AGRICULTURAL BOTANY. 625 



economy of purchasing only high-grade fertilizers. A brief account is given 

 of a vegetation experiment made to show the efficiency of the alkaline perman- 

 ganate method as an indication of the activity of water-insoluble organic 

 nitrogen. 



Analyses and valuations of commercial fertilizers, fertilizer supplies, and 

 home mixtures, C. S. Cathcart et al. (New Jersey Stas. Bid. 285 (1915), pp. 

 S-.'i-')). — This bulletin contains actual and guarantied analyses and valuations 

 of 570 samples of fertilizers offered for sale in New Jersey during the year 1915. 

 These included 395 brands of mixed fertilizers, 21 home mixtures, and 154 sam- 

 ples of fertilizer materials. 



Commercial fertilizers (Penn. Dept, Agr. Bid. 269 {1915), pp. 85). — This 

 bulletin reports and interprets the results of actual analyses made at the 

 Pennsylvania Experiment Station of 610 samples of fertilizers and fertilizing 

 materials offered for sale in Pennsylvania from January 1 to August 1, 1915, 

 together with the guaranties therefor. The text of the fertilizer law is also 

 included. 



Fertilizers, 1915 {Lab. Inland Rev. Dept. Canada Bui. 317 {1915), pp. 45). — 

 This bulletin contains the results of actual and guarantied analyses of 420 

 samples of fertilizers and fertilizing materials offered for sale in Canada during 

 1915. Of this number, 11 samples failed to meet the guaranty, the deficiency 

 being in potash in three cases. 



AGRICULTURAL BOTANY. 



Effect of elemental sulphur and of calcium, sulphate on certain of the 

 higher and lower forms of plant life, W. Pixz {U. S. Dept. Agr., Jour. Agr. 

 Research, 5 {1916), No. 16, pp. 111-780, pi. i).— Other investigators having 

 shown the beneficial effects of elemental sulphur or sulphates added to the soil, 

 the author conducted, at the Wisconsin Experiment Station, a series of experi- 

 ments to note the effect of sulphur and sulphates upon the soil micro-organisms 

 and on pure cultures of legume bacteria, and to note the effect of sulphur and 

 sulphates on the growth of red clover. 



The addition of calcium sulphate to the soil was found to have no marked 

 effect on the total number of bacteria grown on agar plates, nor did it produce 

 any marked increase in ammonification or nitrification, these results agreeing 

 with those previously reported by Fred and Hart (E. S. R., 33, p. 515). The 

 addition of large amounts of elemental sulphur caused a decrease in the total 

 number of bacteria but an increase in the ammonification at concentrations of 

 0.05 per cent. This increase was accompanied by a parallel decrease in nitrate 

 formation. Calcium sulphate was found to stimulate growth of pure cultures 

 of red clover bacteria and the root development of red clover in nutritive solu- 

 tions and soil extract, the increase being as great with 0.01 per cent as with 

 0.1 per cent. In small amounts, calcium sulphate was also found to increase 

 the yield of red clover and the number of nodules. Sulphur increased the yield 

 of red clover but slightly, and did not affect the root development and the num- 

 ber of nodules. 



Boron: Its absorption and distribution in plants and its effect on growth, 

 F. C, Cook {V. S. Dept. Agr., Jour. Agr. Research, 5 {1916), No. 19, pp. S77- 

 890). — This is a detailed account of investigations previously partially reported 

 (E. S. R., 34, p. 428). Both borax and calcined colemanite were employed. 



There was found to be little difference in the quantity of boron absorbed by 

 plants whether it was added to the soil in the fox*m of borax or as colemanite. 

 Numerous factors were found to influence the absorption, distribution, and 

 action of boron in plants. 



