22 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



increase in yield of beans on soils where several successive crops of beans 

 had been grown over the yield where grown on a soil for the first time. 

 The roots of the plants growing upon old ground were supplied with 

 lather abundant tubercles, with the exception of a portion of a plat 

 which was shaded. Here the tubercles were much less abundant. In 

 the new soil the tubercles were usually almost entirely absent, and 

 during the days <>f thinning the plants, about twelve days after plant- 

 ing, almost none were observed. At the same time they were very 

 abundant upon the plants in the old ground. This seems to indicate 

 that the root tubercle organisms were present in unusual amount in the 

 old land and in comparatively limited amount in the soil of the new 

 plats. 



The study reported on tubercles on the roots of peas was in connec- 

 tion with experiments made to test different kinds of soil treatment on 

 the crop. One portion of the land had received sulphur, a second cor- 

 rosive sublimate, a third carbonate of lime, and a fourth copper sul- 

 phate. All these substances were spread on the soil and spaded in for 

 the second crop of the previous year and consequently had been in the 

 soil for several months before the crop under consideration was sown. 

 The plants were pulled at frequent intervals throughout the growth of 

 the crop and the small proportion of tubercles on the plat where sul- 

 phur had been used was noted, the number being less than one-tenth of 

 that where the soil had received no treatment. In the other plats, while 

 there was some difference in the root systems of the plants, there was no 

 decrease in the amount of root tubercles. 



Comparisons were made between the tubercles on the roots of beans 

 and peas. The differences in structure and external appearance were so 

 striking as to almost suggest a separate origin. The difference in the 

 root systems of the two plants, however, would probably account for 

 the difference in form of the tubercles. 



Some botanical notes on corn, L. H. Pammel and R. Combs (Iowa Sta. Bui. 36, 

 •pp. S49-855, figs. 8). — Brief notes are given on the origin of corn, and on studies of 

 llir flower, fruit, germination, diseases, and enemies of the plant. A few experi- 

 ments (in the germination of corn in the laboratory, greenhouse, and held are reported, 

 in which there was generally a slight loss in the held germination as compared with 

 the others. There are reported three diseases of corn as prevailing in the State, 

 namely, smut, rust, and a bacterial disease. 



The flora of Kansas, A. S. Hitchcock (Industrialist, .'/ (1898), No. 3, pp. 190-19S, 

 pis. ■/).— Notes are given on the flora of the State. Maps show the distribution of 

 the ditterent species by counties. 



A revision of the genus Cordiceps, G. Massee (Ber. Mycol., .'/> ( 1898), No. 78, 

 pp. 49-57, pis. J). — Translated by R. Ferry. 



The Rocky Mountain species of Thermopsis, A. Nelson ( Hot. da;., ..'.: (1898), 

 No. 4. pp. 275,270, pi. 1). — Thermopsis divaricata and T. arenosa are described as new 

 species. 



Studies on surface tension and cohesion, Z. Kamkri.ixo (Hot. Centbl., 73 (1S98), 

 Nos. 11, pp. 369-374 ; 1.', pp. 439-444; 13, pp. 465-473). 



Flowers and insects, C. Robertson (But. Ca:., 25 (1S9S), No. 4, pp. 229-245). 



The organography of plants with special reference to the Archegoniates and 



