652 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



The weeping spruce (Gard. Chron., 3. ser., 22 (1897), No. 569, p. 368, fig. 1).— Fig- 

 ures and. describes a rather remarkable form of I'icea cxcelsa. 



Planting and thinning spruce woods (Gard. Chron., 3. ser., 22 (1897), No. 569, 

 p. 360). 



The willow oak, H. Trimble (Amer. Jour. Pharm., 69 (1897), No. 12, pp. 617-619). 



Recent investigations on forest injuries due to rust fungi, H. Klebahn (Forstl. 

 Naturw. Ztschr., 6 (1897), No. 12, pp. 465-473). 



Recent legislation on State forestry commissions and forest reserves, B. E. 

 Fernow ( U. S. Dept. A(jr., Division of Forestry Circ. 17, pp. 15). — Several States and 

 Territories having enacted forest legislation since the publication of Circular 13 of 

 this Division, the author has given a summary of the recently enacted laws of New 

 York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Minnesota and the Federal legislation relating 

 to the establishment of forest reservations. 



SEEDS— WEEDS. 



The vitality of seed treated with carbon bisulphid, G. H. 

 Hicks and J. C. Dabney ( U. 8. Dept. Agr., Division of Botany Circ. 

 11, pp. 5). — The authors report upon a series of experiments conducted 

 to test the effect of carbon bisulphid when used for the destruction of 

 weevils and other insects in stored grain. Experiments were made on 

 35 varieties of grain and vegetables, 5 of cotton, 2 of peas, 3 of corn, 

 2 each of rice, garden beans, Kafir corn, barley, and wheat. The first 

 series of experiments were conducted by placing the seed in an atmos- 

 phere saturated with carbon bisulphid. The seeds were allowed to 

 remain for 48 hours, after which their germination was tested. The 

 germiuative ability of barley, rye, wheat, corn, crimson clover, millet, 

 and rice was considerably decreased by the treatment. The others 

 were practically uninjured. Other experiments were conducted in 

 which the seed were treated for 24 hours and a limited experiment was 

 conducted with grain in bulk. 



In general it is stated that seeds of cotton, peas, beans, buckwheat, 

 oats, cowpeas, and various members of the crucifers will withstand the 

 most severe treatment without having their germination injured to any 

 appreciable extent. On the other hand, corn, wheat, rye, and other 

 seeds belonging to the grass family, with the exception of Kafir corn 

 and oats, should be treated with caution, as excessive exposure to the 

 gas seriously diminishes their vitality. 



On the germination of weeviled leguminous seed, E. Gain (Gompt. 

 Bend. Acad. Sci. Boris, 125 (1897), No. 3, pp. 195-197). — A report is made 

 of more than 3,000 germinations, embracing seed of 31 species of legu- 

 minous plants, in which the author found considerable injury is done 

 by the attack of the weevil. This injury is due to the following causes: 

 (1) Destruction of part of the embryonic reserve; (2) mutilation of regen- 

 erative parts; (3) exosmosis, through which a very considerable quan- 

 tity of the nutritive material in the seed is lost, and (4) the biological 

 and mechanical action of the parasite. The injury due to the latter 

 cause is not limited in its effect to the seed alone, but may be trans- 

 mitted to the plant, resulting in a deteriorated growth. 



