AGRICULTURAL BOTANY. 625 



with notps on valuation and analyses of fertilizers inspected up to July 1, 1909, 

 The inspection of cotton-seed meal is provided for by an act approved June 8, 

 1909, fixing the standard of cotton-seed meal sold in the State, prohibiting the 

 sale of inferior cotton-seed meal without notice to the public, and prohibiting 

 the misbranding of cotton-seed meal. 



Analyses of fertilizers sold in Maryland, H. B. McDonnell kt al. (Md. Ayr. 

 Col. (jKiirt., 1909, \o. .'(.'). pp. 6''/).— This bulletin reports the results of fertilizer 

 insptrtion during the first half of 1909. 



Analyses of fertilizers, fall season, 1908, and spring season, 1909, H. W. 

 Kilgore et al. {Bui. N. C. Dcpt. A<jr.. JO {1909), No. 7, pp. 85).— The guar- 

 anteed composition of fertilizers registered for 1909, and analyses and valua- 

 tions of about 655 samples of commercial fertilizers and 95 samples of cotton- 

 seed meal, examined during the fall of 1908 and spring of 1909. are reported, 

 with explanations regarding terms used in fertilizer analyses, freight rates, 

 valuation, etc. 



Standard fertilizers and the fertilizers act, 1909, A. McGill {Lab. Inland 

 Rer. Dcpt. Canada Bid 182, pp. 31). — This bulletin gives the results of analyses 

 of 182 samples of fertilizers inspected under the fertilizer law of 1890 and the 

 text of the fertilizer law enacted in 1909. The new law provides for registra- 

 tion of evei'y brand of fertilizer under a number, which remains unchanged from 

 year to year, a guaranty of nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash present, the 

 sampling of fertilizers on the market by official inspectors, and for special 

 analyses. A statement of the relative value of the fertilizers inspected is to be 

 discontinued. 



AGRICULTURAL BOTANY. 



Ecology of plants, E. Warming et al. {0.vford, 1909, pp. X/+^22).— This 

 is an p]nglish edition of the authors' introduction to the study of plant com- 

 munities, first printed in Danish in 1895. In the present volume considerable 

 new matter has been introduced, including an entirely new system of classi- 

 fication in which 13 plant classes based on edaphic and climatic distinctions are 

 recognized instead of the 4 in the earlier work. The changes in classification 

 are largely due to Dr. M. Vahl. An extensive bibliography of the literature on 

 the subject is given. 



This book will doubtless prove a valuable addition to botanical literature, 

 as it treats of matters of morphological, physiological, and systematic botany 

 that have a practical application in agriculture, horticulture, and forestry. 



The viability of weed seeds under different conditions of treatment, and 

 a study of their dormant periods. II. S. Fawcktt [I'roc. Inica Acad. Sci.. l-i 

 {1908), pp. 25-Ji.i). — Comparative studies wore made of the viability of differ- 

 ent si»ecies of weed seeds, especially thos(> found in cultivated fields and pas- 

 tures, and also of their dormant periods in order to determine if possible 

 means of destroying these .seeds. In all 92 sanii)l('s of weed seeds, reitreseiit- 

 ing 52 si)ecies, were used, and the results of the investigations are shown in 

 tabular form. 



It appears that the general effect of exposing the .seeds to thawing and frety.- 

 ing was to increase the percentage of germination and to shorten the dormant 

 period. This was especially true of seeds having hard seed coats. Where the 

 seed pos.sessed thin, delicate seed coats in a few instances the vitality of the 

 seed Was lessened or destroyed. In general it was found thiit most weed seeds 

 with thick seed coats require a more or less extended period of rest after 

 maturity, and the vitality of nearly all weed seeds is weakened by drying out. 

 The power of germination was increased by exi)osure to the conditions usually 



