The Cornell Station has adopted the practice of devoting the last bulletin of each year to the various experiments of the year which are too short for independent publication. Several matters of horticultural interest occur in this bulletin.

Professor W. R. Dudley describes and figures the onion mold. The disease has become very destructive in some portions of the country. The leaves begin to turn yellow and wither early in the season, and the plant is usually dead by the time the bulbs are from one-half to one inch in diameter. The disease is caused by a fungus, Peronospora Schleideniana. It is common in Europe, where it is greatly dreaded. It was first noticed in this country in 1883, in Wisconsin, by Professor Trelease. It is probably introduced. "Noremedy has been tried. But the success in France of the copper fungicides in the treatment of a related parasite, the potato-rot, justify us in hoping they will protect the onion also. No bulbs from a crop diseased the previous year should be set out; and the English are in the habit of sowing the onion seed in the fall, thus enabling the young plant to get a good start before the possible advent of the fungus in the spring".

Russian Willows.

Propagation of Poplars and Willows.

Loss of Manure.

Onion Mold.

Attention is called to a disease of currant leaves, to which Professor Dudley gives the name of anthracnose, (Glocosporium Ribis ). The species has long been known as attacking currants, even in this country, but it has not been mentioned as doing much damage. In the University gardens last year, the leaves of the red and white varieties were badly attacked, and they fell very early. "It is to be hoped that the peculiarly moist summer gave it an advantage it will not soon have in succeeding years, but it may be necessary to carefully watch the varieties susceptible to it, next June, and to apply occasionally, by means of a fine sprayer, like the Eureka sprayer, one of the copper solutions; for the entrance of the spores into the leaf must be prevented if the crop is to be protected. It is fair to suppose that the copper solutions will be as efficacious in this as in strawberry leaf-blight." Attention is also called to the quince and pear leaf-blight.

Professor Comstock calls attention to the serious ravages of the tent caterpiller, and recommends three methods of fighting the insects. The best plan is to gather the egg clusters in winter. This is a perfectly feasible operation, as the eggs are laid in a large and conspicuous mass about young twigs. With long-handled pruners, like a Waters pruner, these can be readily clipped off. The masses should be burned. As soon as the larva hatches it often eats into buds, and the destruction of the eggs is the only means of preventing this injury. The second method of destruction is to burn out the webs or tents in the evening or early in the morning before the larvae leave them. The insects can also be destroyed by arsenical sprays, applied as for codlin moth.

Professor Bailey describes, under the name of Orange melon, the fruit which is variously sold as Vine Peach, Mango Melon, Vegetable Orange and Melon Apple. It is a variety of the musk melon species, although most of the characteristics of the fruit are more nearly akin to the cucumber. "The variety presents some desirable features, but it is overpraised." A figure of the plant is given. The Crandall currant is a simple variation of the "flowering currant" of yards, Ribes aureum. "The plant is hardy and vigorous, and so far, our specimens have been free from insect attacks, although the currant worm was very abundant upon adjacent rows of common sorts. The bushes attain to a large size, and need more room than other currants. The fruits are large and fair, bluish-black and polished. They separate from the stem and are therefore picked and sold singly, like gooseberries and cherries. The flavor is sweet and agreeable, though not pronounced. There is none of the grossness of flavor characteristics of common black currants. It makes good stews, pies and jellies, whether used green or ripe. In jelly we prefer it to other currants.

The variety is wholly distinct It represents a new type, which, when further selected and improved, must come to be a staple".

Record is made of well marked variations in peas in consequence of variation in soil. Clay, as compared with loam, gave later, taller, greener and more glaucous plants.

" It is a common practice among gardeners to set cab -bage plants to the depth of the first leaf, upon the supposition that deeply set plants give better heads than others. The experience and observation of the writer, during several seasons, have led him to doubt the greater efficiency of deep planting, beyond some influence it may exert by preventing injury from very dry weather." The summary of the season's experiments confirm the supposition that depth of transplanting does not augment heading tendencies: "Of the twelve lots, one-half did best from each treatment. The comparative ratios are 13.46 to 13.6, in favor of deep plantings. In other words, in 565 heads, those from the deep plantings averaged about two ounces per head heavier. 270 cabbages gave better results in shallow planting, and 295 better in deep planting. The differences in the two cases are so slight as to appear to be indifferent".

"There is a belief that new or fresh seeds of squashes, pumpkins and melons produce plants which 'run to vine' more than those from old seeds ; and this supposed redundance of vegetation is considered to exist at the expense of fruitfulness." Extensive tests upon this point were made with squashes, watermelons, cucumbers and muskmelons. "There was no evidence whatever that older seeds give shorter and more productive vines. In fact, their was no uniformity of behavior between seeds of like ages. The largest vines in some instances came from oldest seeds, in others from the newest, and in others from those of intermediate ages. All this variation is evidently due to heredity of the individual seeds, or to conditions of growth of the immediate parents, rather than to age of seeds".

A "New Preserver and Germinator of Cereals and Seeds of all Kinds," sold by Dimpfel, of New York, was tested. "With the exception of an indication of a trifling advantage in the tomato seed tests, in which the results may have been wholly accidental to the treatments, the germinator gave no results in germination • superior to those obtained from soaking the same length of time in water ; while in radishes the damage done by the material was marked. In radishes and turnips, it also lessened the rapidity of germination." L. H. B.

Anthracnose of Currants.

Tent Caterpillar.

The Orange Melon.

Crandall Currant.

Transplanting Cabbages.

Old Squash Seeds.

Patent Germinator.

It is inedible until it begins to decay. Is not this the case with all our fruits ? We do not care for a hard apple, though perfectly mature. What is the mellowing process in any fruit but the beginning of the disorganization of its tissues ? - W. F. Massey, N. C. Experiment Station.