128 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol.38 



No. 16, pp. 609-612).— The author, briefly describing the method and results of 

 a continuation of the study above noted, employing two varieties of Tulipa 

 suaveolem, states that the mitochondria are the most delicate elements of the 

 cell and the first to manifest cellular degeneration or injury due to osmotic 

 exchanges. The visible alteration consists largely in the transformation of the 

 mitochondria into relatively large vesicles which assume the aspect of vacuoles, 

 giving to the cytoplasm what appears to be an alveolar structure. 



The action of oxidase on anthocyanin, I. Nagai (Bot. Mag. [Tokyo], 31 

 (1917), No. 363, pp. 65-lJt, figs. 2).— The author gives a preliminary report on 

 studies in which an actively oxidizing plant juice, as that of the potato tuber 

 or of certan mushrooms, when added to an aqaeous extract of anthocyanin, dis- 

 charged the color of the extract, according to tables and graphs which are 

 given. It completed the change in about one hour in most cases, extracts from 

 some flowers proving to be somewhat more stable. The mode of action of the 

 plant juices appears to be analogous to that of hydrogen peroxid, which also 

 decolorizes plant juices, the rate of discharge being proportional within limits 

 to the concentration of the solution, this fact also furnishing a means of esti- 

 mating the oxygen value of the plant juices. The decolorizing effects of the 

 enzyms on plant juices are thought to be due to the destruction of the complex 

 anthocyanin molecule and not to any intramolecular changes, since the action 

 is not reversible. 



The sugar content of potatoes as related to ag'e and treatment with liquid 

 air, H. I. Waterman (Chem. Weekbl, 13 (1916), No. 5, pp. 122-121 ; abs. in 

 Jour. Chem. Soc. [London], 110 (1916), No. 6^3, I, p. 359).— It is stated that the 

 conversion of starch into sucrose which occurred when potatoes were dried at 

 40° C. did not occur if the potatoes were previously immersed in liquid air. 



The effect of ringing on the transfer of materials in Cornus controversa. 

 S. HiBiNO (Jour. Col. Sci. Imp. Univ. Tokyo, 39 (1917), Art. 5, pp. 40, pis. 13).— 

 In tests carried out with C. controversa, the author found that water conduc- 

 tion was interfered with very slightly by bark ringing, very seriously by bark 

 and wood ringing, but almost not at all by ringing half way around the stem 

 at either depth or by boring into the wood. Abnormal anthocyanin formation 

 occurred in leaves both above and below the injury in trees that had been 

 ringed. The leaves on the parts above the injury faded and fell earlier than 

 those below, especially where the wood also was ringed. 



In case of ringed trees vegetation was much delayed and imperfect in its 

 development and somewhat etiolated the following spring. Blooming also 

 was earlier and more abundant and more fruit was produced. Adventitious 

 shoots wei'e abundant below the ring, particularly in cases in which the wound 

 was deep. Callus developed at the cut edges more^ strongly in the shallow 

 rings. The water content of the leaves decreased after a time, more particu- 

 larly in those of the lower portions, those of the deeply ringed trees soon 

 dying completely. The twigs above the ring contained larger proportions of 

 both organic and inorganic materials. 



In the shallow ringed trees, there was excess of starch, reducing sugar, ether 

 extract, and ash content, while in deeply ringed trees there was an excess of 

 nonreducing sugar, protein, raw fiber, and tannic acid. In the leaves above the 

 shallow rings, starch was in excess and diastase more so, but this excess was 

 less in the trees that had been deeply ringetl. Diastase was present in greater 

 degree in leaves containing anthocyanin than in those which were green in case 

 of both shallow ringed and uninjured trees, the leaves with high anthocyanin 

 content containing an excess of reducing sugar. Leaves of ringed trees con- 

 tained excess of oxidase and of peroxidase as well as of diastase. These 

 differences were not observable in case of trees which had been only half 



