BOTANY. 851 



come its action it is distinctly harmful. Artificial inoculation should Ik- made at the 

 time of planting, it' possible, bu1 subsequent inoculations have proved beneficial. 

 Where soils already contain the proper bacteria, inoculation will usually have little 

 or no benefit, and it should not he practiced where the soil is rich in available 

 nitrogen. 



Cultures of plants in the presence of a mixture of algae and bacteria, 

 Bouilhac and Giustiniani i Compt. Rend. Acad. Sci. [Paris'], 138 {1904), No. 5, pp. 

 ."'.; 296). —By means of po1 cultures of buckwheat, white mustard, maize, cress, etc., 

 grown with and without algae and bacteria, the authors have shown that the presence 

 of the organisms increase the nitrogenous content of the soil and that through their 

 intervention an increased amount of nitrogen is available tor plant growth. This 

 increase is shown not only in a higher dry weight, but also in the amount of nitrogen 

 in the plants as well as the nitrogen fixed by the organisms. 



The authors hope to extend this investigation so as to make it practicable for 

 field culture. 



The utilization of the nitrogen of the air by plants, A. Stutzer( I nut. Landw. 

 Presse, 31 {1904), No's. 10, i>\>. 73, ;;,- //, y</<. 81, 82; 12, j>/>. 89, 90; 17, pp. 187, 138; 

 In. />/>. i.T;, 158). — A general discussion of this subject. 



Report of the Agricultural, Chemical, Bacteriological, and Plant Protec- 

 tion Station, Vienna, 1903, F. Dafert and K. Kornauth {Ztschr. Landw. 

 Versuchsw. Oesterr., 7 {1904), No. ■ »', pp. 117-172). — After describing the organization, 

 facilities, etc., of the station and giving the personnel of the staff, a report is made 

 of' the many lines of work carried on. In the chemical laboratory a large number 

 of analyses of fertilizers, forage plants, etc., are reported, a decided increase being 

 shown over the previous year. 



In the section of plant culture the investigations reported were largely along the 

 line of fertilizer tests. Moor culture occupies an important part in the station's 

 investigations. The bacteriological work reported upon includes many microscopic 

 examinations for the detection of adulterants of food and feeding stuffs, as well as 

 examinations of a purely bacteriological nature. Experiments are reported on the 

 use of bacteria for destroying rats ami mice, a considerable number of cultures of the 

 organisms having been distributed during the year. 



Notes are given on various parasitic fungi and injurious insects observed during 

 the year, especial attention being called to the occurrence of Peronospora eubensis on 

 cucumbers. Attempts were made to combat various fungus and insect pests. 



A detailed report is made on the inoculation of peas with root tubercle organisms 

 and oats with Alinit, Bacillus megatherium, I>. subtilis, etc. With tin' peas the great- 

 est gains were obtained in the pots whose soil and seed bad been sterilized and then 

 inoculated with pure cultures. Where the soil was sterilized and the seed not treated, 

 the greatest yield of tops and seed was from the pots receiving a soil inoculation. In 

 experiments with oats the inoculated pots in nearly all cases gave larger yields, the 

 averages being 62.5 gm. for the check, which received a complete fertilizer, 66.2 gm. 

 where inoculated with Alinit, 66.5 gm. where inoculated with 11. megatherium, and 

 76 gm. where inoculated with II. suli/ilis. 



A brief report is given on the treatment of seeds for the prevention of smuts. 

 Copper sulphate solutions and dry powdered copper sulphate wen' not wholly effi- 

 cient. Better results were obtained in preventing millet smut by soaking the seed 

 for 5 minutes in a ■' per cent solution of formalin. Laboratory and plat experiments 

 indicated that smut spores are not always destroyed by soaking in solutions of 

 copper sulphate. 



Notes on mycorrhiza occurring on the lateral roots of peppers, .1. de Cor- 

 demoy {Compt. Haul. [cad. Sci. [Paris], 189 {1904), No. 1, pp. 88-85). -The occur- 

 rence of mycorrhiza on the adventitious roots of peppers, as well as vanilla, is 

 reported. These plants are supported upon livingtrees by lateral roots, and through 



