BOTANY. 927 



A brief note is appended concerning Alinit, in which the author 

 states that the proof that this substance can enable cereals to assimilate 

 free nitrogen is far from complete, and the claims that it will render the 

 application of nitrogenous manures for the growth of cereals unneces- 

 sary are at least immature. 



On the use of Alinit in the cultivation of cereals, L. Malpeaux 

 (Ann.Agron., 24 (1898), No. 10, pp. 482-190). — The author reviews a series 

 of experiments conducted with wheat, barley, and oats grown in pots 

 and in the open field to test the effect of additions of Alinit in 

 increasing their yield. Eesults seem to show that when conditions are 

 favorable for the development of Bacillus megatherium (that is, when 

 the soil is overrich in organic matter) Alinit proved very efficacious, 

 but when the conditions were unfavorable for the development of the 

 organism its effect amounted to nothing. It was found that in sterile 

 siliceous soils Alinit was without any appreciable effect on the produc- 

 tion of these cereals. The fixation of atmospheric nitrogen appeared 

 to be through the destruction of the organic material and in soils rich 

 in humus the intervention of this organism would prove advantageous. 

 When added to soils of ordinary fertility Alinit did not influence the 

 yield to any marked degree. An experiment conducted with maize for 

 forage showed no difference in growth of plants in favor of Alinit. 



Production of new types of forage plants — clovers and grasses, 

 A. N. McAlpine (Trans. Highland and Agr. Soc. Scotland, 5. ser., 10 

 (1898), pp. 135-165). — This article is a discussion of the work being 

 done by John Garton in the line of producing new types of forage 

 plants, especially clovers and grasses. The methods pursued are out- 

 lined in detail and the operations of artificially crossing beans, peas, 

 clovers, and grasses are described. The experiments are not com- 

 pleted, but the following are some of the results obtained thus far: 

 Trifolium medium was not fertile with pollen from T. pratense, and 

 T. pratense produced no seed when pollinated with T. medium; no 

 seed whatever was produced by crossing T. pratense with T. hybridum 

 and vice versa; and the results remained the same when T. repens was 

 substituted for T. pratense; red-flowered early and late varieties of 

 crimson clover and white-flowered late varieties when crossed with 

 each other produced a red-flowered progeny; a wild variety of T. pra- 

 tense and commercial red clover were found to cross readily, and it is 

 desired to originate a variety combining the well developed stooling 

 habit of the wild variety and the seed productiveness of the commer- 

 cial red clover. 



Eighteen species of clover, grown for experiment, and 17 varieties of 

 grasses, obtained by crossing, are briefly described. 



Systematic plant introduction, D. G. Fairchild ( U. S. Dept. Agr., Division of 

 Forestry Bui. 21, pp. 24).— The purposes aud methods of plant introduction are 

 described at some length, and the desirability of the establishment of new plant 

 industries, the securing of new varieties of plants already in cultivation, and the 

 collection of species for breeding purposes pointed out. Suggestions are given for 

 18562— No. 10 3 



