NOTES AND ABSTRACTS. 



Grapes, Crystallization of Cream of Tartar in the Fruit of. By 

 W. B. AUwood (Jour. Agr. Research, i. pp. 513-514, March 1914). — 

 The author found crystals of potassium tartrate very numerous in 

 the soft tissue just within the skin of different varieties of grape. 



F.J.C. 



Grasshoppers. By J. S. Houser {U.S.A. Exp. Sin.; Ohio, Circ. 

 137, June 1913 ; 10 figs.). This circular deals mainly with Melanoplus 

 hivittatus (Say) a.nd M . femur-rubrum (De Geer). — V. G. J. 



Greenhouse Crops, Malnutrition or Over-fertilization of. By 

 H. D. Haskins (^7.5.^. Exp. Stn., Mass., Ann. Rep. 1912, p. 71, 

 Jan. 1913). — Symptoms indicating malnutrition are that plants, at 

 first very vigorous, turn yellow prematurely and fail to develop fruit, 

 leaves become more or less spotted (as in mosaic diseases), and no 

 fungus is found to account for the trouble. The trouble appears 

 generally after the use of the soil for two years in succession, and 

 it is recommended that it should be leached out with hot water as 

 soon as the crop is removed or symptoms of over-nutrition are ob- 

 served. Mulching with three inches of fresh loam worked lightly 

 around the plants has been known to promote the formation of 

 new roots in diseased crops and to save them from destruction. 



F. J. C. 



Hibiscus Waimeae (Bot. Mag. tab. 8547). — Hawaiian Islands. 

 Nat. Ord. Malvaceae, Tribe Hibisceae. Tree, 25 feet high. Leaves 

 sub-orbicular, 3J to 8 inches long. Flowers solitary. Corolla, seg- 

 ments 4J inches long, white. Staminal tube, 6 inches long, red 

 above, with free spreading filaments, i inch long. — G. H. 



Hop Aphis in the Pacific Region, The. By Wilham B. Parker, 

 M.S. (U.S.A. Dep. Agr., Bur. Entom., Bull, iii, May 1913 ; 10 pis., 

 8 figs.). — The hop aphis is very destructive, and if not carefully 

 controlled may cause total loss of a large portion of the crop. 



The winter form may hibernate upon the plum or hop, and the 

 destruction of the hibernating insects is very necessary if complete 

 control is to be obtained. 



Prompt action must be taken, and spraying conducted thoroughly, 

 many failures where c^uassia is used being due to faulty preparation 

 of the material. 



To be effective, the chips must be soaked twenty-four hours, 

 then boiled for two hours in three gallons of water. The decoction 

 must be added to 247 gallons of water in which 9 lb. of soap has been 

 dissolved (7 lb. of quassia are used in this formula). 



Flour paste has been found by the writer to be just as effective 

 as, and decidedly cheaper than, soap in conjunction with nicotine. The 

 paste is made by mixing a cheap-grade flour with cold water until a 

 smooth batter is obtained, then diluting until there is i lb. of flour 

 to each gallon of the mixture, afterwards boiling until a paste is 

 formed, stirring all the time to prevent burning. — V. G. J. 



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