NOTES AND A JiSTKACTS. 



623 



use of Bordeaux mixture, either alone or in combination with Paris green, 

 is oi rather common occurrence in commercial practice. 



All care having been taken in mixing and application, the injury 

 in these cases may probably be attributable to atmospheric conditions 

 and mostly to showers of rain. 



It not infrequently happens that leaves thoroughly coated with 

 Bordeaux mixture will remain healthy for several weeks, when all at once, 

 following a shower, serious injury will develop. It is supposed that 

 the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has been at work, slowly converting 

 the insoluble copper hydroxide upon the leaves into the normal soluble 

 copper sulphate, which upon the addition of moisture is absorbed by the 

 leaves with resulting poisonous action. — C. H. L. 



Spray, Liquid and Dust, Relative Merits of. By Professor 

 C. S. Crandall {Trans. Hort. Soc. Illinois, 1006, p. 547). — Experiments 

 seem to show that liquid spraying is superior to dust. The latter does 

 not arrest apple-scab, which develops freely on dust-sprayed trees ; the 

 same is observed with fruit-blotch. 



The percentage of windfalls is also highest when dust spraying is 

 resorted to, and the leaves fall early, thus arresting development. 



C. H. L. 



Sterilisation Of Soil. By G. Abbey (Gard. Chron. No. 1053, 

 p. 129, March 2; No. 1054, March 9 ; and No. 1056, March 23, 1907;.— 

 Sterilisation of the soil is a very interesting but not a very simple matter, 

 for all the organisms in soils are not injurious to crops, but some are 

 very beneficent, and without them the soil would indeed be sterile. In 

 this article the matter is fully discussed, and the conclusion come to is 

 that, while steam is the best means for the destruction of various animal 

 and vegetable pests in the soil, care must be taken not to raise the 

 temperature above 140° or 160° F., for fear of killing the useful micro- 

 organisms. Worms, insects, millipedes, mites, woodlice, slugs and snails, 

 are unable to withstand a temperature above 125° F. and most fungi 

 are killed at a temperature 10° higher. — G. S. S. 



Stewartia Malachodendron. By W. B. Hemsley {Sot May. tab. 

 8145). — Nat. ord. Ternstroemiaceae ; Eastern North America. Branching 

 shrub, 6-14 feet high ; leaves 2-4 inches long ; flower solitary, 3^-4 

 inches diameter; petals white. — G. H. 



Strawberry-bed after First Fruiting 5 . By J. Friend (Trans. 

 Hort. Soc. Illinois, 1905, p. 345).— When grown on a large scale, as 

 soon as the last berries are gathered, the beds should be mown, then 

 raked and cleared of rubbish. The ground should then be well stirred 

 between the rows and thoroughly harrowed. 



The bed will look bare at first, but strong growth soon follows. The 

 beds are only kept three years, and are well manured before planting. 



C.H.L. 



Strawberry, New Hybrid. By A. P. (Le Jar dm, vol. xxi. No. v.)0, 

 p. 221 ; July 20, 1907 ; 1 fig.).— ' Mme. Charles Moutot,' from ' Docteur 

 Morere ' and 1 Royal Sovereign.' Specially recommended for forcing. 



F. A. W 



