'BOOKS AND 



station. Mr. Lyon is second to no one in this country 

 as a judge of fruits, and his knowledge of pomology and 

 his accuracy of observation and statement render all his 

 labor authoritative and valuable. The present bulletin 

 is the result of many years of observation upon his own 

 place, which is now attached to the State Experiment 

 Station ; and so far as it expresses opinions of varieties, 

 it is undoubtedly the most important bulletin upon varie- 

 ties of fruits yet issued by the stations. The bulletin is 

 a report of the fruits growing at the South Haven sub- 

 station. Definite measures of varieties are given for the 

 strawberry, raspberry and blackberry ; and manj' other 

 fruits are discussed in a briefer way. In the three fruits 

 mentioned, the characteristics of varieties are stated in 

 tabular form, after the manner of the well known fruit 

 lists of the Michigan Horticultural Society. In addition, 

 invaluable notes upon many varieties are given. 



" For a family or farm garden, to be grown in matted 

 rows, mere quantity being of less importance than qual- 

 ity, a good selection of five varieties 

 Strawberries in would be Alpha or Covill for early. 

 Southwestern followed by May King, with Belmont 

 Michigan. and Parry for medium and late, and 



Mount Vernon to close the season. If 

 to be grown in hills for the use of the family. Alpha, Bid- 

 well, Belmont, Sharpless, and either Mount Vernon or 

 Kentucky would give a good succession. For market, in 

 matted rows, a profitable succession would be Crescent 

 or Haverland, with Miner as a fertilizer, Bubach No. 5, 

 with Logan to fertilize it ; closing the season with Mount 

 Vernon, or perhaps Kentucky. For market, to be grown 

 in hills, a good succession would be Covill, Cumberland, 

 Jessie, Sharpless, Mount Vernon and perhaps Kentucky. " 

 "The following list of varieties will afford a satisfac- 

 tory supply for a family, while the 

 Red Raspberries surplus, if any, may be marketed if 

 for Michigan. desirable: First, Turner; second, 



Herstine ; third. Golden Queen: 

 fourth, Cuthbert. If extra trouble in the way of winter 

 protection can be afforded, the quality may be improved 

 by the addition of the Brinckle." 



" As a desirable selection for a family plat, we would 

 name Souhegan (or Tyler), Hilborn, 

 Black-Caps for and Nemaha, with Shaffer for canning. 

 Michigan. The foregoing will suffice also for a 



market plantation, with the possible 

 substitution of Gregg in place of Hilborn." 



Bulletin No. g, Minnesota Experiment Station. 

 Rns5ia7i Willoios and Poplars, by S. B. Green. Bisects 

 Affecting Willows and Poplars, by Otto Lugger. Pp. 24. 



Illustrated. For ornament, windbreaks and 

 Russian timber, the Russian willows and poplars are 

 Poplars. receiving much attention in the northwest. 



The best Russian poplars appear to be Pop- 

 ulus Certinensis — of which P. Petrouski seems to be a syn- 

 onym, P. laitriffllia, P. Sibirica pyramidalis, P. JFo/isly, 

 P. hetulifolia, P. balsatnifera of Asia, and P. Bolleana. 

 The last is considered particularly valuable for orna- 

 ment. 



BULLETINS. 303 



A number of good Russian willows are characterized. 

 These are Salix aciitifolia , S .fragilis , S. laiir- 

 ifoha, S. aiirea, S. Napoleonis and S. rosiiiari- Russian 

 nifolia. /(?«;-//'(i//rf " without doubt has Willows, 



the handsomest foliage of any willow in culti- 

 vation." "Take cuttings from healthy, vigorous trees. 

 Cuttings from such trees root easiest. It is generally best 

 to make cuttings in the fall after the growth stops, and 

 winter them over, buried in well drained 

 soil, or plant out at once. Cuttings of Propagation of 

 willows and poplars may also be sue- Poplars and 

 cessfully rooted if made early in the Willows, 

 spring before growth starts. Select 

 clean two-year old wood, or strong, well ripened one- 

 year old wood for cuttings. Make cuttings from eight to 

 ten inches long, and as near to one-half inch in diameter 

 as economical cutting will allow. Larger cuttings root 

 nearly as well, but are more bulky to handle. See that 

 the cuts are made smooth with a sharp knife. Have the 

 land for cuttings thoroughly cultivated, and the ground 

 mellow. Plant at least eight inches deep, in rows three 

 feet apart, and press the soil close around the base of 

 the cuttings. Do not tramp them in hard if the ground 

 is wet. If the land is dry they cannot be too firmly 

 placed in the soil. Keep well ahead of the weeds by 

 running a horse cultivator between the rows very often." 



Bulletin No. XIII, Cornell University Experi- 

 ment Station. A part of this bulletin is devoted to the 

 very important subject of "Deterioration of Farm-Yard 

 Manure by Leaching and Fermentation," by Professor 

 I. P. Roberts and H. H. Wing. The results of the ex- 

 periments were as follows : " The results of 

 one season's trial seem to show that horse Loss of 

 manure thrown in a loose pile and subjected Manure, 

 to the action of the elements, will lose near- 

 ly one-half of its valuable fertilizing constituents in the 

 course of six months ; that mixed horse and cow manure 

 in a compact mass, and so placed that all water falling 

 upon it quickly runs through and off, is subjected to a 

 considerable, though not se great a loss ; and that no 

 appreciable loss takes place when manure simply dries." 

 Three excellent plates accompany the bulletin, two show- 

 ing the condition of many farm yards, where manure 

 undergoes a shameful loss, and one showing the covered 

 yard in the basement of the University barn. 



Bulletin No. XV, Cornell University Experiment 

 Station. Sundry Investigations Made during the Year. 

 The Cornell Station has adopted the practice of devot- 

 ing the last bulletin of each year to the various experi- 

 ments of the year which are too short for independent 

 publication. Several matters of horticultural interest 

 occur in this bulletin. 



Professor W. R. Dudley describes and figures the onion 

 mold. The disease has become very destruc- 

 tive in some portions of the country. The Onion 

 leaves begin to turn yellow and wither early Mold, 

 in the season, and the plant is usually dead by 

 the time the bulbs are from one-half to one inch in diam- 

 eter. The disease is caused by a fungus, Peronospora 



