T50TANY. 



945 



olive. The olive fruits were subjected to analyses from time to time duriii-,' tiie 

 growing season and the results of the analyses are given. The authors have divided 

 the growing season into 3 periods: The first, in which there is but a very slight 

 amount of oil present in the fruit; the second, which occurs from August to October, 

 is a period of rapid oil formation; and the third, which occurs from October to Feb- 

 ruary, is the period of ripening and the time at which the olives are mostly gathered. 

 The oil content of the fruit increases up to January, after which there seems to be a 

 decided decrease through that and succeeding months. The highest oil content of 

 the fruits examined was 30.1 per cent for the Hcsli of the fruit, the analysis being 

 made on Januai'v K). 



Pot experiments to determine the limits of endurance of different farm 

 crops for certain injurious substances, F. B. Gitiikie and K. Helms {A</r. (laz. 

 Ncir South WaJt'A, 14 {190.1), Nn. ..', pp. 114-120). — An account is here given of experi- 

 ments with wheat plants grown in galvanized iron pots 8 in. high and S in. in diame- 

 ter to test the effects on the growth of the plants of the following substances: Common 

 salt (0.01 to 1 per cent), sodium carl)onate (0.01 to 3 per cent), ammonium sulpho- 

 cyanid (0.001 to 0.5 per cent) , sodium chlorate (0.001 to 0.5 per cent), and arsenious 

 acid (0.01 to 1 per cent). The results are summarized in the following table: 



Efff'ct>i upon. geriiiuKidon <tnd suhsequent groirtli, of the irjwat j)laiit of iViffcrenl percnitayes 

 of injuriou.i .s»/^.y^//*cv.s In tlie .'toil. 



r'Dmmoii salt 



Sodium carbonate 



.-Vinnuiiiium siilphocyanid 



Sodium clilorate 



Arsenious acid 



Germination 

 affected. 



Pit cent. 

 0. im 



.300 



.005 



Above . 100 



.050 



Germination 

 prevented. 



Per cent. 

 0.20 



0. .^> to 1 



.01 

 .05 



Above .50 



Growth 

 affected. 



Per cent. 



0.05 to 0.15 



(rccov.) 



0. 100 



.(K)l 



.001 



.050 



Growth 

 prevented. 



Per cjint. 

 0.200 



.400 

 .005 

 .003 

 .100 



Some modifications produced by freezing- on the structure of plant cells, 

 L. Matruchot and M. Molliakd {Rev. Gen. Bat., 14 {1902), Nos. 167, pp. 403-4^2; 

 168, pp. 522-533, pis. 3). — Cytological studies are reported showing the effect of 

 freezing upon many different plants. The phenomena described show a marked 

 parallelism between the phenomena observed in desiccation and freezing, and the 

 authors concur with Molisch that the death of the cell or jilant by freezing is in 

 reality due to the rapid drying out of the tissues. 



The rate of absorption of nitrogen by cereals, J. Henry {BuI. Aijr. \Bmssels], 

 10 {1903), No. 1, pp. 154-156). — A study was reported in which the author sought 

 to learn the relative rate of nitrogen absorption from the soil in the case of barley, 

 wheat, and rye grown in pots fertilized with nitrate of soda and sulphate of ammo- 

 nia. The pots containing the plants were prepared in a similar manner, seeded, 

 and specimens removed at stated intervals for analysis, the nitrogen being deter- 

 mined by the Kjeldahl-Jodbauer method. The results show that the period of 

 absorption varies quite widely. For some time the absorption may be very slow and 

 insignificant, while at other periods it is two or three times as active for the same 

 length of time. During the most active periods of growth the nitrogenous fertilizers 

 seem to be used mo.st abundantly. For wheat the 2 periods of ma.xinmm absorption 

 were between May 7 and 17, and the second at the time of the formation of the grain. 

 With rye the maximum absorption took place between April 19 and 29 and between 

 June 11 and 26, corresponding to the same periods of plant development as for the 

 wheat. The maximum absorption of nitrogen for barley took place between June 

 12 and 26 at the time when the heads were appearing. 



Recent investigations on the root tubercles of lieguminosae, L. Hiltner 

 and K. Stormer (.1;-6. A'. Gesundheltaamle, Biol. Alt., 3 {1903), No. 3, pp. 151-307, 



