AGRICULTURAL BOTANY. 427 



species of tlie plant, Ibe density of the st:in<l, Uio nmoiint of plant surface ex- 

 posed to the evai)oratiiif; jiower of the nir, the height of the plant above the 

 level of the water, external factors, sucli as wind, temperature, and relative 

 humidity, and internal factors, as chemical and physiological phenomena oc- 

 currini; within the plant. Transinratiou from emersed plant surfaces Roes on 

 continuously, but during the day it is greater than at night. No constant ratio 

 was found betwec-n the rate of transpiration and the area of surface exposed in 

 different si^ecies of plants. 



The data given are considered of economic importance as indicating what 

 plants should he grown in and what plants should bo excluded from storage 

 reservoirs in regions of small rainfall and scant water supply. 



Chemical modifications of plant org'ans undergoing autofermentation, 

 M. MoixtARD (Compt. Rnul. Acad. Scl. [I'aris], 159 (IDUj), No. 12, pp. 512- 

 514). — Sections of squash tissue were kept under sterile conditions and the 

 clianges in sugars and nitrogenous content noted imder both aerobic and 

 anaerobic conditions. 



The author states that the sugars are much more quickly useil up under 

 aerobic conditions and that the loss in weight corres]ionds closely to the loss 

 in sugar. Amin nitrogen was found to remain pi-actically constant in the speci- 

 mens in air but to increase under anaerobic conditions. Amid nitrogen quickly 

 disapi)ear(Hl in both sets of tubes. Ammonia increased in both, but more rapidly 

 in the confined air. He claims that autofermentation may be distinguished by 

 thi< method by which sugars are utilized as well as by the transformation of 

 the nitrogenous materials. 



Assimilation of colloidal iron by rice, P. L. Gile and J. O. Carrero (U. 8. 

 Dcpt. Afjr., Jour. Af/r. Research, S {191.',), No. .1, pp. 20.5-2^0).— Previous work 

 (E. S. R., 2G, p, 121; 31, p. 81G) having shown that pineapples and upland rice 

 were affected with chlorosis when grown on calcareous soils and that the failure 

 of the plants to make successful growth seeme<l to be due to diminished assinu- 

 lation of iron, the authors conducted a series of experiments to test the pos- 

 sibility of the assimilation of colloidal iron by rice. 



The plants were grown in flasks, and where no iron was given they were 

 strongly chlorotic. Those plants receiving dialyzed iron or ferric chlorid in the 

 absence of a nutrient solution were also chlorotic, although somewhat greener 

 than the check plants, and the chlorosis was later in appearing. Where ferric 

 chlorid was added to a nutrient solution the plants were of a normal green 

 color. 



The general conclusions drawn from the work are that rice can not assimilate 

 colloidal iron. The toxicity of ordinary distilled water or ferric chlorid solu- 

 tions was not overcome in the experiments by supplying other roots of the same 

 plant with a balanced solution. The toxicity of the ferric chlorid solution was 

 accompanied by penetration of iron into the root and transportation to the 

 leaves. 



Oil content of seeds as affected by the nutrition of the plant, "W. W. 

 Garner, II. A. Ai^lard, and C. L. Foumert (U. S. Dcpt. Af/r., Join: Apr. Re- 

 ■icarch, 3 (.Wl.'i), No. 3, pp. 227-2.'i9).—\ study was made of the formation of 

 oil in seeds of cotton, soy bean, peanuts, and sunflower, as affected by various 

 environmental and other factors. While the experiments were conducted with 

 these different plants, the deductions are mostly drawn from the experiments 

 with soy beans, the other plants in the main appearing to confirm them. 



It was found that except for the period immediately following blooming and 

 that directly preceding final maturity there was a fairly uniform increase in 

 oil content througliout the development of the seed and that there was no crit- 

 ical period of very intense oil formation at any stage of the development. As 



