654 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



were cultivated on different estates and on black and red soils. A list of the differ- 

 ent varieties, with their more general field charaf'teristics and the more important 

 cultural and chemical results, are given. Barbados Seedling 208 gave the best results, 

 being followed by White Transparent. Barbados Seedling 147 and Sealy Seedling 

 were low in quality of juice. 



Report of the agricultural work for 1900-1902, J. P. n' Albuquerque and 

 J. R. BovELL {llpt. Agr. Tlor/.-, Imp. Dept. Agr. Wea Indies, lipt. 1900-1902, pp. 185).— 

 The results of fertilizer experiments and variety tests with sugar cane are tabulated 

 in detail, and briefly discussed for each experiment and locality. In addition, the 

 mechanical and chemical analyses of the soil and the rainfall for the different locali- 

 ties in which the work was carried on are given. Experiments with seedling and 

 other varieties of cane are reported, together with descriptions of their general 

 characteristics, yield, and composition. 



The origin of starch in the -wheat grain, P. P. Deherain and C. Dupont {Ann. 

 Agron., 2S {1002) , No. 10, pp. ,522-527). — This article discussesrthe formation of nitrog- 

 enous substance in the wheat plant and reports the results of experiments conducted 

 to throw further light upon the formation and accumulation of starch in the grain. 

 The authors i>oint out how the nitrogenous substance in the plant rises from the 

 lower to the upper leaves and finally finds its way into the grain, while during the 

 entire vegetative period no starch gathers in the leaves of wheat as is done in the 

 leaves of the potato, tobacco, the vine, and other plants, and still starch accumulates 

 rapidly in the grains shortly before ripening. It is held that since wheat has no 

 reserves of carbohydrates the starch of the grain must be elaborated from new mate- 

 rial, but that the difficulty which presents itself in this connection is the small per- 

 centage of green leaf surface, which at this stage is practically confined to the glumes 

 and the uj)per parts of the stems. An investigation to determine whether these 

 organs at that time are capable of using the carbonic acid of the air and forming car- 

 bohydrates showed the incapability of the glumes in this respect. 



In order to determine the action of the upper portion of the stems, the heads were 

 removed from a number of plants which were then harvested the next daj' together 

 with an equal number of entire plants. In both cases the stems only were analyzed 

 and the results showed that the quantity of carbohydrates elaborated in the stems 

 without heads was equal to 5.94 per cent of the dry matter, while in the stems on 

 which the heads were allowed to remain only 1.68 per cent was found. This differ- 

 ence is exijJained as due to the movement of the carl)ohydrate substance into the 

 grains, and the results are considered as indicating conclusively that the upper por- 

 tion of the stem, provided it is still green, periorms the function of the leaves in 

 other plants and thus elaborates the starch for the wheat grain. Attention is called 

 to certain seasons in which the conditions of the weather and the resulting yield and 

 comi)Osition of the grain go to confirm the above conclusion. The harvest of 1888 at 

 Grignon was late and the process of ripening slow, which resulted in a heavy yield 

 with an average gluten content in the grain of 12.60 per cent and a starch content of 

 77.2 per cent, while the following season, when the summer was hot and the process 

 of rijiening rapid, the grain contained 15.3 per cent of gluten and only 61.9 ])er cent 

 of starch. 



HORTICULTURE. 



Specific variation in the graft or asexual hybridization, L. Daniel {Tromhne 

 Congres International de Defense contre la Grele et de V Hyhridation de la Vigne. LyoiiK: 

 Soc. Reg. ViL, 1902, II, pp. 262-365).— Ancient and modern ideas regarding the 

 existence of variation in grafts are reviewed at length, the author's methods of 

 grafting and carrying on control work discussed, and detailed accounts given of sjie- 

 cific variations obtained in scion and stock in graftinar a large number of different 



