NOTES AND ABSTRACTS. 



623 



The greater popularity of the brown-tinted varieties of Egyptian 

 Cotton may be explained by the advantage that the colour gives in sort- 

 ing out the inferior white Hindi fibre. The exclusion of the Hindi 

 Cotton by a more efficient system of selection will enable white varieties 

 to be grown in Arizona, and thus produce longer and stronger fibre than 

 brown varieties are likely to afford. A study of many variations and 

 hybrids of Egyptian Cotton shows that there is a distinct tendency for 

 brown colour to be associated with short fibres. — M . L. H. 



Crown-gall on Minnesota Raspberries. By F. L. Washburn 

 {U.S.A. Exj). Stn., Minnesota, 11th Ann. Rept. 1909; pp. 235-241; 

 figs.). — Crown-gall is reported to have attacked raspberries and to 

 be on the increase in Minnesota, where it is very destructive to the 

 plants. It is recommended to bum all affected plants. — F. J. C. 



Cucumbers and Cantaloupes, Spraying-. By T. C. Johnson 

 {U.S.A. Exp. Stn., Virginia Truck Exp. Stn., Bull. 5, March 

 1911). — There has been an alarming increase in fungus disease among 

 the Cucumber and Cantaloupe crops in part of Virginia, and this bulletin 

 is an account of experiments with spraying mixtures. The experi- 

 ments were carried on for several years with home-made Bordeaux 

 mixture, sulphuride, self-boiled lime-sulphur, and commercial lime- 

 sulphur respectively. The sulphuride mixture was prepared with 1 part 

 of sulphuride to 200 parts of water. The self -boiled lime-sulphur was 

 prepared with 8 lb. sulphur, 8 lb. stone lime, 50 gallons of water. 

 The commercial lime-sulphur was used 1 part to 50 parts waiter. 

 Tables are given showing the comparative yield of the plants treated 

 with these different mixtures, the general result being that Bordeaux 

 mixture increased the yield while the other mixtures decreased it to a 

 greater or less extent. — M. L. H. 



Cyclamen ibericum {Die Gart., Dec. 23, 1911; pp. 705).— A 

 beautiful species, hardy even in the north of Europe, forming its dark 

 green leathery leaves during the late autumn, and producing its hand- 

 some flowers, either rosy red or white in colour, during the months 

 of January till April. In a suitable shady spot and in humus they 

 readily increase by self-sown seed. — G. R. 



Daffodils and the Heat. By Eev. Joseph Jacob {Gard., 

 Oct. 28, 1911, p. 523, and Dec. 9, 1911, p. 593).— The writer 

 notices that daffodil bulbs are keeping badly this year, and finds many 

 cases where bulbs are affected by rot. The beginning stage is hard to 

 detect; the bulb feels a little soft, and the outer skin does not look 

 quite right ; if it is removed there is a peculiar greyish appearance on 

 the inner integument ; the base seems to harden and go brown, followed 

 by a grey rot which gradually extends from the base upwards over the 

 whole bulb. Then a ring of mould appears round the base, and decay 

 rapidly takes place. Mr. Chittenden found that they were attacked 

 by a fungus Fusarium hulbigenufn, of the appearance of which he could 



