222 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol. 40 



5,100 tons. The imports of moss litter was 50G tons. No pent fuel was pro- 

 duced on n commercial scale. 



The occurrence, properties, and uses of peat are discussed, and attention is 

 called to a pr< ow in commercial use in this country in which "peat is 



mixed with trlcalcium phosphate and used as a culture medium for nitrifying 

 and other bacteria which produce phosphorus compounds and which, when 

 applied i" tin- soil, read upon and free its natural potash content from Insoluble 

 chemical combinations." It is Btated that "bacterised peat is being used for 

 fertilizer in England with varying degrees of succ — . In the United st: 

 commercial quantities have been manufactured and sold." 



Commercial fertilizers, V. L. BlBBABD {California StO. Hul. 800 {1918), ;■/-. 

 / / .: ■•■». This bulletin rep-uts the results of fertiliser inspection work in 

 California for the year ended June 30, 1918. A total of samples of fer- 



tilizers and fertilizing materials were received during the year. 



AGRICULTURAL BOTANY. 



Catalase and oxidase content of seeds in relation to their dormancy, age. 

 vitality, and respiration. \Y. CSOCKXB and ', T II ffGTON {J OUT. A</r. Re- 

 search \i . s.\. i:, {1918), \ pp. tSl r, ; 8).- Studies carried on in the 

 i testing laboratories of the r. s. Department of Agriculture have shown 

 w ide variation- in the response of certain -■ eds to alternating temperatures dur- 

 ing germination. This has i a found particularly true of Borne rather closely 



related Bpecies, such as Johnson grass [Holcu* hut,, and Sudan grass 



i //. halepenMs <>/</</. . the former germinating host under alternating 



temperatures and the latter under constant temperatures. The authors have 

 carried on extensive experlm< determine the reasons for the dil - in 



the requlremei ■ r< l i n ir alternating temperatures for germination, and the 



present paper gives a report of their study of catalase and oi In relation 



to donna E I llity, respiration, etc. In addition to -,,•!< of the gras 



mentioned above, >e.-ds of * • 1 1 1 ;■ and other families «>f plants 



ha\ been Included in the Investlgatl 



In the amount of catalase and in the behavior of their catali 



John-on grass and Sudan grass seeds are \ ery similar, and observation of these 

 points offers no explanation of their marked differences in dormancy and their 

 requirements \><r germination. The same was found true of the oxidases of the 

 two seeds, bo far as the studies have pri 1. The catalase activity of gr 



Is was found to rise rapidly as their germination progressed. This parallels 

 the rise in respiratory intensity. There was no rise in • activity with 



germination, in • > grass seeds : med to be a close correlation be- 



tween catalase activity and respiratory intensity, hut there was no very <■] 

 correlation between either of i hem and the vitality of the seeds or the vigor 

 of the resulting seedlngs. In amaranthua seeds no evidence was found of a 

 correlation between catalase activity on ti ne hand and respiratory intensity. 



vitality, or age on the other. 



it is considered, from the great variations in the catalase behavior of the 

 several seeds studied, that general conclusions can not he drawn from the cata- 

 lase behavior of all soeils hut that from the data obtains - will fall into 



Beveral physiological types for which general conclusions can be drawn. Cata- 

 lase activity of BeedS BeemS to parallel physiological hchavior much DM 



generally than does oxidase activity. 



A study of some fnctors influencing the stimulative action of zinc sulphate 

 on the growth of Aspergillus niger. — I. The effect of the presence of zinc in 

 the cultural fla B. . u. a. sihmik., {Mem. Torray n<>t. CU 



