922 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



On the artificial pollination of conifer flowers, von St. Paul (Mitt. Deut. Den- 

 drol. Geaell., 1897, No. 6, pp. 44-46, fig. 1). 



Method of the formation of cellular membranes, L. Querton (Ann. Soc. Beige 

 Micro*., 22 (1897), No. 1, pp. 59-74). 



Experimental researches on the assimilation of ammoniacal and nitric 

 nitrogen by the higher plants, M. Laurent (Ann. Sci. Agron., 1897, II, No. 2, pp. 

 175-212).— Reprinted from Bui. Acad. Roy. Sci. Belg., 1896, No. 12 (E. S. R., 9, p. 32:.). 



The action of ammonium salts on Aspergillus niger, C. Tanret (Bui. Soc. 

 Chim. Pari*, 3. ser., 17 (1897), No. 20-21, pp. 914-9.21).— -The author experimented 

 with the nitrate, sulphate, chlorid, and phosphate of ammonia, and found the fungus 

 was able to absorb certain quantities of these salts, part of which was utilized, and 

 the rest thrown off. 



The pigmy panic grass (Panicum pygniceum), J. II. Maiden (Agr. Gaz. New 

 South Wales, 9 (1898), No. 1, p. 32, pi. 1).— Descriptive notes of this grass, which is 

 said to he valuable in rather dense shade. 



FERMENTATION— BACTERIOLOGY. 



Concerning a ferment of cellulose, V. Omelianski (Compt. Bend. 

 Acad. Sci. J '(iris, 125 ( 1897), Xo. 23,pp. 970-973).— The author announced 

 in 1S95 1 the isolation of a bacillus capable of fermenting pure cellulose, 

 such as cotton and flax fibers. In tlie present paper the principal 

 physiological and morphological characteristics of the organism are 

 described. 



In order to bring about the fermentation small strips of Swedish filter 

 paper are placed in bottles filled with a suitable culture solution to 

 which a small quantity of slime or soil rich in vegetable material is 

 added. In place of the mineral matter of the culture medium river 

 water may be substituted. Ordinarily fermentation will be shown by 

 the liberation of gas in from 6 to 10 days at 35° C. Examinations of 

 the filter paper in 3 weeks or a month will show an advanced state of 

 decomposition and the presence of colonies of the organism from which 

 pure cultures can be easily made. The organism when young is 1 to 8/* 

 by 0.3 to 0.5;/ in diameter. When old, it sometimes attains a length 

 of 12 to 15//. It is slightly oval or rounded and spore forming. The 

 spores attain a diameter of 1.5;/, resist a temperature of 00° C. for 25 

 minutes, but are instantly killed at the boiling point. The bacillus in 

 any of its stages of growth is not stained by iodin. It does not grow 

 on gelatin culture media. On gelose it forms small colonies, and while 

 making slight growth on cooked potatoes, it degenerates rapidly. 



In the author's experiments filter paper, cotton, and an amorphous 

 precipitated cellulose were placed in a solution containing sulphate of 

 ammonia to which were added 1 per cent peptone and 0.5 per cent 

 asparagin, and the organism introduced. The results of some of the 

 experiments show that from 79 to 90 per cent of the cellulose was 

 destroyed in from 3J to 5 months. In an extreme case 5 gm. of paper 

 was completely fermented in 3 months. An examination of the resi- 

 due after washing it with a very weak solution of hydrochloric acid 



1 Compt. Rend. Acad. Sci. Paris, 121 (1895), p. 653. 



