978 JOURNAL OF TITF ROYAL JIORTICT^LTrjJAL SOCIKTV 



method of killing weeds. A brush heavily charged with electricity runs 

 along about eight inches from the ground, and every weed with which it 

 comes in contact, however strong or large, is immediately killed and turns 

 black as if frozen. It formerly cost the company .'f^40 per mile to kill the 

 weeds alongside the track, but with the electric brush they can kill five 

 miles an hour at very small expense." — Country Gentleman. — B. N. 



Weeds. By J. W. Blenkenship {U.S.A. Exj). Stn. Montana, Bull. 

 30; 6/1901 ; 21 ligs.). — This pamphlet, after some remarks on weeds in 

 general and on the means to be employed in order to eradicate them, 

 gives an annotated list of the 181 weeds of Montana, of which ninety-three 

 are said to have been introduced and forty-one only native. -7^'. J. C 



Weevil, Apple Blossom. Pn- Alger Petts (Gnrd. Mag. 2,511, 

 p. 829 ; 14 12/1901).— The life-history of this insect pest is described in 

 a clear way, and the various measures for its eradication and prevention 

 given. — W. G. 



Wheat Growing- in the Pacific Coast Regions of the United 



States. P>y Kdwin S. Holmes, jun. (/>////. Xo. 2U, l\S. Drj). Aijr.). — A 

 splendid treatise on wheat-growing in the regions of the Pacific Coast, 

 located in the States of C'alifornia, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. It 

 is pointed out that the first impression made on the l^astern visitor by 

 observation of the farming methods in vogue in this region is that there 

 is a total difference between them and those to which he has been 

 accustomed in the East. Methods which give the very best results in 

 the East would often be totally worthless cm the Pacific Coast, and con- 

 sequently, owing to its peculiar natural conditions and resources, the 

 Pacific Coast region has a farming system which is distinctly its own. 

 The pamphlet deals with the size of farms, farming for single crops, 

 non-production of food, farm machinery, disposal of straw, farm buildings, 

 temperature and rainfall, area de\oted to wheat, varieties of wheat, ik^c. 

 It is illustrated with several reproductions from photographs of remark- 

 able ploughing and threshing scenes. — A. W. S. 



Winter of 1900 1901 in the Garden of the White House." 



By Angiolo Pucci {Ball. R. Soc. Tosc. Ort. 10, p. 289 ; October 1901). 

 An account of the effects of severe cold upon plants belonging to warmer 

 climes, which Baron Giovanni Ricasoli Firidolfi is endeavouring to 

 acclimatise in his garden. Most plants, although they suffered severely, 

 yet vegetated freely the following spring. Cycads slightly sheltered by 

 covering, under which, however, the thermometer fell to zero and even one 

 degree below, were quite uninjured. — W. C. W. 



Worms of the Garden and Lawn. By H. Friend (Gard. Chron. 



No. 774, p. 310; October 2G, 1901).— The first of a series of papers on 

 these well-known creatures. There appear to be no less than twenty- five 

 different species of earthworms in this country, of which only ten or 

 twelve are commonly found in gardens and lawns. They belong, with one 

 exception, to two genera, Lnmhricus and Allolohopliora. The points of 

 difference between the two genera are given in a tabular form. — G. S. S, 



