FIELD CEOPS. • 533 



this view by the results obtained when quick-acting nitrogenous manures are 

 applied in two doses instead of one. A decrease of yield is seen invariably as 

 a result of the division of the application, the inference being that by the time 

 the late dose is given the canes have already made such growth as to preclude 

 the extra supply of readily available nitrogen exercising any great effect. . . . 



"Additional investigations have further demonstrated that appreciable re- 

 sidual action is felt on succeeding crojis of cane as the result of the applications 

 of artificial manures to any one crop, the effect being seen in first ratoons when 

 the applications are made to plant canes, and in the second ratoons when they 

 are made to first ratoons. In estimating the effect of a manurial dressing, 

 therefore, it is necessary to allow for the existence of possible residual action. 

 In relation to the recently introduced nitrogenous manures, nitrolim and nitrate 

 of lime, it has been shown that nitrolim is ineffective as a manure when applied 

 to ratoon oaues, bat nitrate of lime possesses a value nearly equal to that of 

 sulphate of ammonia. Applications of molasses to ratoon canes have proved 

 to be unproductive of benefit; the effect of similar applications to plant canes 

 is under investigation. The effect of small dressings of lime has been negative, 

 but when larger dressings of marl have been given benefit has been derived, 

 especially in the case of heavy noncalcareous soils. The effect of intertillage on 

 ratoon canes has been found to be a beneficial one." 



Catalytic or fecundating- stimuli and mutation in Nicotiana, A. Splendore 

 (Bol. Tec. Coltiv. Tabacchi [Scafam, U {1915), No. 1-2, pp. 3-^7, pis. 21).— 

 This describes offspring derived from 26 crosses between varieties of Nicotiana 

 with each other and with several species of Solanacese and Scrophulariacese as 

 female parents. 



The Georgia velvet bean, J. Belling {Jour. Heredity, 6 {1915), No. 7, p. 

 290). — This article notes an early variety of velvet bean now grown in Georgia, 

 the first flowers of which appear nearly two months earlier than those of the 

 Florida velvet bean. The author concludes that " from crosses between the 

 Yokohama and the Florida the Florida has a factor for late flowering, H, 

 which the Yokohama does not possess. Hence it may be supposed that the 

 Georgia velvet arose from the Florida velvet by the "spontaneous" loss of the 

 factor H. Since H is dominant, the early plants would appear only in the second 

 generation." 



Variation in pure lines of winter wheat, C. G. Willla.ms {Proc. 8oc. Prom. 

 Agr. ScL, 35 {1914), PP- 89-54).— This article gives the results of a series of 

 experiments begun at the Ohio Experiment Station in 1907 and lOOS to study 

 the variation with respect to heritability of length of head, size of kernel, and 

 protein content of pure line selections of wheat. From continued selections 

 for several generations no heritable variation of any of these characters could 

 be detected. The data show that the seed of either extreme character has a 

 tendency to produce a crop having the general average. 



Determination of seeds of Cuscuta trifolii and C. suaveolens by anatomical 

 methods, J. Bernatsky {Eiserlet. Kozlem., 18 {1915), No. 2, pp. 207-222, figs. 

 7). — This gives results of a microscopical study of the structure of the seeds of 

 C. trifolii and. C. suaveolens, which may ordinarily be distinguished by their 

 size. 



When, as frequently happened, the seeds of G. suaveolens were unusually 

 small and those of C trifolii were unusually large, the observation of distin- 

 guishing characteristics other than size became necessary. The following char- 

 acteristics were noted, respectively : Length of cells of the first layer of palisade 

 cells, H to 19/1 and IS to 28ja; length of cells of the second layer of palisade 

 cells, 16 to 24m and 40 to 52;a; length of the first of layer palisade cells near 

 the hilum from 12 to 19/a and 18 to 40/i ; length of the second layer, 32ij. and 56 to 



