EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Vol. 41. Abstract Number. No. 6. 



RECENT WORK IN AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE. 



AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY— AGROTECHNY. 



Agricultural chemistry, E. Gain {Chimie Agricole. Paris: Libr. J. B. Bail- 

 lidre, 1918, 2. ed., pp. 510, figs. 137). — Owing to the advances made in agricultural 

 chemistry since the first edition of this volume 23 years ago, the work has been 

 entirely rewritten following the lines of the course in agricultural chemistry 

 given by the author at the University of Nancy. The subject matter is treated 

 under the five general headings of elements of general agronomy, physiology of 

 the nutrition of plants, study of the soil and of the atmosphere considered from 

 the point of view of the complex phenomena which control the nutrition of the 

 plant and the fertility of the soil, fertilization of the soil, and the chemical 

 composition of agricultural products. 



Industrial and agricultural chemistry in British Guiana; with a review of 

 the work of Professor J. B. Harrison, C. A. Browne (Jour. Indus, and Engin. 

 Chem., 11 (1919), No. 9, pp. 874-881, figs. 5).— The author describes a few 

 phases of agricultural and industrial chemistry in British Guiana as observed 

 during a recent visit to the British Colonies of tropical America. The indus- 

 tries discussed are the sugar industry with the sugar by-products, alcoholic 

 spirits and molascuit, gold, balata, the congealed latex of the true Mimusops 

 balata used as a substitute for gutta percha, and bauxite. The article also in- 

 cludes a description of the researches upon tropical soils conducted by J. B. 

 Harrison, head of the governmental Department of Science and Agriculture of 

 British Guiana, and an account of the government laboratory in Georgetown. 



Bulletin from the analytical food laboratories in Surinam, J. Sack {Keur- 

 ingsdienst Eet-en Drinkicaren Suriname, Bui. E (1919), pp. 21). — This bulletin 

 contains the results of analyses of various seeds for their fat and moisture con- 

 tent, together with the more important constants of the oils extracted from the 

 seeds with carbon tetrachlorid. The seeds selected include many which accord- 

 ing to the author have never been analyzed before. 



International catalogue of scientific literature. D. — Chemistry (Internat. 

 Cat. Sci. Lit., Ik (1919), pp. riII+761).— The fourteenth annual issue of this 

 catalogue (E. S. R., 37, p. 501) contains material received between September, 

 1914, and May, 1916. 



The volatile oils, E. Gildemeistee and F. Hoffmann (Die AtheriscJien Ole. 

 Leipsic: Schimmel & Co., 1916, vol. 3, 2. ed., pp. XVIII+836, pis. 3, figs. 52).— 

 This is the second edition, edited by E. Gildemeister, of the third voUime of this 

 work, the second volume of which has been previously noted (E. S. R., 30, 

 p. 310). 



501 



