FIELD CROPS. 629 



" Evidently the fat in the walnut is not formed from starch, sugar or tannin 

 within the capsule of the kernel. The quantitative relation of the fats to the 

 crude tiber. proteins, and pentosans would not lead one to believe that the fats 

 were formed from the decctmposition products of these .substances. . . . The 

 early disappearance of acidity would indicate that at an early date in the nut's 

 development the migration of free fatty acids into the capsule had ceased, if 

 any such phenomenon had ever taken place. . . . After the kernel had become 

 solid the increase of fat went on, although there was no substantial change 

 within the kernel in reference to the other components and there was no marked 

 development of fat elsewhere in the nut than in the kernel. The most noticeable 

 development aside from the fat was the tannin in the hull."" 



The analyses rejtorted contain data regarding .-ish constituents as well as 

 organic constituents. 



The distribution of poisons in the Amanitas, W. W. Ford {Jour. Pharma- 

 col, and E.ritt. Tlirr., 1 {1909), No. 2, pp. 275-287). — The author claims to have 

 develoi)ed a method for the isolation and purification of poisons in Amanitas, 

 particularly of hemolysin, and he gives the results of studies with a number of 

 species in which the presence or absence of the poisonous sub.stances amanita 

 hemolysin, amanita toxin, and muscarine was determined. As a result of his 

 experiments, which were carried on with rabbits and guinea pigs, he found 

 Amanita phaUoulcs, A. virosa, A. apreta, A. porphyria, A. fitrobiliformis, A. 

 radicata. A. chlorino.<^ma, and A. mnscaria definitely poisonous and to be avoided, 

 W'hile A. ruhesccnn and A. ri(si.<iiiloidrsi are considered as probably free from 

 toxic propei-ties. 



Studies made of A. frostiana, a species that is closely associated with A. mus- 

 caria, showed that an aqueous extract was hemolytic in moderate degi*ee, but 

 that all the plants were free from resistant toxin and muscarine. It is thought 

 that this sjiecies can not be as closely related to A. miiscuria as its botanical 

 characteristics w'ould suggest. On account of its close resemblance to the fiy 

 agaric the author states it should be scrupulously avoided. 



" Nearly 20 species of Amanitas have now been examined by the methods 

 which have been worked out for the demonstration of the 3 most important 

 poisons in fungi, muscarine, hemolysins, and toxins. By the use of these 

 methods, a small amount of material, even 1 or 2 plants, can be analyzed and 

 the propel ties of the species established." 



Studies of vegetable rennets. Rennets of Solanaceae, C. Gebber {Compt. 

 Rend. Hoc. Biol. [I'ari!^}. 67 ( 1909), No. 27, pp. 318-32-^).— The results of studies 

 on vegetable rennets isolated from various species of solanaceous plants are 

 given. Two types of rennet are recognized, one isolated from the tree tomato 

 {Cyphomandra bctacca) and the other from belladonna iAtropa helladona). 

 The effect of heat, chemical bases, and neutral salts of alkaline metals, as well 

 as the localization of rennets in various parts of the plants, are discussed. 



Notes on the histological structure and specific gravity of the seeds of 

 Pyrus, L. H. Pammkl and Luei.la Kobe {Proc. Iowa Acad. Set., 15 {1908), pp. 

 ',7-55, }>ls. 2).— Histological studies were made of the seeds of various varieties 

 of apples, and their specific gravity was determined. Marked variation is 

 shown in the structure of the seeds of a number of the varieties, and the specific 

 gravity was also found to vary with different varieties. 



FIELD CROPS. 



Report on irrigation and dry farming and cereal investigations at the 

 Auxiliary Station at Caldwell, K. Nelson {Idaho St a. l{pt. 1908, pp. 16-29).— 

 Wheat, irrigated 3 times from May 19 to June 29, and receiving a total of 15.56 



