AGRICULTURAL BOTANY. 727 



concludes an account of studies carried out on a-^nothera by stating that there 

 may be found in a wild state In France at least four distinct species of the 

 j^roup Euoenothera. namely (in order of frequency of occurrence) OJ. hicnniK, 

 OH. suaveolens, CR. hienni.s intrvi flora, and CE. muricata, (E. longiflora not 

 belonging to that group. CE. lamarckiana is probably not found growing spon- 

 taneously in France. 



A study of the genus Panicum, S. A. Belov (Trudy Bfiiro Prild. Bot. (Bui. 

 Aiiffcic. Bot.). 7 (1914), No. 5. pp. 306-324, figs. 37).— Studies In water require- 

 ment as related to development at the agricultural station of Samara are said 

 to show that P. miUaccuin starts its main growth after wheat has passed Its 

 maximum, the principal root development of this millet corresponding with 

 the latter part of stalk growth and with the early period of panicle formation. 



Several other species of Panicum studied are said to fall naturally into three 

 groups, in one of which there is considerable development of conducting 

 tissue as compared with a given stomatal area, in a second, like development 

 of conducting tissue with smaller stomatal area, and in the third, corre- 

 spondence of stomatal area with development of conducting tissue. 



Coloration of glumes in Panicum miliaceum, B. Arnold (Trudy Bmro 

 Prild. Bot. (Bui. Angew. Bot.), 7 (1914), No. 5, pp. 293-305, pi. 1, fig. i).— This 

 is an account of a series of comparisons made by the section for plant breeding 

 at the Saratov Experiment Station regarding coloration of glumes in 265 pure 

 strains within 23 varieties of millet, which were carried out with colors era- 

 ployed there as standards. 



It was found that each variety of so-called red, yellow, and gray millet has 

 a prevailing color tone, others showing lower degi'ees of conformity to type. 



The relationships of root bacteria in the Leguminosae, J. Simon (Centbl. 

 Bakt. [etc.], 2. Abt., 41 (1914), ^^0. 11-17, pp. 470-479).— A study of the rela- 

 tionships of nodule bacteria through their interaction with the leguminous 

 hosts is said to divide the bacteria into groups, each form reacting with a cer- 

 tain number of hosts, which are indicated. The root bacteria of the Legumi- 

 nosse, it is held, are to be considered as more or less constant adapted forms of 

 the species Bacterium radicicola. 



Isolation of Bacillus radicicola from soil, C. B. Lipman and L. W. Fowler 

 (Science, n. ser., 41 (1915), No. 1050, pp. 256-259). — A method is described by 

 which the authors claim to have i.solated B. radicicola from soil in which there 

 had grown for several years a large si^ecimen of Vicia sicula. The organism 

 was isolated, and inoculation experiments showed that in 21 out of 44 instances 

 bacteria isolated from soil gave positive results, as shown by the presence of 

 nodules on the roots of plants as grown in cultures. This is believed to be the 

 first recorded instance where B. radicicola has been isolated directly from the 

 soil. 



Physiological studies of Bacillus radicicola of soy bean, J. K. Wilson 

 (Abs. in Science, n. ser., 41 (1915), No. IO48, p. 180). — ^This investigation is 

 said to confirm other earlier work regarding the influence of nitrates on nodule 

 production, and indicates that sulphates in relatively weak concentration in- 

 hibit the process. Chlorids and phosiihates stimulate nodule production, while 

 ammonium salts are inhibitory. It was determined that while nodule develop- 

 ment was prevented by the presence of nitrates, sulphates, and ammonium salts, 

 yet the organism retained its vitality in the presence of these salts. Whether 

 the effect of the salt is upon the root, such as to make it more resistant, or 

 uix)n the organism has not been determined. 



Influence of certain salts on nodule production in vetch, Kno (Abs. in 

 Science, n. .s-rr., 41 (1915). No. IO48. p. 180). — The author claims that calcium 

 salts are essential for nodule production in vetch, although the substitution of 



