PUBLICATIONS ON AGRICULTURAL BOTANY IN FRANCE. 851 



A. Berg aud C. Gerber' have given a, method for the iiivestigatiouof 

 orgauic acids in phints, based npon the action of sulphuric acid upon 

 citric acid and on the solubility of ammonium malate in alcohol, aud 

 have investigated oxalic, citric, and malic acids. Lindet,' by means of 

 the variable solubility of the salts of quinin and cinchonin in methyl 

 alcohol, has been able to identify and separate the principal acids 

 contained in plants. 



Riviere ' has criticised the Kjeldahl method and ottered some sugges- 

 tions for its perfection. 



C. Girard' has made a chemical study of the value of leaves for 

 forage, it being a continuation of his previous Avork on the chemical 

 composition of twigs used for forage. The chemical analyses indicated 

 that the leaves were more nutritious than the twigs, comi^aring with 

 alfalfa hay in nutritive value, pound for pound of dry matter. 



Attention is called to a manual of analytical chemistry by Trubert.'^ 

 It seeks to popularize the analysis of soils, fertilizers, Avater, milk, etc. 



PLANT PATHOLOaY. 



Asa work of general application on plant pathology, we may mention 

 that of Prillieux" on the diseases of agricultural plants and fruit and 

 forest trees, in which the author gives practical remedies for combating 

 parasitic diseases. Mangin,' in an article on the treatment of parasitic 

 diseases of plants, gives a brief resume of the etfect of external condi- 

 tions and preventive measures on parasites. The same author" calls 

 attention to the action of light on the development of parasitic diseases 

 and shows the value of /:?-naphthol and its salts for combating the 

 parasites of the grapevine. 



Quiuta^ has revived the old idea of grafting for preventing certain 

 diseases, aud calls attention especially to the prevention of diseases of 

 the chestnut by grafting it upon the oak. Molliard'" has shown the 

 effect of plant and animal parasites in causing malformations of tloral 

 organs. The same author" has i)ublished a review of the works on 

 plant pathology, published in France and other countries in recent 

 years. 



Ravaz and Gouirand'- have studied the action of certain chemicals 



iRev. gen. Bot., 8 (1896), p. 295; Assoc. Fr. Av, Sci., Congrcs do Carthage, 1896, 

 p. 156. 



^Compt. Rend., 122 (1896), p. 1135; Moniteur (^icsmn'ille, 12,(1896), p. 556. 



3Jour. Agr. Prat., 1 (1896), p. 981. 



*Auu. Agrou., 22 (1896), p. 375. 



^Congres Soc. Savants. Sec. chiiuie, 1896, p. 12. 



"Paris: Firmin-Didot, 1896. 



7 Jour. Agr. Prat., 1 (1896), p. 746, 



8 Bui. Soc. Nut. Agr., 1896, p. 308. 



'•Ibid., p. 194. 



"'Ann. .sci. nat. Bot., ser. 8, 1 (1895), p. 67. 



"Rev. go'n. Bot., 7 (1895), p. 465. 



'^Compt, Rend., 123 (1896), p. 1086. 



