302 



BOOKS AND 



this disease undoubtedly amounts to hundreds of thous- 

 ands of dollars. In our treatment of the plum orchard, 

 we began late in March by picking off and burying all 

 the mummied plums on the trees. Then we sprayed 

 them early in April (April ii), before the leaves came 

 out, with a simple solution of copper sulphate ; and twice 

 during May (15th and 25th), the first time with London 

 purple alone, and the second with a combination of Lon- 

 don purple and the Bordeaux mixture, which treatment 

 was repeated June i. No further applications were 

 made, except to one tree, which was sprayed with Bor- 

 deaux mixture July 16. After these sprayings the fruit 

 was fairly wall covered with the copper sulphate and 

 lime, which stayed on, despite the many rains, until it 

 ripened in September. At the time of picking, an unde- 

 sirable amount was still present, so that it was necessary 

 to wash the fruit. This was done this year in clear 

 water, but next year we shall try the vinegar solution 

 already mentioned. 



"The results of the experiment, although not as en- 

 couraging as I could have desired, were sufficiently so to 

 warrant its continuation through future seasons, with 

 strong hopes of ultimate success. Although the meteor- 

 ological conditions were unusually favorable for the rot, 

 it did not appear until quite late, and injured only a 

 small per cent, of the fruit— not nearly as much as usual." 



Bulletin No. 4, Vol. IL Tennessee Experiment 

 Station. Dr. W. E. Stone reports in this bulletin a 

 useful and thorough chemical examination of the straw- 

 berry. Twenty varieties were examined. 

 Strawberry but the differences in composition between 

 Ana lyses. varieties are probably variable, being great- 

 ly influenced by soils, seasons and treat- 

 ment. The amount of dry matter in the strawberry is 

 very small, as the following remarks and figures show ; 

 "The averages may be assumed to fairly represent the 

 normal composition of the strawberry, viz. , 9^ per cent, 

 of dry matter and goj4 per cent, of water. The straw- 

 berry is therefore essentially a watery fruit, less than 

 one-tenth of its weight being solid matter. In this con- 

 nection it will be of interest to quote the few available 

 data with regard to other fruits: 



Apples contain 16 to 20 per cent, of dry matter. 

 Pears contain 15 to 20 per cent, of dry matter. 

 Peaches (flesh) contain n to 14 per cent, of dry matter. 

 Plums (flesh) contain 18 to 20 per cent, of dry matter. 

 Currants contain 11 to 14 per cent, of dry matter. 

 Blueberries contain 18 per cent, of dry matter. 

 Grapes contain 15 to 25 per cent, of dry matter. 



"From which it appears that the strawberry occupies 

 the lowest place in the scale of comparisons." About 

 one-half of the dry matter is glucose. "The amount of 

 apparent cane sugar is, with three exceptions, less than 

 I per cent. — on the average, only about per cent." 

 The free acid of the strawberry is largely malic, and ex- 

 ists to the average amount of 1.37 per cent, of the dry 

 matter. Apples contain 0.8 per cent, of free acid ; pears 

 contain 0.2 per cent, of free acid ; plums contain 0.9 per 

 cent, of free acid ; currants contain 4 to 7 per cent, of 

 free acid. 



BULLETINS. 



The general composition of the strawberry is tabu- 

 lated as follows : 



Per cent. 



Water 90.52 



Dry matter 9.48 



Contained in dry matter — glucose 4.78 



Increase of glucose by inversion, calculated as 



cane sugar 0.58 



Free acid, as malic 1.37 



Ash 0.62 



Crude fiber 1.55 



Ether extract 0.64 



Crude protein 0.99 



Non-nitrogenous extract 5.76 



" Considered as food, therefore, the strawberry would 

 hardly be rated as very nutritious. The 

 small amounts of food constituents Food Value of 

 present are so diluted by the ninety per the Strawberry, 

 cent, of water, that to sustain life a very 

 large quantity would have to be consumed. The office 

 of this, as well as other fruits, is not, however, so much 

 one of nutrition as that of supplying the beneficial vege- 

 table acids to the system, diluted and flavored by the 

 water and sugar and delicate fruit aroma, the combina- 

 tion of which, in the case of the strawberry, has attained 

 so delightful a degree of perfection." 



Comparison with analyses of European berries show 

 "that the European berry is sweeter than the American, 

 but contains less protein and more fiber." This fact 

 seems to indicate that we tiave not yet reached the limit 

 of quality in our strawberry, for the wild plant from 

 which it comes undoubtedly possesses as great possibili- 

 ties as the parent of the European sorts. 



As compared with native wild berries, the cultivated 

 sorts show considerable gain in sweetness. "In the va- 

 rieties examined, the average pro- 

 portion of acid to sugar was i to Tame and 

 3.5. For the wild strawberry, the Wild Strawberries, 

 only references available, and these 



very meager, show a corresponding proportion of i to 2. 

 This indicates that a change for the better has been 

 made, but it is far from probable that the limit has been 

 reached. Size and firmness of fruit have been success- 

 fully sought for. A similar increase of sweetness and 

 concentration of flavor would wonderfully advance the 

 desirability of some of the choi,cest varieties, and it would 

 seem as if this were to a certain degree possible." 



Professor C. S. Plumb gives some good field notes on 

 strawberries for Eastern Tennessee. 



" We would recommend, in the order Strawberries for 

 given, the following five varieties, on Tennessee, 

 the basis of quality alone ; Prince of 



Berries, Sharpless, May King, Bidwell, Barry. Where 

 combining quality with productiveness and salability in 

 the market, we recommend the following, in the order 

 given : Sharpless, Jumbo, May King, Indiana, Jersey 

 Queen. " 



Bulletin No. 55, Michigan Experiment Station. 

 Fruit Testing at tlie South Haven Sub- 

 Station. By T. T. Lyon. Pp.33. The Fruit Testing 

 Michigan station is fortunate in secur- in Michigan, 

 ing the services of the venerable T. T. 

 Lyon as directing officer of its most important sub- 



