NOTES AND ABSTRACTS. 



577 



being washed away by heavy fall and spring rains ; (d) to hold soluble 

 plant food in the soil, especially nitrates ; (e) to lessen evaporation in 

 winter when no snow is on the ground ; (/) to add humus to the soil 

 so as to increase its water-holding capacity ; (g) to prevent snow from 

 being blown away ; (h) to add nitrogen to the soil." Ten plants were 

 experimented with as cover crops — viz., cow pea, soy bean, crimson clover, 

 hairy vetch, Canadian field pea, oats, rye, millet, and rape — and some of 

 these were used in combination. It was found most easy to get a catch 

 crop with oats, rape, rye, and millet, and least with soy bean, crimson 

 clover, and hairy vetch. The relative order of value in obtaining early 

 cover was : cow peas, soy bean, oats, Canadian field peas, rape, rye, millet, 

 turnip, hairy vetch, and crimson clover. Cow peas were found to withstand 

 drought best, millet least. Field peas resisted shade best, turnip least. 

 Hairy vetch and crimson clover withstood trampling best, while turnips 

 suffered the most. Frost injured rye and crimson clover the least, soy 

 beans and cow peas suffered the most. Turnips, oats, and field peas 

 lowered the moisture content of the soil to the greatest extent during the 

 late summer, while crimson clover and soy beans proved to be the most 

 efficient holders of moisture during the winter, and millet and field peas 

 the least. All cover crops reduced the depth of freezing to about one- 

 half.— F. J. C. 



Cranberry, Insects Injurious to, in 1907 {U.S.A. Exp. Stn. 

 Wisconsin, 24th Ann. Bep., 1907, p. 309). — The most injurious insects 

 were the caterpillars of Bhopobota vacciniana (the black-headed vine- 

 worm), Terns minuta (the yellow-headed vine-worm), and Mineola 

 vaccinii Riley (the fruit- worm). Several other injurious insects are 

 mentioned and methods of control suggested. — F. J. G. 



Cranberry Investigations. By A. R. Whitson and 0. G. Malde 

 (U.S. A. Exp. Stn. Wisconsin, 24th Ann. Bep. 1907, p. 802).— Drainage 

 was followed by a marked increase of crop, but it is pointed out that the 

 depth of drainage must depend largely upon the nature of the subsoil. 

 The application of phosphate and nitrate and of potash and nitrate to the 

 bogs has proved highly beneficial. Experiments have been carried out 

 with the object of destroying moss ; sphagnum was destroyed by a 

 dressing of air-slaked lime, but other mosses remained. The application 

 of a solution of common salt at the rate of fifteen pounds to fifty gallons 

 of water has been found a safe and efficient method of destroying all. 



F. J. C. 



Crown-gall, The Cross Inoculation of Fruit Trees and Shrubs 

 With. By G. G. Hedgcock (U.S.A. Dep. Agr., Bur. PI. Ind,, Bull. 131 ; 

 August 1908).— The identity of "crown-gall" occurring upon almond, 

 apricot, blackberry, cherry, peach, plum, prune, chestnut, and walnut has 

 been established by experiments with nearly 5,000 seedlings grown in 

 sterilized soil, watered with sterile water and inoculated with pieces 

 of gall taken from portions of the plants mentioned. Further experi- 

 ments on 15,000 seedlings in the field indicate that the soft galls on 

 apple, pear, and rose are also forms of the same disease. The author 

 considers that either Bacillus tumefaciens Sm. and Town., the cause 



vol. xxxiv. r r 



