No. 4, January, 192 1] AGRONOMY 213 



1428. Piper, C. V. Kudzu. U. S. Dept. Agric. Dept. Circ. 89. 7 p., 2 fig. 1920 — 

 Description of kudzu (Pueraria thunbergiana) with a discussion of culture, grazing and 

 feeding value. — L. R. Hesler. 



1429. Piper, C. V. The jack bean. U. S. Dept. Agric. Dept. Circ. 92. 12 p., 1 fig. 1920. 

 — A general discussion of the history, appearance, botany, culture, and pests of the jack bean 

 (Canavalia ensiformis). — L. R. Hesler. 



1430. Rindl, M. Vegetable fats and oils. III. Drying oils (continued). South African 

 Jour. Inst. 3 : 256-265. 1920. — Article treats of the sunflower, mainly in reference to its oil. 

 The culture, soil preferences, varieties, harvesting, and utilization are discussed, and anal- 

 yses of South African grown seeds are given. The culture of the plant in Rhodesia is also 

 discussed in reference to effect of fertilizers, and use as a rotation crop with maize. Some 

 commercial data regarding sunflower seeds are included. Brief notes are also added con- 

 cerning Madia sativa. — C. V. Piper. 



1431. Schreiner, Oswald, B. E. Brown, J. J. Skinner, and M. Shapovalov. Crop 

 injury by borax in fertilizers. U. S. Dept. Agric. Dept. Circ. 84:3-35. 25 fig. 1920.— 

 (Report on investigations (field and greenhouse) of the effects of anhydrous borax in potato 

 and cotton fertilizers. "Practically all the evidence collected points to the use in fertilizers 

 of potash salts containing borax in what proved in practice to be excessive quantities. The 

 higher the potash content of such mixed fertilizers the higher was also the borax content 

 and the greater the damage to the crop." The appearance of the injury to potatoes and 

 cotton is thus described: "In slight cases the foliage is lighter green than normal, while severely 

 affected plants show leaves slightly rimmed, like a pond-lily leaf, this rim being bleached 

 white or yellowish, so that the effect of borax-containing fertilizers has been rather aptly 

 called 'gilt-edged.' In more extreme cases the leaves may be completely bleached, but they 

 are rarely found in the field, as such badly affected plants die soon after emerging from the 

 soil. With wheat and corn this bleached leaf is the more usual characteristic. It is not 

 thought that permanent damage has resulted on fields subjected to this borax trouble. 

 "There may be a cumulative effect, but there is no evidence on this question." Should borax 

 continue to be used as an ingredient of fertilizer materials, even in moderate quantities, it 

 will become an important duty of those responsible for fertilizer experimentation to test this 

 possible cumulative action by a well planned long-term fertilizer experiment." Studies indi- 

 cate that 2-3 pounds of borax to the acre will injure wheat and 8-9 pounds affect cotton. 

 These quantities are small when compared to those of other poisons, as arsenic, mercury and 

 copper. The extremely poisonous action is not readily explained. Borax is a strong 

 antiseptic, and a partial explanation might be sought in the sterilizing action which it may 

 have on the soil, but the authors think the specific physiological reactions of the plant would 

 suggest a more intimate connection with the growing functions of the plant itself. Possibly 

 borax also interferes with the liberation of sugars, thus disturbing the processes of germina- 

 tion and growth. Borax may also prove to be antizymotic. Notes on general conditions of 

 health of potatoes in Maine are given. — L. R. Hesler. 



1432. Ryan, P. Flax and its cultivation. Jour. Dept. Agric. Victoria 18: 257-266. 1920. 

 — Cultural requirements, seeding, manuring, and harvesting are discussed. Up to the present 

 flax has been grown in Australia for fiber exclusively. — J. J. Skinner. 



1433. Trtjax, Hartley E. United States grades for potatoes. U. S. Dept. Agric. Dept. 

 Circ. 96: 2-4. 1920. 



1434. Truax, Hartley E. United States grades for sweet potatoes recommended by the 

 United States Department of Agriculture. U. S. Dept. Agric. Dept. Circ. 99: 2-4. 1920. 



