Experiment Station Record, Volume 92, January-June, 1945 Page: 213

                                
19451                         HORTICULTURE                             213
content affected the appearance and aroma of the beans, but did not influence the
phenol value. Beans with a moisture content of 31 to 34 percent had a well-developed
and satisfactory aroma and possessed a high degree of flexibility. A higher moisture
content lead to a fermented aroma and a low moisture content to, a satisfactory
aroma but little flexibility. Commercial lots of vanilla beans from Mexico, Madagascar,
the Comoro Islands, and Tahiti were found to contain over 30 percent
moisture.
The budding of tung (Aleurites fordii Hemsl.), S. MERRILL, JR. (U. S. D. A.).
(Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. Proc., 44 (1944), pp. 227-235, illus. 1).-Over a 3-yr.
period some 78,000 tung seedlings have been budded at Bogalusa, La. When fall
budding was compared with spring, the respective percentages of success were 80
and 72. Buds placed in autumn are banked with soil in early November and uncovered
in early April. Late August and early September were promising for budding.
Certain rootstocks tend to harden early in the fall, hence are not suitable for late
fall budding. In general, stocks that bud easily early in the spring bud poorly late
in the season and vice versa. The T-bud was found well suited to tung propagation.
Soil texture and fertility conditions unfavorable to growth of rootstocks caused a
marked reduction in percentage of successful budding.
Culture studies of the drug plant Atropa belladonna, W. R. BREWER and A.
LAURIE. (Ohio State Univ.). (Anmer. Soc. Hort. Sci. Proc., 44 (1944), pp.
511-517).-The results reported in this second contribution (E. S. R., 89, p. 316)
had been noted from another source (E. S. R., 91, p. 548).
Studies on clonal strains of pyrethrum, B. D. DRAIN, W. A. SIMANTON, and
A. C. MILLER. (Tenn. Expt. Sta.). (Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. Proc., 44 (1944),
pp. 521-524).-The insecticidal value of individual plants grown from commercial
seed ranged from extremely low to fairly high values. Chemical and biological
methods of assaying pyrethrins agreed very well when applied to mixtures of flowers
from several plants. When applied to flowers of individual plants, the agreement
was close in 12 of 23 plants and differed markedly in a few cases. Clonal strains
were found to maintain their respective pyrethrin ratings, although some variance
was noted from year to year. Cuttings or small crown divisions may be used for
propagation of high pyrethrin plants.
The effect of temperature on bloom color of roses, J. C. RATSEK. (Tex. A.
and M. Col.). (Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. Proc., 44 (1944), pp. 549-551).-Talisman
and Briarcliff rose plants growing in 6-in. pots, were placed at three temperatures
65, 80, and 95 F. The plants at 95 grew rapidly at first with normal size but
pale blooms. Soon, however, blooms became small and the color nearly pure white.
Plants at 80 grew well with large flowers on long stems, but the color was somewhat
pale. Plants at 65 produced large blooms of a good deep color. Foliage was
succulent and of a brilliant green hue. High concentrations of starch were found
in the stems of the 65 roses. At 80 starch was found in the same locations as at
65, but was less concentrated. The 95 wood contained no starch at all. The
author concludes that the pale color of roses in mid-summer is due to insufficient
carbohydrates and not to, bleaching by sunlight. The necessity of preventing defoliation
by leafspot in order to maintain the carbohydrate supply is stressed.
Preliminary studies on low-temperature vernalization of column stocks,
Mathiola incana, J. E. HOWLAND. (Cornell Univ. coop. Mich. State Col.).
(Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. Proc., 44 (1944), pp. 518-520).-Column stocks of five
commercial varieties were unaffected in time of flowering in 2-yr. trials of certain
low-temperature thermophase vernalization treatments. Percentages for seed
germination were reduced by all treatments and progressively as the length of the
treatments was increased. Quality of flowers and stem length were not affected.