NOTES AND ABSTRACTS, 



115 



Where coal is used to raise the temperature, twenty to fifty baskets of 

 fire are required to the acre. 



Other means of protection are earthing-up, mulching with hay, and 

 screening of light material. 



The forecasts of the Weather Bureau are an invaluable aid to growers. 



G. H. L. 



Frost of April 19-20, 1908. By L. Chasset (La Pomologie Fran- 

 caise, June 1908, p. 163).— The effect of the frost is not entirely shown 

 by the number of flowers that open on the day of the frost and the follow- 

 ing days ; their opening is not hindered, but upon attentively examining 

 the pistils and stamens, one sees that they are blackish from the time of 

 the opening of the petals. The varieties of Pear that resisted the frost 

 best were 'Beurre Clairgeau,' ' Triomphe de Vienne,' and 'Marguerite 

 Marillat '; although the following varieties were planted by the side of 

 these three, in spite of the abundance of blossom none of them bore 

 fruit : viz. 'Beurre Hardy,' ' Le Lectier,' 1 Duchesse d'Angouleme,' ' Figue 

 d'Alencon,' 'Beurre Diel,' ' Directeur Hardy,' 'Belle Angevine,' 'Beurre 

 gris.' The 'Reinette du Canada' Apples planted as cordons suffered 

 equally, because of their early blossoming ; the variety ' The Queen,' on 

 the contrary, fruited abundantly. — C. H. H. 



Fruit Crops, Reports on the Condition of our. [Gard. Chron., 

 No. 1,127, p. 84, August 1, 1908.) — This report gives in a tabulated form 

 the observations made by a large number of correspondents in the various 

 counties in the British islands on the condition of the fruit crops ; in .the 

 grand summary the figures for 1907 are given for comparison. — G. S. S. 



Fruit Gardens for the Intensive Cultivation of Choice 

 Fruits, Establishment of Model. By 0. Opoix (Pomologie Francaise, 

 February 1908. pp. 100-112). — The chief gardener of the Luxembourg 

 suggests that taking into consideration the rapid increase in fruit growing 

 in the last ten years, and competition especially with regard to apples 

 from America, model fruit plantations should be established in the fruit 

 districts of France. He explains the choice of soil, situation, treatment, 

 walls for espaliers, with the best varieties of pears and apples for the 

 climate of Paris, also for the centre, east and north of France, and gives 

 details of cost of establishment and returns from a garden such as he 

 suggests, of which a plan is given, established by M. Grouas at Precy-sur- 

 Oise (Oise), the area being about H acre. — C. H. H. 



Fruit injured by Insects. By H. Garman (U.S.A. Exp. Stn. 

 Kentucky, 11th Ann. Bept. pp. 63-78). — Injuries to fruit through the 

 skin being cut fand pulp being afterwards extracted through the slit by 

 bees) have been traced to tree crickets (Oecanthus angustijpennis and 

 Oe. niveios), which slit the skins of peaches, plums, grapes, &c, at night, and 

 the common green " June bug " or beetle (Allorhina nitida). The remedy 

 suggested against the last is to shake the beetles into a pail of water covered 

 with a film of coal tar. It was found that the insects very frequently 

 inoculated the fruits which they bit with the spores of the brown-rot 

 fungus, fruits which were protected from being bitten by a muslin cover 

 or by spraying remaining perfectly healthy. — F. J. C. 



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