AGRICULTURAL BOTANY. 25 



cal interest with reference to tlie Florida pbospliate Industry occurred during 

 tliis year. There was a marljed decrease in production of hard rocli phosphate 

 and an estimated increase of 18 per cent in production of land pebble. As a 

 result of low prices no new plants were erected. The low prices are said to 

 have been due not to lack of demand but " to the present unfortunate method 

 of selling whereby there is unnecessary and undue competition. As before 

 pointed out, the only beneficiary under existing conditions is the manufacturer 

 of superphosphate, who is thereby enabled to purchase his crude phosphate 

 at a minimum figure, and on account of the active demand for fertilizers is 

 enabled to sell his manufactured product at high figures. The producer and 

 the consumer suffer; the intermediary or manufacturer profits." 



[Fertilizer markets, 1910] (Oil, Paint and Drug Reporter, 19 {1911), No. 

 9, pp. 55-57). — Reviews are given of the fertilizer market in New York, Balti- 

 more, Charleston, and Philadelphia. 



A large increase, variously estimated at from 15 to 25 per cent, in the fer- 

 tilizer business of the United States during 1910 is reported. The increase was 

 especially large in the South. There was a marked increase in the consumption 

 of sulphate of ammonia, which was met by increased imiwrtations, especially 

 from Great Britain, and by an increase of domestic production as a by-product 

 from coke ovens. There were large increases in the production and consump- 

 tion of nitrate of soda accompanied by a marlvcd fall in prices. The practical 

 failure of the menhaden fisheries during 1910 resulted in very high prices for 

 fish ammoniates. The production of Florida hard rock phosphate declined and 

 of pebble phosphate increased during the year. There was a large rate of in- 

 crease in imports of potash Siilts growing partly out of the unsettled conditions 

 resulting from the potash controversy. 



Analysis of fertilizers, R. E. Rose and L. Heimburgeb (Fla. Qua/rt. Bui. 

 Dcpt. Agr., 21 (1911), Ao. 1, pp. 6, 7, 9-15, 22-39, Ji5-82).— An account is given 

 of the fertilizer inspection during 1910, including analyses of fertilizers, with 

 notes on laws and regulations and the valuation of fertilizers. 



Analyses of fertilizers (Rpt. III. Bd. Agr. Anal. Pert., 1910, pp. 10). — This 

 is a report on fertilizer inspection in Illinois during 1910, giving analyses of 

 fertilizers and the text of the state fertilizer law. 



Commercial fertilizers, B. H. Hite and F. B. Kunst {West Virginia 8ta. 

 Bui. 132, pp. 5-52). — This bulletin reports the results of analyses of commercial 

 fertilizers inspected during the year 1910. It is stated that with few excep- 

 tions, manufacturers of commercial fertilizers doing business in West Virginia 

 "are making every reasonable endeavor to provide the quantity of every con- 

 stituent guaranteed." 



AGRICULTURAL BOTANY. 



Action of anodic and cathodic liquids on germination, H. Micheels {Acad. 

 Roy. BcJg., BuJ. CI. 8ci., 1910, No. 5, pp. 391-403; ahs. m Jour. Chem. 8oc. 

 [London], 98 {1910), No. 576, II, p. 883).— In a previous publication (E. S. R., 

 23, p.' 627) the author showed that the influence on germination of wheat in 

 nutrient solutions through which a galvanic current had been passed was due 

 to changes in the solutions. In the present paper he gives the results of fur- 

 ther investigations on the changes induced by the electric current. 



Centinormal solutions were used, and it was found that the germination was 

 accelerated by the cathodic liquor of sodium nitrate or chlorid more than was 

 the case with the anodic solutions. A mixture of the two gave intermediate 

 results, and an unelectrolyzed solution was better than any of the others. 

 Similar results were obtained for potassium nitrate and chlorid, except that 



