en
accounted for in various ways in published notes on the subject.
Humming birds and ants have been blamed, the humming birds being such
constant visitors of these flowers that it really seemed as though
they must be the authors of the mischief. I have often watched them
when they appeared as though they were pecking at the blossoms, but
careful examinations, both before and after their visits, always
failed to show any trace of injury. Finally, on July 26, 1890, I was
rewarded by seeing a number of Baltimore orioles vigorously pecking at
and tearing open a lot of fresh blossoms, and this observation was
afterward repeated. That the oriole should do this was not surprising,
considering its known habits in relation to some other flowers. J.G.
JACK.

[Mr. Jack adds a list of sixteen plants whose flowers he has seen
punctured by the carpenter bee and seventeen others whose flowers were
punctured by the humble bee. He names more than thirty other flowers
which he has found perforated without having seen or identified the
authors of the mischief.--ED.]--_Garden and Forest_.

* * * * *

ELECTRICITY IN HORTICULTURE.

The influence of electricity upon vegetation has been the subject of
numerous investigations. Some have been made to ascertain the effects
of the electric current through the soil; others to ascertain the
effect of the electric light upon growth through the air. Among the
latter are those of Prof. L.H. Bailey of the Cornell University
Agricultural Experiment Station. In Bulletin No. 30 of the
Horticultural Department is given an account of experiments with the
electric light upon the growth of certain vegetables, like endive,
spinach, and radish; and upon certain flowers like the heliotrope,
petunia, verbena primula, etc. The results are interesting and
somewhat variable. The forcing house where the experiments were
carried on was 20 x 60 ft., and was divided into two portions by a
partition. In one of these the plants received light from the sun by
day and were in darkness at night. In the other they received the
sunlight and in addition had the benefit of an arc light the whole or
a part of the night. The experiment lasted from January until April
during two years, six weeks of the time the first year with a naked
light and the balance of the time with the light protected by an
ordinary white globe. It is not the purpose here to enter into any
great details, but to g