shows a marked tendency to flower late in the year by shorten- 
ing the duration of daylight by artificial means, remarkable 
results were obtained, the normal seasonal periodicity was 
completely broken up, and the blooming season was advanced 
from September to June. "Wild Asters and Ragweed behaved in 
the same manner, also Cosmos, Chrysanthemums, and Poinsettia 
required daylight for twelve hours to develop flowers. 
Some plants require long days for successful flowering and 
fruiting; notably radishes and spinach, red clover and evening 
Primroses. One of the wild Violets, Viola papilionacea, was kept 
constantly in blossom from March to November, by allowing the 
plants to receive only eight hours of daylight. 
In some experiments electric light was used to prolong 
the growing period. 
E. G. Britton. 
New York Botanical Garden. 
Departments 
The Gardener's Miscellany 
Mid-January — about this time of year an after-Christmas 
influenza is wont to attack us with its exhaustion and lassitude. 
Our Doctor, if he has any sense of humor, orders us to bed for a 
complete rest for a week or two, blessed respite from responsibil- 
ity. This means time to read with a clear conscience; time to 
go over the Catalogs and order ; time to make our plans for the 
coming spring. Indeed I owe the plan of my own dear garden 
to a prolonged convalescence from tonsilitis. The very fact that 
you don't feel able to work too long at a stretch gives pause for 
reflection and saves you from many errors of too hasty 
enthusiasm. 
After looking over the Christmas Garden books and marking Books 
them for easy reference I always come back to my good old 
stand-bys. I cannot start the year without browsing again over 
Pot-pourri of a Surrey Garden by Mrs. C. W. Earle (Dutton 
1901) and wandering leisurely through the Life of the Fields 
with Richard Jefferies (Longmans Green 1884) and puttering 
about " Walden" with Thoreau. I have to look over the pictures 
of Outlines of Trees in Winter (Annie Oakes Huntington). And 
then go thoughtfully over Miss Jekyll's Color Schemes in the 
Flower Garden, and Clutton-Brock's Studies in Gardening. The 
re-reading of these last two has become a sacred rite to be 
performed each January. 
159 
