FIELD CROPS. 435 



Bud development in sugar cane, Z. Kamerling (Bol. Min. Agr., Indus, e 

 Com: [BraziU, 3 (1914), No. 2, pp. 88-99, pis. S).— Results are reported of a 

 microscopical study of the development of the bud of sugar cane, showing the 

 distribution of glucose, starch, tannic acid, and albuminoids in the growing 

 point. 



Administration report of the government sugar cane expert for 1913—14, 

 C. A. Barber (Rpt. Dept. Agr. Madras, 1913-14, pp. 50-52).— This briefly notes 

 the progress in the work of breeding sugar cane at Coimbatore, in which an 

 attempt is being made to cross the hardy cane of north India with the richer 

 local canes. Canes from the seedlings of other crosses are observed to have 

 increased in sugar content and now reach over 19 per cent of sucrose in the 

 juice. 



A review of the results of the experiment fields, J. ]M. Geekts {Mcded. 

 Proefstat. Java-Suilcerindus., 4 (1914), No. 21, pp. 541-600, pi. 1, figs. 6; Arch. 

 Suikcrindiis. NederUnid. Indie, 22 (1914), No. 25, pp. 911-912, pi. 1, figs. 6).— 

 This discusses the results and methods of calculations. 



Variation of flower size in Nicotiana, T. H. Goodspeed and R. E. Clausen 

 {Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., 1 {1915), No. 6, pp. 333-338) .—This gives results of some 

 25,000 measurements taken on some pure lines and hybrids of Nicotiana, cover- 

 ing a period of about five years at the University of California Botanical 

 Gardens. 



It has been shown that when plants first come into flower the spread and 

 length of corolla are greater than the spread and length of flowers produced on 

 the same plants later in the growing season. By removing all flowers from the 

 plant as fast as they go by, it is possible to keep up the flower size to nearly 

 that of the first flowers produced, and in some cases to double the life of the 

 plant. During the period which elapses from the time a flower is fully opened 

 to the time at which pollen is shed, there was noted a considerable increase in 

 the corolla spread and associated with it little or no increase in corolla length. 



That there is a differential distribution of flowers on tobacco plants according 

 to size at any given time is shown by the comparative measurements of flowers 

 borne among developing seed capsules on the terminal inflorescence of a plant 

 and those borne on laterals of the same plant. Cuttings growing in the green- 

 house produced flowers smaller in spread and greater in length than those on 

 the field plant from which the cuttings were taken. Pot experiments showed 

 that flower size could be distinctly influenced by applications of sodium nitrate, 

 and in a direction parallel to that of the influence on vegetative characters. 



" The conclusion seems irresistible that flower size in Nicotiana is not so 

 constant as it has been assumed to be, but that it is affected by a number of 

 conditions, and that at least some of these may not a fleet length and spread in 

 the same manner." 



Parthenocarpy and parthenogenesis in Nicotiana, T. H. Goodspeed (Proc. 

 Nat. Acad. 8ci., 1 (1915), No. 6, pp. 341-346). — This article notes the occuri'ence 

 of viable seeds of Nicotiana tabacnm Cuba from flowers that had been emascu- 

 lated by picking off the anthers near the tops of the filaments, castrated in bud 

 plus the pinching off, with the forceps, of the stigma at the very top of the 

 style, or mutilated by pinching off the stigma in the bud without the removal of 

 the anthers. 



The author states that " parthenocarpy is of frequent occurrence in N. 

 tabacuin Cuba, and parthenogenesis, employing the term to mean the production 

 of viable seed without pollination, is also peculiar to this variety of iV. tabacum." 



Phylogenetic studies of the vai-ieties of tobacco, G. E. Anastasia (Bol. Tec. 

 Coltiv. TaMccia [Scafati], 13 (1014), No. 2-4, pp. 51-220, pis. 82, figs. 41; 

 Appendix, pp. 3, pis. 56). — ^A study of the structure and form of the leaf, 



