572 



BOOKS AND BULLETINS. 



Fruits and Polaioes. By John IV . Clark. Pp. ib. Pro- 

 fessor Clark caused chemical analyses of Ben Davis 

 apples to be made at different seasons, in order to de- 

 termine if chemical composition can afford any reasons 

 for the thinning of the fruits. A sample was taken July 

 9, one October 23 of large and perfect 

 Composition fruit, and another at the same date com- 

 of Apples. prising small and imperfect specimens. 



The results show "that a large propor- 

 tion of the mineral matter contained in the fruit is stored 

 up during the early part of its growth," showing ''the 

 importance of thinning fruit as soon as it is of sufficient 

 size to show the wormy and imperfect specimens." A 

 surprising result of the investigation is the fact that the 

 late sample of small and imperfect fruit shows a richer 

 content of plant food than the large and perfect speci- 

 mens ; and from this apparent anomaly, the author con- 

 cludes that "it costs less to grow a barrel of large and 

 perfect apples than it does to grow a barrel of small and 

 inferior fruits. " 



Bordeaux mixture proved a satisfactory remedy for 

 grape-rot, when applied .three times. 



Of strawberries, "the ten most profitable varieties 

 fruited on the station grounds were : Crescent, Haver- 

 land, Captain Jack, Miner's Prolific, Bubach No. 5, May 

 King, Cumberland, Triumph, Crawford and Gandy." 



' ' Of the black-cap raspberries the most profitable were 

 the Acme, Palmer, Hopkins, Gregg and Hilborn. Of the 

 red varieties, the Cuthbert, Turner and Palmer were 

 the most productive." 



Among blackberries, "the most profitable variety is 

 Early Harvest, on account of its early ripening, the 

 whole crop being disposed of before the 

 Blackberries other varieties were ready to market, 

 in Missouri. and also before the wild blackberries 

 were ripe. The two varieties that 

 ranked next were Kittatinny and Agawam. It may be 

 well to state that the lowest point the mercury reached 

 during the winter was seven degrees below zero." 



Bulletin No. g, Texas Experiment Station. Pear 

 Stocks, and Some Parasitic Fungi of Texas. By 7" L. 

 Briiiik and H . S. Ji nnings. Pp. 2q. Illustrated. Pro- 

 fessor Brunk has undertaken an investigation to show 

 what influence the stock may have upon certain varieties 

 of pears. He has undertaken to show the behavior of 

 the European or French pear stock as compared with 

 trees grown upon their own roots, or practically from 

 cuttings. He has also investigated the desirability of 

 using apple stocks for pears. He has confined his at- 

 tention chiefly to the Le Conte and Keiffer. Concerning 

 the behavior of these pears upon the French and apple 

 stock, he draws the following conclusions: (i) Wher- 



ever the stocks are set deep enough, the roots invariably 

 start out from the cion, and the number and strength of 

 these roots is proportionate to the amount of scion be- 

 low ground. "This tendency to make its own roots 

 and discard the French stock, and to grow thriftily when 

 the point of graft is set below the sur- 

 face of the soil, has led some to the er- Stocks for 

 roneous belief that the Le Conte grows Le Conte and 

 as well on the French stock as on its own Keiffer Pears, 

 roots. It is no sign or proof that a tree 

 is growing upon a particular stock because it is grafted 

 upon it." (2) Whenever the stock was set so high that 

 the scion could not throw out roots, the stock outgrew 

 the scion in every case, forming an ugly enlargement, 

 which indicates a point of weakness. Peculiar excres- 

 censes are also thrown out from the top of the stock. 

 These are abnormal growths, composed of both bark and 

 wood, and are often as large as a hen's egg. They are 

 often found upon Le Conte and Keiffer pears grown upon 

 French stocks. (3) Trees forced to grow upon the 

 French stock alone were found to be less vigorous in 

 their growth than those upon their own roots. There 

 are also indications that these varieties are more preco- 

 cious when growing upon the French stock than other- 

 wise, but they bear less, and are shorter lived. "The 

 Le Conte and Keiffer grafted upon the French stock wil 

 not live more than about seven years, if forced to grow 

 on that stock. In all of my correspondence, only three 

 recommended the use of the French stock for the Le 

 Conte and Keiffer pears, while many, without solicitation 

 upon my part, stated that they believed the Le Conte to 

 be the best stock for European pears. " Professor Brunk 

 finds that when the scion is set deep enough to allow 

 roots to form, the French or apple stock is thrown off 

 after a few years and becomes useless. It therefore 

 serves only as a mother to nourish the cutting for a time. 

 He does not discourage the use of the French or apple 

 stock if a long scion is used and it is deeply set ; but to 

 force trees to grow upon these stocks alone is certainly 

 bad practice. It is better still to grow Le Conte and 

 Keiffer pears from cuttings whenever practicable. Apple 

 stocks are not so good as pear stocks, because they 

 sucker more, although they may be used to advantage 

 because of their cheapness, upon soil where Le Conte 

 and Keiffer do not root easily. A number of replies 

 from different parts of the south, to questions concern- 

 ing the propagation of pears, are given in the bulletin. 

 The larger part of them favor the growing of the Le 

 Conte and Keiffer upon their own roots. 



H. S. Jennings, assistant in horticulture and botany, 

 gives a considerable list, with notes, of the parasitic 

 fungi of Texas. 



