NOTES AND ABSTRACTS. 



125 



boll weevil. The pest is spreading with increasing rapidity year by year 

 over the whole of the American cotton States. 



As yet no successful method has been discovered for the destruction 

 of the pest, but the bulletin offers suggestions for the checking of its 

 ravages. A list is given on p. 9 : 



(1) Deep ploughing of the soil during the autumn and shallow 

 winter cultivation to air the soil and destroy grass, where there is no 

 cover crop. 



(2) Burning of affected buds and destroying all possible hibernating 

 quarters of the weevil. 



(3) Planting as early as the climate will allow, using varieties which 

 mature early. 



(4) Eotations, especially with leguminous plants, as the weevil lives 

 only on the cotton plant. 



The reason for hint No. (3) is the fact that the weevils do not become 

 numerous or destructive before the end of July. 



The rest of the bulletin deals with corn cultivation in the Southern 

 States. This branch of agriculture has become so neglected that few 

 farmers obtain a profitable yield from it. The Boys' Corn Clubs are, 

 •however, acting as a powerful stimulant on the farmers. There are 

 cases where the boys' plots, worked under State agents and advisers, 

 produced on an average 76 bushels of corn to the acre, whilst their 

 parents' land only averaged 16 bushels to the acre. Such a striking 

 object-lesson must soon produce an awakening. — W. W. 



Dianthus : four Alpine species. By E. Farrer (Gard. Chron. 

 p. 195; March 30, 1912). — Geographical, descriptive, and cultural 

 notes on Dianthus neglectus, D. alpimis, D. glacialis, and D. calli- 

 zonus. — E. A. B. 



Dimorphism, A New Case of. By Gustave Eiviere {Jour. Soc. 

 Nat. Hort. Fr. ser. iv. vol. xii. p. 569, Nov. 1911). — A case of 

 dimorphism is reported by M. Eiviere from Cyr-en-Arthies (Seine-et- 

 Oise). In this case a cider apple, of the variety known in that district 

 as ' Senlis,' and which bears yellow fruit, bore red fruit this year on 

 young shoots which were evidently not the result of grafting. Other 

 cases of the same nature are recalled. Smooth peaches were observed 

 on a tree which had always hitherto borne normally downy fruit, and 

 an apple of the yellow variety, known as ' Menagere,' suddenly 

 developed red fruit on some branches. — M. L. H. 



Doug-las Fir, The Growth and Manag-ement of, in the Pacific 



North-West. By Thornton T. Hunger {U.S.A. Dep. Agr., Forest 

 Service, Circ. 175). — In the Pacific North- West the Douglas Fir is of 

 extremely rapid growth, and yields enormous crops of timber. It is 

 interesting to record that in various parts of Britain the Douglas Fir 

 succeeds well, and produces valuable wood, which is being experimented 

 with for various purposes. The tables of rate of growth and quantity 

 of timber produced are interesting- and valuable, while illustrations of 



