BOTANY, 633 



Census United States, Census Buls. 210, 210a, pp. 306; Census RjUs., Vol. 10 {Mamifac- 

 tures, pt. 4), pp. 523-679, 831-97S). — This is a statistical report on the nianufacture of 

 chemicals and allied products in the United States, from which it appears that a 

 capital of $238,529,641 was invested in the industry in 1900. The aggregate value of 

 the products was $202,582,396. The products inchided in this report are classified 

 intc 19 groups, as follows: Acids, soda products, potashes, alums, coal-tar products, 

 cyanids, wood distillation, fertilizers, bleaching materials, chemical substances pro- 

 duced by the aid of electricity, dyestuffs, tanning materials, paints, explosives, plas- 

 tics, essential oils, compressed and liquefied gases, fine chemicals, and general chem- 

 icals. The number of estal)lishments reported as engaged exclusively or in part in 

 the manufacture of fertilizers in 1900 was 478, the total product being 3,091,717 tons, 

 valued at $46,011,382, thus showing an increase of over 50 per cent in (juantity and 

 20 per cent in value since the previous census. The industry is distributed as follows: 

 North Atlantic States, 155 establishments producing 685,893 tons; South Atlantic 

 States, 198 establishments producing 1,531,688 tons; North Central States, 63 estab- 

 lishments producing 258,726 tons; South Central States, 39 establishments producing 

 352,778 tons; Western States, 9 establishments producing 22,131 tons; all other 

 States, 14 establishments producing 35,788 tons. The production of superphosphate 

 is reported as 937,008 tons, ainmoniated superphosphate 143,648 tons, and complete 

 fertilizers 1,478,826 tons, valued respectively at$8,592,360, $2,462,888, and $26,318,995. 

 Among other fertilizers, amounting to 532,235 tons, valued at $8,637,139, are included 

 28,977 tons of fish scrap valued at about $480,000, 160,962 tons of slaughterhouse and 

 meat-packing refuse valued at $3,326,119, and 17,809 tons of garbage reduction mate- 

 rial valued at $256,322. Of the 1,352,730 tons of sulphuric acid produced in 1900 by 

 127 establishments in the United States, 654,966 tons was furnished Ijy 79 fertilizer 

 establishments, which used 583,859 tons of the acid in the mannfai^ture of super- 

 phosphates. The valuation of the natural and artificial tanning materials produced 

 was $1,899,220. A digest of patents relating to chemical industries, prepared by 

 S. B. Ladd, is included. 



BOTANY. 



Chloropliyll assimilation at low atmospheric pressures, J. Friedel ( Rev. Gen. 

 Bot., 14 (1M2), Nos. 164, pp. 337-355; 165, pp. 369-390, figs. ,5).— The author has 

 investigated the influence of pressure of rarefied air, and of atmospheres in which 

 the amount of carlpon dioxiil and oxygen was varied according to definite propor- 

 tions. It was found that the diminution of pressure does not as a rule influence the 

 nature of chlorophyll assimilation, but in some cases does affect its intensity. The 

 phenomena of assimilation under the conditions of the experiment seem to be the 

 dependent on two forces, the total pressure and the relative pressure of carbon dioxid. 

 The relative pressure of oxygen has no influence on assimilation. Among evergreen 

 shrubs the total atmospheric pressure was without influence, while the influence of 

 the carbon dioxid i)ressure varied with the age of the leaves. An increase in atmos- 

 pheric volume favored assimilation if the pressure remained constant. If the volume 

 and pressure were successively varied or if modified simultaneously the result was 

 the same. Assimilation at low pressure was carried on normally by an entire plant 

 of Lupidium satirum, and the leaves of the black locust were influenced in the same 

 way as the young leaves of the evergreen shrul^s lin.^rns acnleatns, Eumit/mus japoni- 

 cus, and Ligustrumjaponieuni. 



The injurious effect of smoke and gases on plant growth, E. Haselhoff and 

 G. LiNDAU ( Die Beschddigung der Vegetation dutrh Ranch. Leipzig: Borntraeger Bros., 

 1903, pp. VIIIA; 412, figs. 27). — The rapid extension and development of various 

 chemical, manufacturing, and other industries the works of which give off large 

 amounts of smoke, gases, etc., have been attended with much injury to trees and 

 other vegetation. These injuries have been extensively studied by the authors and 



