018 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



cold. The existence of a large amount of .starch is an indication of ripeness? and may 

 he of service in determining the value for grafting and l)udding. 



The different factors influencing the ripening of grape shoots are discussed at some 

 length, and among the phenomena descrihed the effect of age, soil, fertilizers, and 

 diseases is shown. Humidity of the soil is opposed to the well ripening, as is the 

 excessive use of fertilizers which contain an abundance of nitrate. On the other 

 hand, lime, phosphates, and sulphates are favorable to maturity. Among the dis- 

 eases mentioned, most of those which attack the branches, leaves, and roots are 

 unfavorable for the perfect maturity of the grapevines, but those diseases which 

 principally attack the fruit, such as the black rot, etc., have little or no effect upon 

 the maturity of the shoots. The author's investigations were carried out in France 

 and in Hungary, and comparisons made with the different factors of soil, climate, 

 variety, etc., the results in all cases being practically the same. In practical appli- 

 cation a chemical analysis or microscopical study of stems will show their degree 

 of ripeness. It was found that shoots of Vitis rxipestris, grown in humid regions of 

 northern France or under the same conditions in Hungary, are not adapted to use in 

 other parts of the country for replanting vineyards destroyed by phylloxera. It was 

 also found that shoots produced upon 3-year-old vines in the south of France were 

 equal in all respects to those produced upon 4-year-old vines in the north, the climate 

 of the two regions having this influence upon their development. 



The influence of formalin on the germination of oats, F. Cr.xxefield ( TIV.s- 

 coitsia St<(. Rpt. 1901, pp. S..^7-Soo, Jigs. 0). — The results of laljoratory and greenhouse 

 experiments with formalin solutions for the prevention of grain smut are reported, 

 together with the effects of the treatment on the germination and subsequent develop- 

 ment of plants. Seed oats were inmiersed for 20 minutes in a solution of 1 pt. of 

 formalin to 50 gals, of water, after which 40 samples of 100 seeds each were placed 

 in the Geneva seed tester and a daily record kept of their germinations. Similar lots 

 were planted in the greenhouse in shallow boxes, filled with soil, and their germina- 

 tion determined. The average germination in each case showed some injury due to 

 the treatment. In the seed tester the injury amounted to from 1 to 20 per cent, 

 while in the soil test the range was from 4 to 42 per cent. In a few instances the 

 treated seed germinated better than the untreated, but the averages of the different 

 lots showed a detrimental action. The effect of different strengths of solution was 

 also tested, in which the stronger solutions were shown to be highly injurious. The 

 effect of treating seed for longer periods than 20 minutes was studied, and while 

 slight differences were observed there was no appreciable increase in injury due to 

 the longer soaking of the seed. The growth of the plants is shown in a number of 

 instances to have been checked by the treatment, the untreated lots being in every 

 case more vigorous than the treated. In conclusion, attention is called to the fact 

 that these trials were all conducted within doors, and it is possible that field condi- 

 tions might prove more favorable to germination and growth. 



The effect upon seedling- plants of certain components of alkali soils, T. H. 

 Keakxev and F. K. C.vmerox {V. S. Dept. Ayr., Rpt. 71, pp. 7-60). — A preliminary 

 report is given of experiments conducted with clover and alfalfa in which the effect 

 of some of the more ordinary components of alkali soils was tested. The salts used 

 in experiments were sodium chlorid, sodium sulphate, sodium carbonate, sodium 

 bicarbonate, magnesium chlorid, magnesium sulphate, and calcium chlorid. The 

 salts were made up in solutions of known strengths and the seedlings were suspended 

 in the solution for 24 hours, and the amount of injury determined from the condi- 

 tion of the root tips. At a certain degree ol dilution all the salts appeared indifferent 

 in their action upon plant tissues, while at still greater dilution some produceil 

 stimulating effects. The injurious action of the different salts when used in greater 

 strength is shown. The toxic effect of the injurious salts is said to be due more to 

 the influence of cathions (derived from the basic radicle) than to the anions (fur- 



