AGRICULTURAL BOTANY. 525 



are said to be remarkably dependent on tlieir cotyledonary food reserves for 

 their early development as contrasted with seedlings of the epigeal type. 



The transformation of reserve substance in tubers of Dahlia variabilis, 

 N. SciACCA and G. Zerilli (Ann. R. Scuola Sup. Agi: Portici, 2. ser., 9 (1009), 

 Art. Jj, pp. 1-23). — In the respiration of dahlia tnbers it was found that they 

 consumed as much as 2.47 per cent of their total weight in 70 days; also the 

 ordinarily insoluble material of the tubers was sensibly drawn upon. Respira- 

 tion, which is most active when the tubers have given up about 30 per cent of 

 their contained water, is slowest when the tubers are in a rarified atmosphere. 

 In this situation, moreover, the insoluble material appears to take no part in 

 respiration. The nouinuliu contents remain sensibly constant. The substances 

 given off appear mainly as respiration products. 



As the time for budding approaches, the inulin begins to pass into the more 

 soluble forms of inuloid and levulose. The mobilization of inulin occurs in all 

 parts of the tuber, but more particularly in the central cylinder which corre- 

 sponds to the course of the fibrovascular bundles and which is in more direct 

 relation to the young shoots. It appears from the experiments that the gradual 

 hydrolyzing of the inulin is accompanied by a current of mobilization, the re- 

 serve material being transferred as it becomes soluble from the periphery 

 toward the center. 



Displacement by water of nutritive substances in plants, G. Andke (Compt. 

 Rend. Acad. 8cl. [Paris], 152 {1911). Xo. 26, pp. 1857-1S60; 153 {1911), Nos. 

 2-'i, pp. 123-'i-1236; 26, pp. l-'i97~1500 ; 15.'f {1912), No. 11, pp. 1103-1105).— Con- 

 tinuing previous work (E. S. R., 2.5. p. 432), the author gives in a series of 

 notes the detailed results obtained from a study of the distribution and diffusion 

 of certain soluble substances in vegetable organs, also from his studies of the 

 displacement of such substances by water in certain plants. 



The significance of protein assimilation in the life processes of plants, 

 F. Ehrlich {Samml. Chcni. u. Chem. Tech. Vortrdgc, 11 {1912), pp. 291-310).— 

 A brief discussion Is given of the progress of research and of the present state 

 of knowledge in this connection. 



The building- of protein by yeasts and mold fungi, F. Ehrlich {Biochem. 

 Ztschr., 36 {1911), No. 5-6, i)p. Jf71-J,91 ; ahs. in Mycol. Ccnthl., 1 {1912), No. 2, 

 pp. 52, 53). — ^A preliminary report is made on a series of investigations with 

 Willia anomaJa and several mildew fungi. 



It is stated that W. anomala is able to utilize besides sugar a number of rela- 

 tively very simple organic substances, such as g'lycerin, lactic acid, and methyl, 

 ethyl, and amyl alcohols as sources of carbon and energy in order to form its 

 protein from amino acids; also that tyrosol is formed from tyrosin as from 

 sugar during the growth of yeast in the culture medium. The author concludes 

 that tyrosin in the presence of other carbon sources experiences no such thor- 

 oughgoing utilization as when the yeast in question ferments sugar. 



In the culture with methyl alcohol, formic acid appears ; in that with ethyl 

 alcohol, acetic acid ; and in that with amyl alcohol, valeric acid is formed. It 

 appears as if strongly oxidizing enzyms present in W. anomala enable this 

 yeast to utilize substances like alcohols, etc., as carbon supply and energy source. 

 Such enzyms appear to be absent from the culture yeasts. Oidiuni lactis, 

 Rhizopus nigricans, and other mildew fungi are able, like the "wild yeast," 

 to employ glycerin, lactic acid, and ethyl alcohol for building protein from 

 amino acid solutions. 



Carbon assimilation by plants as affected by organic acids and their po- 

 tassium salts. Ravin {Compt. Rend. Acad. 8ci. [Paris], 154 {1912), No. 11, pp. 

 1100-1103). — From studies made on Raphanus sativus the author i-eports that 

 malic, tartaric, citric, succinic, and oxalic acids, the organic acids most com- 



