AGRICULTURAL BOTANY. 31 



secure their organic matter from tyi'osin, iiMu-iii. oxaiiiid, alanin, or glycerin, 

 without being supplied with any carbon dioxid. It was found that maize will 

 germinate and the young plants grow and increase in weight when given the 

 above substances, while the detached embryos of pine seed will not. The 

 embryos of the iiine seed will develoi). however, in a solution of sucrose. 



Peptolytic ferments in germinating and ungerminated seeds, E. Abder- 

 HALD^N and Dammhahn [ZtscJtr. PIn/siol. Clicin., 57 {190S), ]\/o. 5-(i, pp. 

 S32-3S8; ahs. in Jour. CJicm. Soc. [London]. 9', {190S). No. 551 II. p. I0G5).— 

 The authors confirm the presence of peptolytic enzyms in germinating seeds of 

 wheat, maize, barley, and lupines. In the resting stage, i)eptolytic ferments 

 are absent. 



The study of winter buds with, reference to their growth and leaf content, 

 Kmmeline Moohe (Bui. Torrcy Bot. Club, 36 (1909). Xo. 3, pp. 111-11,5, pis. 3, 

 figs. 11). — A study was made of the growth of buds in winter, a considerable 

 number of species of plants being observed. 



The author states that in some species the full number of leaves that unfold 

 in the spring exists at the beginning of winter. In other species, the majority 

 of leaves are present at this time, but additions occur at the time of unfolding. 

 The terminal and axillary buds of the next summer and autumn are in many 

 cases well organized at the approach of winter. The leaf buds of all deciduous 

 and evergreen trees and shrubs investigated enter upon a winter resting period, 

 the duration of which varies in the different plants. The greater warmth of 

 an unusually mild winter was found to exercise but little influence on the 

 growth of leaf buds, but the flower buds were found to more quickly respond 

 to the influence of continuous high temperatures. In some of the species under 

 investigation the leaf buds showed no change either in length or diameter until 

 February or March, others not until April or May. The organization of addi- 

 tional tissues does not ttike place within the leaf buds during the winter, but 

 becomes apparent in March or April. The first apparent evidence of growth is 

 a swelling of the closely compacted tissues, and with continuous high tempera- 

 tures rapid and. vigorous growth follows. The leaf buds of Picea and Rhodo- 

 dendron exliibited the longest resting i)eri()d of any examined. 



The effect of the removal of showy parts of flowers on fruit and seed 

 production, A. H. McCray (Ohio Nat., 9 (1909), No. 5, pp. 46'6W/6'.9).— Experi- 

 ments are rejiorted in which the petals were removed from the flowers of 

 apples, nasturtiums, etc., to determine the effects of their removal on the pro- 

 duction of fruit and consequently on seed. The general effect was to decidedly 

 lessen the number of fruits setting where the corollas or other showy parts 

 were removed, and the author believes that this was due to the removal of the 

 protection offered by the petals rather than to a lack of insect visitation. 



Influence of graft on some annual and perennial plants, L. Daniel (Coinpt. 

 RcmJ. Acdd. Sci. [I'liris], 1J,H (191)9). No. 7, pp. J,.il-',33). — An account is given 

 of a ])rolonged series of studies on the influence of grafting annual and peren- 

 nial plants, the present paper giving the results of grafting potatoes upon 

 tomatoes and. rhizome-bearing species of Helianthus on the common sunflower. 



From the experiments, which have covered a i)eriod of more than 13 years in 

 which perennial i-hizome-bearing plants were grafted upon annuals, it is shown 

 that the stock and the graft react upon each other under certain abnormal 

 conditioixs. The graft, being unable to use the stock for its reserve niat<'rial, 

 frequently forms aerial tubers. The stock, unable to serve as a storage for 

 reserves. utiliz<>s part of the nutritive material furnished by the graft in form- 

 ing jibnormal woody tissue by which it approaches in ai)pearance the structure 

 of perennial woody plants. 



