14 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 
Duggar, B. M. (Ann. Mo. Bot. Gard. 6:179-181), improv- 
ing upon the method of hydrogen ion determination by the 
indicator method mentioned above, shows that the Du Boscq 
micro-colorimeter may be employed with very small quanti- 
ties of fiuids and without the use of special cells. The plunger 
tube and the usual colorimeter cup on each side of the instru- 
ment serve respectively for the shield solutions and for the 
sample and the standard employed. 
Duggar, B. M., and Davis, Anne W. (Ann. Mo. Bot. Gard. 
6:159-170). For the cultivation of seed plants in pure cul- 
tures it is shown that for the seed tested the ordinary eau de 
Javel (potassium hypochlorite) is a better disinfectant than 
any previously employed. The advantages of this substance 
over alcohol, formalin, mercuric bichloride, calcium hypo- 
chlorite, ete., are obvious from the numerous tables presented. 
Duggar, B. M., and Dodge, C. W. (Ann. Mo. Bot. Gard. 
6:61-70) develop a method whereby greater accuracy in the 
determination of the hydrogen ion concentration of biological 
fluids by the indicator method is effected by means of the 
colorimeter. In this case special cells fitting one into another 
are employed instead of the usual colorimeter cups. The 
natural color in sample biological fluids is compensated for 
by suitable shields of the same solution. 
MeGinty, R. A. (Ann. Mo. Bot. Gard. 6:223-251) has 
traced the changes taking place in some of the important car- 
bohydrates during growth of the tuber of the common potato, 
at the same time devoting special attention to the relative 
enzyme (diastase) activity as the tuber develops from an early 
stage to maturity. 
Matsumoto, T. (Ann. Mo. Bot. Gard. 6 :306-316) presents 
results of infection experiments with several species of 
Melampsora on species of Salix and Populus in Japan, estab- 
lishing more completely the relationship of these forms. 
Moore, G. T., and Karrer, J. L. (Ann. Mo. Bot. Gard. 
6 :280-305). From this investigation it is demonstrated that 
there is a subterranean or soil algal flora which is to a great 
degree independent of locality and character of the soil. The 
number of algae is not considerable but the variety almost as 
great as at the surface. There is a constant occurrence of 
Protoderma viride. Algal growth often extends to a depth of 
100 em. 
Schmitz, H. (Ann. Mo. Bot. Gard. 6:93-136) has contrib- 
uted the first important results in a study of the effect of bac- 
