No. 1, July, 1920] GENETICS 79 



upholds as reliable Millardet's publicaf ion ( 1S94) on si rawberry hybridizations. Jn one cross 

 resulting in 15 Fi plants 11 resembled the pistillate parent and 1 in its entirety the pollen 

 parent. ~),\ F a descendants of the lasl maintained completely paternal appearance excepl for 



slight decrease in fruit size. Millardet found maternal characters more often transmitted 

 in their ent irety in these peculiar genet ie phenomena named by the author unilateral heredity. 

 14 of Millardet 's hybridizat ions gave 76 Fi progeny of completely maternal type and in 224 I 

 descendants of latter maternal appearand' was maintained in all except one individual. Mil- 

 lardet came to believe that this " false hybridization" was the rule in European Fragar 

 Some Fragaria crosses, e.g., F. virginiana, /•'. chiloensi8, are said to yield "true hybrids" 

 rather than "false hybrids." Certain other Fragaria species crosses failed and were inter- 

 preted as showing specific divergencies of the first degree. Researches by Solms-Laubach on 

 strawberries, by Lidforss on Rubus species, and other investigations confirmatory of uni- 

 lateral transmission, are described. Following Giard author infers that unilateral heredity is 

 due to development of one or the other of gametes brought together in hybridization. — Sec- 

 tion 3 considers the crossing of varieties, where alternate or Mendelian heredity occurs. 

 Mendel's experiments and algebraic rules inferred from them are presented in much detail. 

 The reasoning of the "Czech monk" as applied to results in Pisum are considered justified 

 by concordance of observed and calculated figures. Number of characters following Mendel's 

 laws is believed to be limited and author prophesies that the field of "her6dite mixte" will 

 offer most in future. Crossings of barleys involving spiny and spineless glumes showed that 

 when the parents are closely related the F 2 numbers agree with simple expectations based 

 on Mendel's laws but that in hybridizations between divergent lines, the genetic behavior is 

 different. Mention is also made of a line of Svalof barley characterized by spinelessness 

 (recessive trait) and which bred true on testing in moist fertile soils, but which gave a large 

 percentage of more or less spiny grains in dry soils. Author believes this line to be a case of 

 a "fixed hybrid" which was induced to segregate in dry soil. On Mendelian theory the spine- 

 less line should have contained no latent spiny condition. Classification of varieties is 

 offered: (1) Varieties due to color differences; (2) Those due to degrees of hairiness or smooth- 

 ness; (3) Those based on differences in consistency; (4) Stature differences; (5) "grave anom- 

 alies" as pelorias, fusions of organs, etc. Brief discussion under each heading of results of 

 hybridization and cases thought to be non-Mendelian are presented. Author urges careful 

 observing of fertility of hybrids to ascertain degree of specific distinctness in lines crossed. — 

 Finally, various hereditary processes are compared to phenomena in realms of physics and 

 chemistry, — continuity, equilibrium and center of gravity, dissociation, combination, sub- 

 stitution, juxtaposition. Author's attention is especially attracted by opposition of con- 

 tinuity and discontinuity in biology, corresponding to physical variations and chemical 

 combinations. — James P. Kelly. 



524. Bliss, A. J. The protection of raisers of new plants. Gard. Chron. 66: 278. Nov. 

 29, 1919. — The patenting of horticultural novelties is advocated. The breeder of a selected 

 strain might obtain a patent for the improvement, and pay a royalty to the original raiser. 

 Mere registration of names would multiply varieties excessively. [See also next following 

 Entry, 525.] — John Belling. 



525. Bliss, A. J. The protection of raisers of new plants. Gard. Chron. 66:316. Dec. 

 20, 1919. — Suggests that, in the trade lists of members of the Chamber of Horticulture, the 

 name of the raiser should be placed after the name of every new variety. The registration 

 and testing of new varieties, and the weeding out of obsolete ones, might well be undertaken 

 by the Royal Horticultural Society. Thinks raisers of patented novelties might be required 

 to give pedigrees, not necessarily for immediate publication. [See also next preceding Entry, 

 524.] — John Belling. 



526. Bower, F. O. Botany of the living plant. IS X 22 cm., vii + 580 p., U? fig- Mac- 

 millan & Co.: London, England. 1919. — Chapter 31, pp. 461-477, gives very elementary dis- 

 cussion of these topics, describing and illustrating mitotic division, particularly the reduc- 

 tion division and the resultant independent groupings of the chromosomes. The brief state- 



