218  [AssemBLy 
varieties from seed saved at the station in 1883, all of which had 
abundant opportunity for cross-fertilization. We were able to detect 
in the crop from these seeds very few, if any, evidences of mixture 
from this source. | | 
We found also that it is easy to cross-fertilize varieties of lettuce 
artificially by simply suspending a plant of one variety in an inverted 
position, immediately above one of another variety, both plants 
being in bloom. In our experiments we drove a tall stake by the 
side of the plant we desired to use as the female parent, to which 
we tied an entire plant of the one desired as the other parent. As 
the flower heads are thus brought very near together, it is evident 
that the pollen given off from the suspended plant falls directly upon 
the flowers of the other plant. We replaced the suspended plant 
with a fresh one, occasionally as it became. dry. A cross be- 
tween the Deer Tongue and Green Fringed varieties, obtained in 
this way, produced a great variety of plants. 
CELERY. 
We noted in our last report that our results in 1883 showed no 
advantage in the yield or quality of celery grown in a trench witha 
very high manuring, over that grown on a leyel with moderate 
manuring. We repeated this experiment this year with quite differ- 
ent results. 7 
With the exception of two varieties, one row of each variety 
named in the table was grown in a trench, and the second on a level 
but only five feet distant from the first. The trenches were dug one 
foot deep and of the same width. In the bottom of each was placed 
a layer four inches in depth of thoroughly rotted barn-yard manure. 
This was covered with about two inches of fine loamin which the 
plants were set. In the row grown on the level, the soil before 
being plowed received a moderate dressing of barn-yard manure with 
no additional fertilizer. ‘The varieties grown and the yield of each 
in the two methods of planting are given in the following table. 
The seeds were planted in boxes in the open air, April 12, and 
thirty plants of each variety transplanted to the garden July 3: 
Yield of Yield of 
Per cent level trench 
CELERY. vegetated. culture. culture. 
lbs. oz. lbs, ° 0% 
Dwarf Large Ribbed White Solid.. 49 85 0 96 4 
Henderson’s White Plume..... wee AD HOAa 42-19 
Hood 6 Dwart edict vn oh), peepee. A5 44 10 73 12 
Hed riant molds s:kic< hee eee 34 AGS 6S oy 
elalats Grd Ey ye ta aang RRM Eos 70 49 0 51. 2 
VWAILE DD OUIGt Nee che. eee 33 ame (61 
White Solidi Curled..2 «3h, eee ew 36 45. 4 
Yellow Golden Solid... .. esc. cece 59 oe 70 ceo 

