AGRICULTURAL BOTANY. 425 



York, 460,000; North Carolina, 840,447; North Dakota, 1,000; Ohio, 185,000; 

 Oklahoma, 18,000; Oregon, 4,500; Pennsylvania, 340,000; Porto Rico, 18,836; 

 Rhode Island, IS.OOO; South Carolina, 918,336; South Dakota, 700; Tennessee, 

 84,060; Texas, 75,500; Utah, 1,000; Vermont, 25,000; Virginia, 412,434; Wash- 

 ington, 1,500; West Virginia, 31,852; Wisconsin, 4,000; Wyoming, 200; total, 

 6,868,014 tons. 



AGRICTJLTURAL BOTANY. 



Plants and their uses, an introduction to botany, F. L. Sargent ( 'New York, 

 1913, pp. X-\-610, figs. SSJf). — This book is somewhat out of the ordinary in its 

 plan. The author, after an introductory chapter on the study of plants, takes 

 up and describes many species of common usage, grouping them under the head- 

 ings of cereals, food plants, flavoring and beverage plants, medicinal and poi- 

 sonous plants, and industrial plants. Chapters are also given on classification 

 and descriptions of the general features of many of the more common plant 

 groups, with discussions on the relations and adaptation of plants, life history, 

 etc. This method, which the author calls the historical method, is thought 

 to be adapted to teaching botany, as it not only helps the beginner to learn at 

 the outset as much about these economic plants as he is ready for, but helps 

 him to classify them scientifically. He will thus be prepared to appreciate the 

 wider view of the life of plants which inspires botany today. 



Some honey plants of Guam, J. B. Thompson (Gtmm Sta. Rpt. 1913, pp. 21, 

 22). — Notes are given on some of the more common honey plants occurring iu 

 Guam. 



Some new tuberous species of Solanum, L. Wittmack (Bot. Jahrb. [Englerl, 

 50 (1914), Sup., pp. 539-555, figs. 3).— Work previously reported (E. S. R., 22, 

 p 435) on si)ecies of Solanum has been continued, and the author herein gives a 

 description with brief discussion of six tuberous forms from Argentina claimed 

 to be new species and named resix^ctively S. ■neowcbcrbaueri, S. kurtsianum, S. 

 vemei, 8. velascanum, 8. famatince, and 8. cemulans, the name of Dr. Bitter 

 being added to that of the author in connection with all but the first named 

 species. 



A study of the vegetation of the sand hills of Nebraska, R. J. Pool (Minn. 

 Bot. Studies, 4 (1914), Pt- 3, pp. 187-312, pis. 16, figs. i6).— This thesis gives 

 the results of an ecological study of the sand hill region which occupies a con- 

 siderable portion of the northwestern part of Nebraska. After discussing the 

 geological and topographical features of the region and the general plant life 

 conditions, the author describes at length the different plant formations and 

 their relations and successions. A bibliography is appended. 



Sand plants on lime soils, M. Bxjsgen (Bot. Jahrb. [Engler], 50 (1914), 8up. 

 pp. 526-538, pis. 2). — In tests with 8arothamnus scoparius and Digitalis pur- 

 purea on both sandy and limy soil it was found that a good start was made by 

 both plants, but that on limy soil weakening was early apparent in connection 

 with chlorosis. Calluna vulgaris showed a decided difference in favor of the 

 sandy substratum as regards development. Ltcpinus luteus is said to have 

 shown no preference between sandy and siliceous soils at first, but finally an in- 

 crease of 50 per cent in weight in favor of sandy soil. 8. scoparius in either 

 soil showed no particularly high percentage of lime. It is suggested that the 

 utilization of other elements may have been influenced by the calcium content 

 in these experiments. 



A quantitative chemical and physiological study of nutrient solutions for 

 plant cultures, W. E. Tottingham (Physiol. Researches, 1 (1914), No. 4, PP' 

 133-245, figs. 15). — The author reports an investigation made to study the influ- 

 ence upon the growth of young wheat plants of a wide range of proportions 



