BOTANY. 119 



An easily made and safe dephlegmator for Kjeldahl distillations, W. J. 



LovETT {Jour. Soc. Chexi. Ind., Jl {1902}, No. 12, pp. 849,850, fig. 1) . 



Fixing nitrogen from the air, T. C. Martin {Amer. Mo. Rev. of Jlevietcs, 26 

 {1902), Xo. 3, pp. 338-342, figt^. 6). — A brief account of the process devised and 

 installed at Niagara by C. S. Bradley and D. R. Lovejoy for oxidizing the nitrogen 

 of the air by means of direct-current arcs. It is stated that by this process 70 per 

 cent nitric acid can be i)roduced at a cost of a little less than 1.6 cts. per pound for 

 energy, using a current generated by Niagara water power at $20 per kilowatt. 



Report on general work in the chemical laboratory, C. A. Goessmann {Mas- 

 mc]iu)<Mn ,St(i. Rpl. 1901, pp. 104-107). — This includes a list of miscellaneous materials 

 sent to the station for analysis during the year, and notes on wood ashes, comparing 

 the quality of samples examined during ]900 and 1901. 



The potash and phosphoric acid content of the ash of leaves of various 

 kinds of potatoes rich in starch, J. Seisl and E. Gross {Zli^chr. Landv. Vcr.'iuch.'tir. 

 Oestcrr., f> {1902), p. 62; (dj.^. hi. ('hem. Ztg., 26 {1902), No. 64, liepert., p. 202).— li 

 was found that the leaves of potatoes rich in starch contained more potash and phos- 

 phoric acid than those poor in this substance, and this was true regardless of the 

 fertilizing and stage of growth. 



Compilation of analyses of fruits, garden crops, and insecticides, H. D. 

 Haskins {M<t.'<s<tcJm.'<etts Sta. Ept. 1901, pp. 132-147). — Tables are given which show 

 the percentages and relative proportions of the fertilizing constituents of fruits and 

 garden crops, based mainly upon analyses made at the Massachusetts Agric-ultural 

 College and Experiment Station ; also the average composition of various insecticides 

 examined at the same place. 



Laboratory apparatus, P. N. Raikow ( Chem. Ztg., 26 {1902), No. 63, pp. 732-734, 

 figs. 6). — Descri lotions are given of filters for hot and cold filtration, wash and 

 absorption flasks for gases, bui'ettes, etc. 



Note on a convenient apparatus for the chemical and bacteriological 

 examination of the atmosphere, W. Chattaway and F. M. Wharton {Analyst, 

 27 {190^), No. 317, pp. 243-245). 



BOTANY. 



Influence of the elementary plant foods on plant growth, A. N. Pearson 

 {Dept. Agr. Victoria, 1901, June, pp. 14, pi- 1, dgrns. 2). — An account is given of experi- 

 ments with wheat plants grown in the absence of nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur, 

 chlorin, iron, lime, magnesium, potassium, and sodium, in porcelain pots filled with 

 sand that had been washed and ignited, the different pots being arranged in series. 

 Each series contained one pot in which all the plant elements were supplied, accom- 

 panied by pots in which single elements were omitted. One of the interesting facts 

 brought out in the experiments was the peculiar thin, wiry stems and narrow, 

 straight leaves produced where nitrogen was omitted from the plant food. Where 

 potash was deficient, the plants were characterized by short, weak stems and nar- 

 row, pendent leaves. Subsequent to the principal investigation the author conducted 

 an experiment with sand taken from a hill and placed in pots. The untreated soil 

 produced plants of an unmistakably nitrogen-starved type, while soil to which nitro- 

 gen had been added produced plants showing a deficiency in the potash. 



Investigations on the nutrition of plants by amids, L. Lutz {Bid. Soc. Bot. 

 France, 48 {1901), No. 7, pp. 325-334)- — Experiments are reported in the nutrition 

 of a number of species of algfe and fungi, different forms of amids being added to the 

 culture solutions in which the plants were grown. The amids tested were formamid, 

 acetamid, propionamid, butyramid, benzamid, salicylamid, asparagin, urea, oxamid, 

 succinamid, and acetanilid. It was found that the amids of the fatty acid series were 

 readily assimilable, while those belonging to the aromatic group could not be success- 



