AGRICULTUEAL BOTANY. 523 



"(2) The beach plants or halophytes showed a lively stomatal activity — a 

 remarkable readiness to wilt and desiccate. In this particular such plants are 

 widely different from the fleshy plants of the desert. 



"(3) The osmotic pressures of the thick leaves of beach plants are equiva- 

 lent to 0.2 to 1.3 potassium nitrate, or 7.5 to 48 atmospheres. The pressure in 

 the roots is notably lower, as in other plants. 



"(4) The amount of water vapor which any of these plants may absorb from 

 the air is small and of little significance in the life of the plant." 



The influence of methylene blue on the respiration of plants, W. Palladin, 

 Elise HiJBBKNET, aud Marie Korsakow (Biochcm. Ztschr., 35 {1911), No. 1-2, 

 pp. 1-17, fig. 1; aU. in Jour. Chem. Soc. [London], 100 (1911), No. 5S8, II, pp. 

 919, 920; Bat. C'entbL, 119 (1912), No. 17, pp. .',27, ^28).— This contains investi- 

 gations made by W. Palladin, partly in connection with others, on the respira- 

 tion of living and killed plants (E. S. R., 23; p. 629; 25, pp. 123, 411; 27, p. 426), 

 the principal findings now reported being as follows: 



With access of air tlie respiration with etiolated tips of Vicia faha, colored 

 with methylene blue, is increased by from 65 to 107 per cent; while that of 

 Pisuni sativmn* is increased from 11 to 18 per cent. The action of quinin is, in 

 general, similar to this; but, while the respiration of seeds of V. faba is in- 

 creased by methylene blue, that of seeds of P. sativum is diminished. The 

 differences observed are ascribed to the larger amounts of respiratory chromogen 

 contained in the objects most affected, and to the alleged fact that, where little 

 of such chromogen is present, quinin usually shows a poisonous action. Killing 

 V. faba by means of cold stops the stimulating action of the methylene blue. 

 The anaerobic respiration of stem tips of V. faba and P. sativurt),, stimulated 

 with methylene blue, is progressively checked. It appears as if in absence of 

 oxygen the cells are not able to protect themselves from the influence of the 

 methylene blue, which then tends to act as a poison. Other differences between 

 the action of the methylene blue on aerobic and anaerobic respiration are demon- 

 strated. The ratio of anaerobic carbon dioxid separation to alcohol production 

 is about 1 : 1 for colored seeds, while for the control seeds it is smaller. Diso- 

 dium hydrogen phosphate paralyzes the injurious action of methylene blue on 

 etiolated tips of V, faba^ 



The influence of methylene blue on the respiration of plants, Elise HiJB- 

 BENET (Trudy Imp. 8. Pcterb. Obshch. Estestvo. (Trav. Soc. Imp. Nat. St. 

 Petersb.), 42 (1911), I, No. 7-8, pp. 279-292, 308, 309).— The substance of this 

 article has been given in the above article. 



The freezing- of plants, H. IMolisch (8ch7\ Ver. Natunv. Kenntnisse Wien, 

 51 (1910-11), pp. Ul-176, figs. 7; abs. in Bot. Centbl., 119 (1912), No. 16, pp. 

 404, 405). — An account is given of numerous freezing experiments with various 

 higher and lower plants, with amoebae, and with other objects. 



Emphasis is laid on the extraction of cytoplasm in the freezing process, fol- 

 lowing w^hich the protoplasm is seen to be shriveled into a shapeless mass or 

 into a network with water outside or occupying the interstices. According to the 

 author, any of 3 forms may result from freezing, depending upon whether ice 

 forms inside the cell, outside the cytoplasm, or in both these situations. It 

 is claimed as regards the sur\ival of the plant it matters little as a rule 

 whether it be thawed out quickly or slowly. The resistance offered by some 

 plants to cold is thought to depend upon the constitution of the plasma. 



A short bibliography is appended. 



Some effects of severe frosts upon vegetation in a condition of active 

 growth, F. K. Butters and C. O. Rosendahl (Minn. Bot. StuMes, 4 (^911), 

 pt. 2, pp. 153-159, pi. 1). — This is a detailed account of investigations, a pre- 

 65584°— No. 6—12 ^3 



