NOTES AND ABSTEACTS. 



129 



part by 0. Haastii only, includes over eighty species, but only three or 

 four of these are worth cultivating. 0. macrodonta (syn. dentata) is 

 an interesting plant, with crinkled thorny leaves like a Holly, and 

 corymbs of single white flowers, inserted on long peduncles at the 

 apex of the previous year's growth. It is, however, only half-hardy. 

 0. Eurybia Gunniana is comparatively hardy, and from its dwarf habit 

 well suited for the rock garden. 0. Forsteri resembles 0. macrodonta ; 

 0. Traversii is much taller, with shining oval green leaves, woolly on 

 the under-surface, numerous white flowers on slender pedicels forming 

 a dense corymb ; 0. furfuracea, 0. insignis, 0. ramulosa, and 0. nitida 

 may also be mentioned. All these species come from New Zealand, and all 

 are easily propagated by cuttings of the young shoots at the end of the 

 summer. Strike in light soil, under bell-glasses, and shaded. — F. A. W. 



Oligobotrya Henryi {Bot. Mag. tab. 8238). — Nat. ord. Liliaceae ; 

 tribe Polygonateae ; China. Herb, stem 3 feet high ; leaves sessile, ovate- 

 oblong to 2 inches broad ; raceme terminal ; perianth white or pale 

 yellow, or (var. violacea) with a violet tube, \ inch long. — G. H. 



Olive Culture, Dry-Land, in Northern Africa. By Thomas 

 H.Kearney (U.S. A. Dept. Agr., Bur. PI. Ind., Bull. 125, 1908 ; illustrated). 

 — The use of trees as a drought-resisting crop in the dry lands of the States 

 has up till now not been fully considered. The olive would seem 

 especially suitable for cultivation in the arid parts of California, Texas, 

 and Arizona, to judge by the experience of the Old World. Although 

 now practically a sandy desert, there is no doubt that Algeria and Tunis, 

 before the Arab conquest, used to support large and flourishing popula- 

 tions, whose wealth was derived in the early centuries of the Christian 

 era from olive orchards and the production of oil. 



On the east coast olive culture never completely disappeared. Sfax, 

 a flourishing seaport town, is surrounded by olive orchards to a distance 

 of twenty or more miles, and contains many crushing mills, both native 

 and European. The trees are set out about 70 feet apart each way, and 

 pruned to admit the greatest amount of air and sunshine. 



The rainfall averages 9 inches a year, and is often less for a number 

 of years in succession, so that irrigation is out of the question. 



The ground is kept quite clean when the trees are once in bearing. 



They begin to bear productively when about ten years old, increasing 

 till twenty-five years, when they should be in full bearing, and with good 

 treatment they so remain till fifty years, when they begin to decline. 



The average yield of oil from each tree in full bearing is about six 

 gallons. 



The best means of cultivation is that by contract with native 

 proprietors, more economical and effectual than by European management. 

 (The summary at end of pamphlet is instructive.) — C. H. L. 



Orchard Survey of Jackson County. By C. I. Lewis, S. L. 

 Bennett and C. C. Vincent (Oregon Agr. Exp. St. Bull. 101).— To those 

 who are interested in fruit culture this work is of special value. From 

 a small beginning orcharding in Jackson County has had a wonder- 

 ful development in the past fifteen years, there being at present 473 



VOL. XXXV. K 



