THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 475 



jecture true by use of antiseptics. In the presence of antiseptics nitri- 

 fication entirely ceased. Some years later Winogrodsky actually dis- 

 covered the organisms that produced the chemical changes. The last 

 link in this chain of marvelous discoveries was forged when in our own 

 time Hellriegel and Wilfart determined that legumes like clover, alfalfa, 

 peas, beans, vetch, etc., furnished home and nutrition to micro-organ- 

 isms in nodules on the roots caused by these same microscopic plants. 

 These bacteria take the free nitrogen from the air much as we take 

 oxygen, and it is combined into soluble nitrates which give to the soil 

 its potency, and thus is solved the enrichment of the soil through the 

 use of legumes as cover crops. 



As agriculture is the very foundation stone of all industrial progress, 

 and as the fixing of atmospheric nitrogen is the greatest step in the 

 development of agricultural science, we may well look upon the above 

 series of discoveries as a very masterpiece in the world's progress. — 

 A. J. C. 



Scientific Progress. — The following excerpt, taken from an address 

 by Dr. W. W. Campbell, President of the American Association for the 

 Advancement of Science, published in the current volume of "Science," 

 pages 232-233, exploits a significant fact, which certainly tends to 

 foster optimism. We wish that our law and funds permitted the State 

 Commission of Horticulture to consider, in a broad way, this whole 

 subject of economics in its relation to fruit growing: 



"It is now quite difficult to find a subject that is not being 

 studied scientifically somewhere by somebody. It is this fact which 

 accounts for the phenomenal progress of civilization in the past 

 half century, and especially in the last thirty years. With rare 

 exceptions, all important interests are pulling together for the wel- 

 fare of mankind, and their efforts are effective because they are 

 advancing over the firm foundation of scientific method. Every 

 branch of science, every nation's literature or art, every element of 

 'religion pure and undefiled,' every element of coimnerce conducted 

 upon the dignified basis of mutual respect and mutual profit of 

 buyer and seller is a contributor to the forward movement." — 

 A. J. C. 



Potato Meetings. — It is believed that the potato industry of the 

 State will be greatly benefited because of the lectures of the Govern- 

 ment potato expert, W. V. Shear, who took a leading part in all the 

 meetings recently held as follows: September 14th, Bakersfield; Sep- 

 tember 16th, El Monte; September 17th, Nuevo and Perris; Septem- 

 ber 20th, Salinas; September 23d, Stockton; September 25th, Sebasto- 

 pol. The Perris, Salinas and Sebastopol meetings were especially well 

 attended and the interest shown was such as to indicate that the 

 potato growers are eager for help. 



The lack of knowledge regarding the common and extremely de- 

 structive diseases of the potato, viz, Rhizoctonia, scab and Fusarium, 

 was evidenced on every hand, and Mr. Shear dwelt in detail upon the 

 nature, cause and cure of these diseases, which are fast decreasing the 

 production in certain important localities to a point where potato 

 growing is unprofitable.— G. P. W. 



