No. 3, October, 1921] PHYSIOLOGY 267 



lfi44. K[KNOYEn], L. A. [Rev. of: Garner, W. W., and H. A. Allard. Effect of the 

 relative length of day and night and other factors on growth and reproduction in plants. Jour. 

 Agric. Res. 18:553-605. 1920 (see Bot. Absts. 5, Entry 22).] Jour. Indian Bot. 2: 92. 1921 



1G45. Mason, T. G. A note on poling in some fibre agaves. Agric. News [Barbados 

 20: S4. 1921. — "The longevity of the plant and the number of years throughout which the 

 crop can be secured, is of course decided by the number of years the plant passes in the purely 

 vegetative state before poling and dying." Premature poling might render the cultivation 

 of fiber-agaves impossible since it W'ould not allow the planter sufficient time to recover his 

 expended capital. An experiment with agave planted from bulbils was started in Montserrat 

 in September, 1902. Instead of a 4-year period, the leaves were ready for reaping in 2 years, 

 and by 1907, 25 per cent of the plants had poled. Apparently the whole life cycle of the plants 

 was accelerated; 4 good crops had, however, been produced before the plants were dug out. 

 After a reference to the kind of soil and climatic conditions best suited to the cultivation of 

 agaves, the author concludes by pointing out the necessity for experimentation to determine 

 the factors influencing premature poling. — J . S. Dash. 



1646. Schaffner, J. H. Reversal of the sexual state in certain types of monoecious in- 

 florescences. Ohio Jour. Sci. 21: 185-200. PL 1-2. 1921. — A list is given of common plants 

 in which a complete change from one sexual state to the other takes place in the inflorescence. 

 A detailed study of 7 species shows the character of the morphological expressions on the 

 transition zone between tissues in a male state and those in a female state. Maleness and 

 femaleness in plants are shown to be quantitative, reversible states arising during vegetative 

 growth from neutral states. It is thought that sex can be controlled and changed from one 

 state to another. — H. D. Hooker, Jr. 



MOVEMENTS OF GROWTH AND TURGOR CHANGES 



1647. CoupiN, Henri. Sur une tige a geotropisme horizontal. [A stem which displays 

 horizontal geotropism.] Compt. Rend. Acad. Sci. Paris 172: 608-610. 1921. — If seedlings of 

 certain lentils are grown in darkness, the stems assume a horizontal position ; if placed upright, 

 they curve over to the horizontal again. They thus display a plagiotropism. If illuminated 

 equally on all sides, they show ordinary negative geotropism. — C. H. Farr. 



TEMPERATURE RELATIONS 



1648. Bertrand, Gabriel, et Arthur Compton. Influence de la chaleur sur Tactivit^ 

 de la salicinase. [The influence of temperature on the activity of salicinase.] Compt. Rend. 

 Acad. Sci. Paris 172: 548-551. 1921. — It was found that for salicinase of almond the lethal 

 and optimum temperatures are decreased as the duration of exposure to the temperature is 

 increased. The maximum temperature at which activity takes place is the same as the 

 temperature of instantaneous destruction of the enzyme. — C. H. Farr. 



TOXIC AGENTS 



1649. NoBE COURT, Pierre. Action de quelques alcaloides sur le Botrytis cinerea Pers. 

 [The effect of certain alkaloids on Botrytis cinerea.] Compt. Rend. Acad. Sci. Paris 172: 

 706-708. 1921. — The basis of immunity in plants is often attributed to the presence of alka- 

 loids, or related products, in the tissues of the host. Botrytis cinerea was chosen for this study 

 because it is parasitic on so many plants, including Nicotiana, Cinchona, and Atropa belladona, 

 as w-ell as other plants which are high in alkaloids. Such alkaloids as atropine, nicotine, 

 aconitine, and quinine sulphate were used with this fungus and these showed no toxic efi"ects 

 at concentrations greater than those commonly occurring in the host plants. — C. H. Farr. 



1650. OsTERHOUT, W. J. V. The mechanism of injury and recovery. Jour. Gen. Physiol. 

 3 : 15-20. 1920. — During the changes leading to injury or death the resistance of many tissues 

 to the passage of an electric current is altered, and this change in conductivity, since it can 



