FIELD CROPS. 427 



A bibliosrraphy of more than KM) refon'iu't's to the litenitnrc of the subject 

 is apiteiided. 



The variations in the intensity of respiration and of dry substance of 

 flowers during their development, A. Maigk (BiiL Soc. Hot. P raiicr, 53 (IDOG), 

 pp. XLVI-XLYIII). — The results of experiments with 21 species of plants that 

 bloomed in September at Foutainebleau and in December at Algiers are given. 

 In every case four lots of flowers in different stages of development were 

 weighed and then placed in flasks containing definite amounts of air. From 

 time to time tbe air was sampled and the amount of carbon dioxid determined. 

 Knowing the dry weight per gram of fresh material and the respiratory quotient 

 of the fresh flowers, the proportion between the respii-ation and dry weight was 

 readily calculated. 



It was found that for the flowers of most plants the ratio between fresh weight 

 and carbon dioxid liberated decreased regularly as the flowers grew and ex- 

 lianded. For a few plants the intensity of respiration was greatest in the ex- 

 panded flowers. The same conclusions were arrived at where the dry weight 

 was considered. The respiration of the individual flower almost always in- 

 creased fi'om the youngest stages to the open flower. For the most part the dry 

 weight per gram of fresh material in the flower decreased with the increased 

 development, the rate varying with the different species. 



Heredity and Mendel's law, G. B. Davenport {Proc. Wash. Acad. ScL, 9 

 (1907), pp. J79-1S1). — This is an address delivered by the author under the 

 auspices of the Washington Academy of Sciences in which he discusses those 

 changes in the germ-plasm due to combinations of two dissimilar sorts and the 

 effect of such combinations on the stream of germ-plasm that issues from the 

 union, the illush'ations being drawn from the author's experiments with fowls. 



Mendelism and other methods of descent, O. F. Cook {Proc Wash. Acad. 

 Sci., 9 (1907), pp. 189-240). — This is a discussion of Mendelism and other meth- 

 ods of descent, the paper being an amplification of an outline presented by the 

 author before the Washington Academy of Sciences on February 20, 1007. 



International catalogue of scientifi.c literature. R — Bacteriology {liitiT- 

 nat. Cat. Sci. Lit., 5 {1907), pp. VIII+837). — The present volume is in continu- 

 ation of the series previously described (E. S. R., 14, p. 1049) and is intended to 

 cover the bacteriological literature of 1905 with such articles appearing in 

 1901-1904 as wore omitted in previous issues. The arrangement is by authors 

 and subjects, over 0,000 titles being given. 



There are a number of titles of papers that would hardly be looked for in 

 this publication, and the inclusion of lists of Agaricaeeie, Ustilaginaceie, and 

 titles relating to diseases of plants that are due to some of the higher fungi can 

 hardly be justified. The American bacteriological literature is almost wholly 

 neglected. Only about 50 titles are given of papers published in this country, 

 and most of those are from 2 or 3 sources only. The work of this Department 

 and of the State experiment stations appears to have been neglected entirely. 



FIELD CROPS. 



The breeding of agricultural plants, C. Fruwirth {Die Ziichtnnf; drr Land- 

 tmrtschaftlichrn KuUurpflanzrn. Berlin, 1907, pp. XV+.%W, figs, .^rt).— Pre- 

 vious volumes of this work have already been noted (E. S. R., 17, p. 1055). 

 This volume, the fourth of the series, treats of the breeding of wheat, rye, l)ar- 

 ley, oats, and sugar beets. In its preparation E. von I'roskowetz, E. von 

 Tschermak, and H. Briem were associated with the author and the work was so 

 divided that the subject of blossoming and pollination hi cereals and the sugar 

 beet are discussed by Fruwirth, correlations in the cereals by von Tschermak, 



