378 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



loosened, a form of dowel is described which has already shown remarkable results 

 in the way of preventing wear around the spike and preserving the tie for a con- 

 siderable period beyond the usual time of its usefulness. 



The preservative treatment of wood, S. P. Sadtler [Tech. Quart., 17 (1904), 

 No. J, pp. 129-144, figs. 3). — After discussing the objects of wood preservation, notes 

 are given on the structure and chemical composition of various woods, and the more 

 common methods of preservative treatment are described. Attention is called to a 

 radical departure from some of these methods of treatment, and a new method for 

 railroad-tie protection is described at considerable length. This protects not only 

 against fungus attacks, but renders the wood fireproof or fire resistant to a consider- 

 able degree. 



The method described is said to give to wood a fire-resistant quality, due to the 

 use of aluminum sulphate, without any injury to the structural strength of the wood 

 or the production of any deleterious characters in the product. 



The timbers of commerce and their identification, H. Stone (London: William 

 Rider A- Son, Ltd., 1904, pp. XXXVIII+S11, pis. 23).— The author has produced a 

 valuable contribution to the knowledge of commercial timbers and means for distin- 

 guishing them. The information given is both scientific and technical, the two being 

 combined in a way to aid in the identification of nearly every kind of timber found 

 in the market. 



More than 200 species of wood are described and every genus is figured by excel- 

 lent photomicrographs which go to make up the plates. After an introduction to 

 the study of woods, the author describes in detail 247 kinds of wood, giving the 

 botany of the species, distribution, sources of commercial supply, physical character- 

 istics, uses, anatomical characters, etc. A bibliography of more than 130 references 

 to literature relating to the subject is given, and a thorough index enables one to 

 readily make use of the text. 



No attempt is made to supply keys to the species, as the author thinks the present 

 status of information does not warrant their construction if based upon any systematic 

 classification of the plants. 



SEEDS— WEEDS. 



The duration of germination experiments, F. Nobbe (Landw. Vers. Stat., 59 

 (1904), No. 5-6, pp. 473-480). — The results of a series of experiments on the germi- 

 nation of seed of Scotch pine, fir, and beet to test the reliability of the rules of the 

 German experiment stations are given. The pine seeds were counted 7, 10, 14, 21, 

 28, and 42 days from being placed in a germinating chamber, and the fir seeds after 

 7, 10, 14, 21, and 28 days. 



A great variation was noted in the rate of germination of the different lots of seed, 

 hut the average germination for the lots of pine seed was 72.7 per cent at the end of 

 42 days, with 5.8 per cent still fresh and apparently viable. "With the fir seed, the 

 average germination was 75.7 per cent in 28 days, with 6.1 per cent still fresh. In 

 experiments with beet seed a variation of 18 per cent was noticed between the ger- 

 minations determined 5 days and 14 days after beginning. 



Effect of bad weather on the vitality of seed oats (Jour. Bd. Agr. [London], 

 11 (1904), No. 4, pp- 217-219). — An account is given of some experiments carried on 

 at the Agricultural Department, Marischal ( 'ollege, Aberdeen, to determine the effect 

 of an abnormal season on the vitality of seed oats. Most of the samples tested were 

 taken either from seed stacks or from granaries, and were selected because they had 

 been exposed in the shock for a longer or shorter time to inclement weather. 



Of 34 samples the highest germination was 63 per cent and the lowest 16 per cent, 

 giving an average germination of 34 percent. Samples of grain that had stood in 



