326 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



The sample of gas lime i-eported upon contained 45.4 per cent of calcium car- 

 bonate, 8.9 per cent of calcium sulpbid, and 2.3 per cent of calcium sulphate, 

 besides G.2 per cent of lime in other forms. It is stated that the percentage of 

 calcium sulpbid, which is the chief poisonous ingredient in gas lime, is not con- 

 sidered very high in this sample. The two samples of sewage sludge analyzed 

 showed respectively 1.91 and 1.05 per cent of calcium phosphate, 0.08 and 0.04 

 per cent of potash, and 0,75 and 1.72 per cent of nitrogen. One of the samples 

 contained 12.55 per cent of lime in other forms than that of phosphate. The 

 wool waste contained 0.25 per cent of calcium phosphate, 0.11 per cent of 

 potash, and .'>.97 per cent of nitrogen. 



[Soils and fertilizers], J. A. Voelckeb {Jour. Roy. Agr. Soc. England, 10 

 (WOU), pp. S.'f8-3ol). — Analyses are reported of samples of dissolved bone, 

 kainit, rape meal, soot, lime, tanyard refuse, and road scrapings, and of soils 

 containing an excess of magnesia over lime. 



Inspection and analyses of commercial fertilizers, season 1909—10, W. F. 

 Hand et al. (MississiiJpi Sta. Cite. 31, pp. //-JJ). — This circular contains 

 analyses and valuations of 199 samples of fertilizers collected during the season 

 of 1909-10. It also contains a warning against patented formulas for fertiliz- 

 ers and explains how purchasers may recover damages for fertilizers which 

 do not conform to the guaranty. 



Analyses of fertilizers — fall season, 1909, B. W. Kilgore et al. (Bui. N. C. 

 Dept. Agr., SI {1910), No. 3, pp. 71). — The analyses here reported are of samples 

 collected by the fertilizer inspectors of the state department of agriculture 

 during the fall of 1909. A list is given of brands of fertilizers registered for 

 sale in 1010. 



Analyses of licensed commercial fertilizers, 1910, F. W. Woll {Wisconsin 

 ata. Circ. Inform. l.'>, pp. IZ). — Analyses of o4 l>rauds of fertilizers licensed for 

 sale in the State during the year are reported, with notes on valuation and 

 explanations of technical terms used in fertilizer analyses. 



AGRICULTURAL BOTANY. 



Overhead electrical discharges and plant growth, J. H. Priestley {Jour. 

 Bd. Agr. [London], 11 {1910). No. 1, pp. 16-28). — An account is given of recent 

 developments as to the effect of overhead electrical discharges on plant growth, 

 the data being largely drawn from experiments by J. E. Newman carried on in 

 cooperation with Sir Oliver Lodge. In experiments covering four years a con- 

 siderable increase is noted in the production of cucumbers, strawberries, cab- 

 bages, beets, carrots, wheat, barley, and other crops. In one instance there was 

 a decrease of 9 per cent in the production of strawberries from the quantity 

 gathered from the control plats, but this is attributed to the fact that the season 

 was a very dry one. 



The influence of various colored lights on plants, O. Masulli {Bui. Orto 

 Bot. If. Unir. Napoli, 2 {1909), No. 3, pp. 329-.i02, pis. 4)- — The author has made 

 an extended study on the effect of different portions of the spectrum on the 

 growth and development of a large number of plants. 



The experiments snowed considerable variation on the part of the plants 

 toward the different kinds of illumination. Germination was found to be not 

 directly influenced by the different radiations, the thermal power having greater 

 influence than the color of the illumination. Germination was retarded or ac- 

 celerated in direct proportion to the heat energy of the rays. The development 

 in size of the leaves in general was greatest under the less refrangible rays, 

 particularly under the yellow and green light. The effect of the different 



