191'JI FIKI.l) CBOPS. 529 



plants into one or two panicles only, these are generally bigger and bear better 

 grain than those ox" late plants; but iiiis advantage does not compensate for 

 the diminished yield dne t<> the small Dumber <>i beads. There is thus an Inev- 

 itable sacrifice ol crop when it is attempted to render a Late kind early. The 

 only hope, apparently, lies in Increasing the output, per Individual panicle, of 

 an already early variety. This can best be done l>y extracting ii again from a 

 lair-sized f,. generation of a cross with a type which, quite apart from any 

 ability to tiller profusely, has above all larger panicles and larger grain of 

 better quality." 



The olona, Hawaii's unexcelled fiber plant, V. M.\r< ' u 1,111:1 [Science, n. 9GT., 

 48 (1918), No. 1286, pp. 856-85S).— Olona (Touehardia latifoUa), said to be 

 the strongest and most durable tiber known, is described, and its distribution 

 and utilization in Hawaii are discussed. 



| Proceedings of the Potato Association of America] {Proc. Potato 1 

 Amer., 4 (W17), pp. 113, figs. 6). — This reports the proceedings of the fourth 

 annual meeting of the association, already noted (E, S. R., 37, p. 800). 



Approved methods of transplanting rice [in Italy] (Gtor. Risicolt, 8 ( 1918 I, 

 A'o. J, pp. U5-TJ, figs. 10). — This gives a rather detailed description of the 

 methods employed in transplanting rice under Irrigation, Including the prepa- 

 ration and care of the nursery seed bed. 



Notes on the production of dry land rice, G. B. COOMBS ( \<ir. lUtl. Fed. 

 ilahuj Status, 6 (1918), Xo. 7-8, pp. 321-327).— Field practices and cultural 

 methods employed in growing dry land rice in the Federated Malay States are 

 described, approximately 15,000 acres being under this system of cultivation. 

 Two forms of the system are said to obtain — " ladling " or hill cultivation and 

 "tenggala" or plow cultivation. The former method Involves the utilization 

 of virgin forest land cleared of trees, while in the latter method the broad 

 alluvial tracts occurring along the river banks are utilized. 



Culture experiments with rye, E. \Y. L.irxu (Sveriges Utsadesfor. Tidskr., 

 28 {WIS), Xo. 3, pp. U7-116, Jigs. 5). — This paper reviews the results of culture 

 experiments with a number of varieties of rye, conducted at different places 

 iu Sweden and at various times from p.iOo to 1917, inclusive. 



The results of live experiments carried on from 1905 to 1011 showed that 

 the best average yields of grain and straw were secured from BeedingS made 

 August 16, as compared with one earlier and three later dates, ranging from 

 August to September 26. The average yield of grain for the years 1907 to 

 1917 at Svalbf was in favor of Svalbf Stjiirn rye, which produced 4,333 kg. per 

 hectare (69 bu. per acre). A strain of Stjiirn rye, Xo. 0302, yielded l.JUs kg.; 

 a strain of Schlanstedt rye, No., 0451, 4.1 Hi kg.; a strain of Prof. Heinrich, No. 

 0280, 4,053 kg.; and Petkus, taken as the standard variety, 4,050 kg. per hec- 

 tare. Svalbf Stjiirn rye also led in yield in similar experiments conducted at 

 five other points. Svalbf Stjiirn rye strain. No. 0302, which also entered the 

 tests at three of these places ranked second in every instance. Svalbf Improved 

 Wasa rye, compared with several varieties from 1910 t«> lblT in six localities, 

 gave an average yield higher than that of Petkus, but lower than the average 

 yield of Svalbf Stjiirn rye. 



Studies on the contamination of the pollen of rye with the help of " indi- 

 cator plants" in Sweden, N. Hkribkrt-Nii sson [Zttchr. Pflanzenziicht., 5 

 (1917), No. 2, pp. 89-1 1). fig$. in; albs, in Intemat. fust. ,\ ; ir. [Rome}, Internal 

 Rev. Sci. and Praet. .(<//■.. 9 {1918), No. i, pp. 170 /7.\ fig. /).— In work with rye 

 at the Seed Selection Station of Weibuilsholm, near Landskrona, Sweden, the 

 author isolated descendants of selected plants in fields of wheat or fodder 

 grasses. This practice led to a Study of the manner ami of the extent bo 

 which pollen from one plant or from n group of plants when carried by the 



