96 GENETICS [Bot. Absts. 



654. Murray, J. G. Relation of the supplying ovary to the causation of sex. Johns Hop- 

 kins Hosp. Bull. 29: 275-278. 1918. — This paper is a criticism of the theory advanced by E. 

 Rtjmley Dawson (The causation of sex in man) "that a male foetus is due to fertilization of 

 an ovum that came from the right ovary, and a female foetus is due to the fertilization of an 

 ovum that came from the left ovary." In criticizing the examples given by Dawson in proof 

 of his theory, Murray shows that only four of them fulfill the conditions necessary to make 

 them convincing. Murray then tests from the 17,500 deliveries at the Johns Hopkins Hospital 

 the 75 cases in which it is possible to determine absolutely from which ovary the ovum came, 

 and he finds that male and female children result in about equal numbers from the fertiliza- 

 tion of ova from each ovary. He then tests in 40 cases of repeated pregnancies Dawson's 

 rules for predicting the sex of an unborn child and finds that they work in exactly 50 per cent 

 of the cases, which is, of course, the number that would be expected by chance. Murray 

 therefore concludes that the supplying ovary has no influence upon the sex of the child. — 

 Sylvia L. Parker. 



655. Norton, J. B. Washington asparagus : information and suggestions for growers of 

 new pedigreed rust-resistant strains. U. S. Dept. Agric. Bur. Plant Ind. Cotton, Truck, 

 and Forage Crop Diseases Circ. 7. 8 p. Feb. 15, 1919. — During the past thirteen years there 

 have been developed, through the cooperative efforts of the Massachusetts Agric. Exp. Sta. 

 and the U. S. Bur. Plant Ind., high-yielding pedigreed strains of Asparagus resistant to rust, 

 Puccinia asparagi De C. Of these the most satisfactory and widely distributed strains are 

 "Mary Washington," "Martha Washington," "Washington Stock," and "Martha Washing- 

 ton Stock." This circular gives briefly the origin and main descriptive characters of each, 

 together with advice to growers as to methods of cultivation, marking, further selection and 

 breeding of these strains. Bur. Plant Ind. does not distribute seeds or roots of these strains 

 but will furnish names of reliable growers from whom they may be obtained. — Maude Muller. 



656. Norton, J. B. S., and C. E. Leathers. Conditions detrimental to seed production. 

 Maryland Agric. Exp. Sta. Bull. 216. p. 175-226. 1918. — Authors discuss factors detrimental to 

 development of seeds and reviews much of previous work on question. Rules for raising good 

 seed are given and troubles of each crop, and control methods, are taken up specifically. 

 Extensive bibliography is included. — Results of original investigations and observations are 

 given as follows: — Variation in infection with septoria on tomato seedlings gives promise for 

 selection in leaf-blight resistance. Seed from green tomatoes will germinate but the greener 

 the seed the longer before germination. Seeds from tomatoes immature when leaves were 

 killed by frost October 14, germinated well when taken from field up to November 9. They 

 withstood a number of heavy frosts and temperatures as low as 15° F. Seeds from tomatoes 

 ripened and rotted in field gave lower percentage of germination than when ripening and rotting 

 process took place in laboratory. Viability of tomato seeds was not affected by 5-days' fer- 

 mentation in pulp but more than this caused decrease in vitality. Blackening of seeds dried 

 on copper wire did not affect vitality. Some lots of cabbage seeds treated with corrosive subli- 

 mate and formaldehyde for disinfection, developed growth of fungi which interfered with 

 growth of seedling when germinated in sterile tubes on synthetic agar. Seedlings without 

 fungus grew freely. Cabbage seeds were injured by water at 52°C. for 20 minutes. In process 

 of disinfection with hot water, 4-year-old seeds were injured at lower temperatures than 

 2-year. Fresh, half-grown cowpeas will germinate but resulting seedlings are slender and 

 slow-growing. In open fields lightly infested with winter cress, largest and earliest-blooming 

 plants were in center of area occupied by mother plant previous year. Authors believe 

 larger seeds fall nearest mother plant. [See Bot. Absts. 1, Entries 628, 747; 2, Entry 730; 3, 

 Entry 276.]— Fred Griffee. 



657. Page, E. Judson. Variability in plants. Gard. Chron. 66: 10. July 5, 1919.— See 

 Bot. Absts. 3, Entry 1022. 



