No. 83.] 191 
amid these discouragements we find sufficient hope in the outcome 
of a few plantings to give the impression that our efforts in this di- 
rection promise valuable results, and justify further experiments 
upon a larger scale. 
Our experiments with insecticides have been rewarded with a 
reasonable degree of success. 
We desire here to acknowledge our indebtedness to our Assistant, 
Mr. O. E. Liess, whose faithfulness in taking notes and ready zeal are 
deserving of favorable mention. 
Abbreviations : 
As we have frequent occasion to mention the names of seedsmen, 
we will use the following abbreviations in order to economize space. 
When one of these is attached to the name of variety, it indicates 
that the seed was obtained from the party corresponding to the ab- 
breviation. When a date is also appended, it indicates that the seed 
was obtained in the year specified. When no date is appended it is _ 
understood to be 1884. 
B. M. & Co. Benson, Maule & Co., Philadelphia, Pa. 
Batch. D. Batchelor, Utica, N. Y 
Ben. Ernst Benary, Erfurt, Germany. 
Bliss. B. K. Bliss & Sons, 34 Barclay St., N. Y. 
Clev. A. B. Cleveland, Cape Vincent, N.Y. . 
Dam. Damman & Co., Italy. 
Fer. D. M. Ferry & Co., Detroit, Michigan. 
Greg. J. J. H. Gregory, Marblehead, Mass. 
Hen. Peter Henderson & Co., 35 & 87 Cortland St., N. Y. 
Hors. F. H. Horsford, Charlotte, Vt. 
Lan. David Landreth & Sons, Philadelphia, Pa. 
Sib. Hiram Sibley & Co., Rochester, N. Y. 
EG: I. Tillinghast, La Plume, Pa. 
Thor. J. M. Thorburn & Co., 15 John St., N. Y. 
Vil. Vilmorin, Andrieux & Co., Paris, France. 
“ Gard. Chron.” is used as an abbreviation for the ‘“ Gardener’s 
Chronicle, London ; /7. is used as an abbreviation for French, Ger. 
for German, and Syn. for synonym. 
Brrr, — Test or VARIETIES. 
We tested the past season eleven so-called varieties of garden beet, 
one of Chard, fourteen of Mangel Wurzel, and eleven of Sugar beet. 
The seeds were planted April 24, in rows ten feet long ; two rows 
each of the garden beets and chard, and one of derManvels and 
Sugar beets. In order to ascertain the percentage of vegetation, 
one hundred seed cases from each package were carefully counted in. 
The soil was manured with a moderate application of stable ma- 
nure. The rows of garden beets and chards were twenty-one inches 
apart, and those of the Mangels and Sugar beet twice that distance, 
or three and a half feet apart. The plants were thinned to six 
inches apart in the row. We present the time required for vegeta- 
