442 



BOOKS AND BULLETINS. 



of summer, or by the time the fall rains set in, were 

 almost devoid of plants, while those freed from weeds in 

 time produced a heavy matting of plants. The soil here 

 runs to extremes much easier than any other soil, prob- 

 ably, in the state, therefore must be handled rapidly, just 

 at the right time. Where the soil is sandy and not so 

 rich, there would probably be no need of cultivation 

 during the fruiting season ; but if inclined to bake at all, 

 it would be a great mistake to keep out the cultivator 

 and not conserve the moisture for a dry period. Mulch- 

 ing will not pay in the South, and is not conducive to 

 the best growth of the strawberry. There is nothing so 

 reliable as thorough and constant cultivation. In places 

 and on soils where plants are jeopardized by hot winds 

 and baking soils, it is best in the spring, immediately 

 after the fruiting period, to transplant some of the best 

 plants that have grown from the runners to cold-frames 

 or old hot-beds, where they will grow rapidly and can 

 be protected from the sun and drying winds, and also, if 

 necessary, in extreme weather be watered occasionally. 

 We took this precaution, and now have abundant plants 

 to transplant this fall. Where the cultivation in the 

 field was not good, many have died out." 



A table gives the numbers and sizes of fruits borne by 

 different varieties and the period of fruiting, "Many 

 varieties are at home in Texas, and I believe the small 

 fruit industry to be only in its infancy. When irrigation 

 is cheapened so that the average fruit grower can use it 

 without too great an outlay, small fruit culture will then 

 receive the attention that it properly deserves. To sum 

 up in brief, this year's testing shows that the most reli- 

 able market berries, at least for Central Texas, are the 

 Cloud, Hoffman, Charleston, Crescent, Sucker State, 

 May King, Jessie and Captain Jack, in about the order 

 named. Several fertilizers were tried, but nothing defi- 

 nite could be ascertained that was of value. However, 

 the tests seemed to show that potash on this soil would 

 prove quite beneficial. The strawberry, I think, should 

 be thoroughly fertilized at the time of setting out, with 

 cotton seed meal to give them a vigorous start in the fall, 

 and then they should receive a liberal application of 

 wood ashes or kainit, and some fertilizer, as bone meal 

 or acid phosphate, containing phosphoric acid, in De- 

 cember. Cotton seed meal should be applied at the rate 

 of I200 pounds to the acre, bone meal or acid phosphate 

 at the rate of 500 pounds, and wood ashes or kainit at 

 the rate of 300 pounds to the acre. Well-rotted stable 

 manure applied in the fall is all that could be desired. 

 It should be applied at the rate of at least fifteen tons to 

 the acre. A good compost is made by spreading alter- 

 nate layers of cotton seed meal upon layers of stable 

 manure, and keep shaded and wet. After well rotted it 

 is ready to apply at the time of setting out the plants." 



" From one season's testing we cannot fully recom- 

 mend any variety, but thus far the indi- 

 Blackberries cations are that the Dallas, Kittatinny 

 in Texas. and Brunton are all good, prolific varie- 



ties. I have seen the Lawton growing 

 in the state, and always without rust. This variety and 



the Dallas I believe to be less diseased than other varie- 

 ties, and as they are also quite prolific, I would recom- 

 mend them to planters as being the most reliable varie- 

 ties I have yet seen in the state. Texas seems to be the 

 natural home of the blackberry and dewberry. They 

 form one of the most profitable fruit crops that can be 

 raised. I know of several cases where about $500 was 

 netted per acre. In one case the whole crop was sold 

 at six cents per quart to a canning factory." 



"The red-cap varieties are the only ones, I believe, 

 that will stand our medium drouths 



and bear enough for profits. The Raspberries in 

 black-cap varieties do fairly well in Central Texas. 



North and East Texas. I would not 



recommend an extensive plantation of any variety of 

 raspberry in this latitude." Turner is reported as en- 

 during drouth the best of any variety tried. 



The bulletin presents a valuable table of the best va- 

 rieties of many fruits for Texas, compiled from many 

 correspondents. A list of fruits upon the station grounds 

 is also given. 



Bulletin No. 18, South Dakota Experiment Sta- 

 tion. The Cut-70orin. By I. H. Orctitt and J. M. Al- 

 drich. Pp. b. Illustraled. Extensive studies of cut- 

 worms have been inaugurated in South Dakota, where 

 these pests appear to be very abundant. The present 

 bulletin is largely a report of progress. Of 

 remedies, those which appear to give most Cut-Worms, 

 promise are watering the plants regularly 

 in the evening for the double purpose of making plants 

 vigorous and lessening the activity of the worms, cover- 

 ing the ground with loose straw and then burning it off, 

 starving out the worms, and hand-picking. Tin protec- 

 tors are also efficient. "For use in the Horticultural 

 Department, we had tins made at a tin-shop. They are 

 two and a-half by eight inches in size, with a narrow lap 

 at each end, forming a tube when the ends are bent 

 round and hooked together. This is a perfect protector 

 if properly applied. It should be inserted in the ground 

 but slightly. In our experience, the worms did not crawl 

 under if the tube barely reached below the surface. 

 Lumps close outside sometimes enabled worms to climb 

 over, so care had to be takert to leave the earth smooth 

 near the tube. The cost of the tins was seventy-five 

 cents per hundred. They promise to be very durable, 

 as they are required in the field less then two months 

 and are then taken up and put under cover until the next 

 year. If work is counted at its usual value, they are 

 more economical than old fruit cans." 



Bulletin No 57, Michigan Experiment Station. 

 Vegetables — Comparative Tests, Methods of Culture. By 

 L. R. Tnft. .Pp. 4j. The result of a test 

 of 75 sorts of potatoes show " that Gard- Varieties of 

 ner's Early, fit for digging July 24, yielded Potatoes in 

 at the rate of 275 bushels per acre. Pre- Michigan, 

 mium, July 26, yielded 221 bushels, and 

 Early Harvest, July 26, yielded 303 bushels. Although 

 Gardner's Early was not planted until a week after the 

 other varieties, it was the first of all to ripen. Early 



