AGRICULTURAL BOTANY. 625 



Analyses and valuations of commercial fertilizers and ground bone, C. S. 

 Cathcart et al. (\cic Jersey Stas. Bui. 22-}, pp. S-l.'i, 20-^6"). — This bulletin 

 supplements a previous bulletin (E. S. R., 22, p. 228) on fertilizer inspection in 

 New Jersey during 1909, reporting later analyses and discussing the results of 

 Inspection as a whole. It also contains a special article on the cost of available 

 nitrogen (see p. 620). 



The work of the year involved analyses of 762 samples of fertilizers and fer- 

 tilizing materials. The 488 brands of complete fertilizers examined repre- 

 sented the product of 108 manufacturers and jobbers. This indicates an ex- 

 cessive multiplication of brands. 



Taking the average of all analyses the brands fully satisfied the guaranties 

 made by the manufacturers, but there were many cases of individul deficiencies. 

 A very large proportion of the brands were deficienr in phosphoric acid. " In 

 the brands examined there was a total of 1,449 deficiencies possible and of this 

 number 244, or 16.8 per cent, were actually found. These deficiencies were dis- 

 tributed among 203 brands, 166 of which were deficient in one element, 33 in 

 two elements, and 4 in all three of the elements. . . . The deficient brands do 

 not show evidences of intentional inferiority, but rather the result of bad 

 mixing, and, in such cases, where there is a slight deficiency in one element 

 and a corresponding increase in another, no hardship is imposed upon the con- 

 sumer, assuming that he obtains an equivalent of fertility value." 



Of the brands examined 71 were deficient in nitrogen, 137 in phosphoric acid, 

 and 36 in potash. The average composition of the fertilizers examined shows 

 that the nitrogen content was increased 0.23 per cent and the potash content 

 0.27 per cent, while the three different forms of phosphoric acid were prac- 

 tically the same, when compared with the averages for last year. 



" The average valuation was $1.16 per ton lower than last year, and the sell- 

 ing price was $1.08 higher. The difference between the selling price and 

 station's valuation was $8.r)4 per ton, which represents the overhead charges 

 on the material." 



During 1909 the consumer received " in one ton of fertilizer 96 cents' worth 

 more of plant food than he did last year and ... it cost him $1.08 more to get 

 it." It is shown that the lower the grade of fertilizer the greater the cost of 

 actual plant food. 



Analyses of commercial fertilizers, M. B. Hardin {South Carolina Sta. 

 Rpts. 1907, pp. 11-15; 190S, pp. 13-18). — The results of fertilizer inspection 

 during the years ended June 30, 1907 and 1908, are briefly summarized. 



[Amount and price of fertilizers used in Germany, 1903 to 19081 (Jahrb. 

 Dent. Lnndiv. deselt.. 2't (1909), No. //, pp. 1025-1028) .—Detailed statistics are 

 given for the different provinces of Germany. 



AGRICULTURAL BOTANY. 



Application of some of the principles of heredity to plant breeding, W. J. 

 Spillman (U. S. Dept. Agr., Bur. Plant Indus. Bui. 165, pp. 77/, figs. 6).— This 

 paper is designed to set forth what is known of the effects of selection on dif- 

 ferent types of plants and the possibilities of cross-breeding for the purpose 

 of producing new varieties. In general, it is a discussion of the technical 

 terms and laws relating to plant breeding that have been evolved from Mendel's 

 theory. 



The mutation theory, H. de Vries, trans, by J. B. Farmer and A. D. Dar- 

 BisHiRE {Chicago, 1909, vol. 1, pp. XV 1+582, pis. G, figs, /i.9).— This is an 

 English edition of the author's work Die Mutationstheorie, which appeared 

 several years ago. The present volume is confined to a discussion of the ex- 



