight 

 and losses from disease, was least for green tomatoes. In the comparison 

 of different methods of storage, shrinkage was least for fruit washed with 

 formaldehyde and then protected against subsequent contamination. 



337 Cereal flours as antioxidants in dairy products. By W. S. Mueller and 

 M. J. Mack. Food Research 4(4) :401-405. 1939. 



Finely milled oat flour, whole oat flour, and corn flour had similar anti- 

 oxidative properties when used in milk; but wheat, both whole and bleached, 

 barley, rye, and rice flours had but little antioxidative value. Corn flour 

 had antioxidative properties equal to those of oat flour when used in 

 ice cream, and was somewhat more effective as a stabilizer. 



338 Report on Zinc. By E. B. Holland and W^ S. Ritchie. Jour. Assoc. Off. 

 Agr. Chem. 22(2) :333-338. 1939. 



Work on the colorimetric method for the determination of zinc in food- 

 stuffs was continued, with a modification of many details of the process 

 and its expansion to permit the determination of both copper and lead 

 when desired. The method, which is presented in detail, has given results 

 sufficiently promising to warrant cooperative work on the part of the 

 Association. 



339 Vitamin C content of spinach. By C. F. Dunker and C. R. Fellers. Amer. 

 Soc. Hort. Sci. Proc. 36(1938) :500-504. 1939. 



Fresh raw spinach contains from 400 to 450 international units of 

 vitamin C per ounce. One third to two thirds of the ascorbic acid is lost 



