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BOOKS AND BULLETINS. 



ive name of Seminole, which was not only identical, in 

 every respect, with the old Sugar-loaf, but produced the 

 same sport — a melon of the same form, but of darker 

 gray. In 1888 the Kolb Gem came to us as New Round 

 Excelsior. The same year almost a fac-simile of the Rat- 

 tlesnake came under the name of Mammoth Ironclad. 

 This year the old Rattlesnake comes as The Wild. For 

 shipping, no other variety compares with the Kolb Gem. 

 For home use, there are several varieties superior to it, 

 being of finer flavor and having more tender flesh. 

 Among those are the Cuba, Sugar-loaf, Florida Favorite 

 and Pride of Georgia. The Cuba is known in Georgia 

 under the local names of Tinker, Simpson and Kirk- 

 patrick. It is the sweetest melon grown, but is too small 

 for market. The Georgia Rattlesnake possesses fine 

 qualities when fully developed, but has a tendency to 

 grow in irregular shapes. The Sugar-loaf is probably 

 the most prolific variety yet tested. Watermelons cross 

 so readily that a patch of thoroughbreds is rarely seen on 

 our farms. Crawford and Pearson are local names for 

 an old variety, known in Florida as Florida Favorite, 

 known in Burke County, Georgia, thirty years ago as the 

 Lawson, and supposed to be the parent of the Georgia 

 Rattlesnake. " 



"The cantaloupe to succeed in this latitude must be 

 well covered with rough nettings to prevent sun-scalding. 



The Persian or Casaba, so highly 

 Musk-Melons prized at the north, fails here on ac- 

 in Alabama. count of scalding under our suns. A 

 melon with yellow flesh rarely ranks 

 higher than good. Those varieties which rank best usu- 

 ally have deep green flesh. The Delmontco is the best 

 yellow-fleshed variety yet tested. The Washington Mar- 

 ket, grown here for the first time this year, is a very supe- 

 rior variety. After previously comparing all the varieties 

 advertised in the principal seed catalogues, all except a 

 few of the best old varieties have been discarded. 



The earliest strawberries yet found by the Alabama 

 Station are the Early Canada and Parry. "Both have 

 improved in quality and productiveness 

 Alabama since their introduction to these grounds. 



Strawberries, five years since." Among more recent 

 sorts, Belmont, Bubach, Haverland, 

 Gandy, Hoffman and Eureka are very promising. "The 

 Henderson still leads the list in its quality, and its vines 

 are becoming more vigorous and prolific as it becomes 

 acclimated. Wilson, Agriculturist and Sharpless still 

 hold their places as standards." 



" Ovit of more than thirty varieties of raspberries 

 tested during the last five years, the Turner is the most 

 hardy and reliable. It fruits abundantly and continues 

 long in bearing. The only objection fonud, so far, is its 



profuse multiplication of plants. The canes are self-sup- 

 porting when pruned back to two feet 

 in length. It stands the sun of our sum- Raspberries 

 mers in open-field culture, and has never for Alabama. 



been injured by freezing. 



"The black-cap varieties sun-scald midway the canes 

 where they bend over. Another objection to this type 

 is that they fail to propagate under clean culture during 

 dry seasons. " 



Tabulated results of trials with beans, tomatoes and 

 onions are made, but no summaries are given. In toma- 

 toes. Golden Queen, Beauty and Favorite are called 

 "standard," and Ignotum is said to be " a 

 very superior variety." Of onions, Dan- Vegetables 

 vers is called "standard." Giant White in Alabama. 

 Italian (ll'/iiit- Tripoli) and Mammoth Sil- 

 verskin are "superior." Pompeii [Mainiitotli Poiiipeii), 

 Red Garganus [Manunolh Red Garganiis), Red Pompeii 

 (Mammolh Red Pompeii) and Red Rocca are "large and 

 fine." Nocera {Early or Small White Noeera) and Gar- 

 den Queen are "early and desirable." White Queen 

 (Early While Queen) is "very early and fine." Adriatic 

 Barletta and White Maggiojola are "extra early and de- 

 sirable." 



Bulletin No. 105, Cownecticut Experiment Station. 

 This pithy bulletin contains, with other matter, a two- 

 page article on potato scab by Dr. Roland Thaxter. Po- 

 tato scab is one of the most mysterious of our plant dis- 

 eases, and numerous agencies have been held to account 

 for it. Entomologists appear, latterly, to have thrown it 

 over to the botanists. Mr, Bolly, of Indiana, has lately 

 published experiments which go to show that the scab is 

 caused by a bacterium. Dr. Thaxter is sure, however, 

 that the scab which he has studied has a different origin, 

 and he has found the organism which causes it. This 

 organism is an exceedingly obscure fila- 

 mentous fungus, which, although it fruits Thaxter on 

 abundantly, "cannot be referred to any Potato Scab, 

 described form, and answers to no 

 generic description as far as has been ascertained." Dr. 

 Thaxter has produced the scab by inoculation "with 

 certainty," and "under rigid experimental conditions." 

 "This fact, together with the invariable association of 

 the fungus with the disease in nature (as far as observed 

 by the writer), after it has once been recognized and 

 sought for, may be considered practically indubitable 

 evidence of the connection between the two as cause and 

 effect." It is possible that Thaxter and Bolly have 

 studied two different things, for it would not be strange 

 if there were two or more kinds of scab. Both are 

 confident that they have discovered the cause of potato 

 scab. L. H. B. 



