AGKICULTUEAL BOTANY. 327 



in vogue could be improved and the means whereby the industry could be put 

 on a more secure economic basis. 



It is stated that there are at present over 40 factories on the Atlantic sea- 

 board which manufacture fish scrap; including only those whose main output 

 is fish scrap and fish oil. These are distributed as follows : Maine and Florida, 

 1 each ; Connecticut and Delaware, 2 each ; New York, 3 ; New Jersey, 5 ; North 

 Carolina, 11 ; and Virginia, 21. The output of these factories in 1012 is stated to 

 have been: Maine, 100 tons acid and 250 tons dry scrap; Connecticut, 1,500 tons 

 acid and 6,500 tons dry ; New York, 19,800 tons acid ; New Jersey, 530 tons acid 

 and 1,500 tons dry ; Delaware, 6,312 tons acid and 500 tons dry ; Virginia, 34,000 

 tons dry ; North Carolina', 7,250 tons dry ; and Florida, 100 tons dry. 



The charactei*, habits, and economic value of the menhaden and other fish 

 used in the industry are discussed and the methods of catching the fish and 

 working them up into scrap and oil are described. Data are also given regard- 

 ing the composition and uses of the products, including that of using the scrap 

 as a cattle feed. 



Inspection of commercial fertilizers, H. D. Haskins, L. S. Walkee, C. P. 

 Jones, and W. S. Frost (MassacJiusetts St a. Bui. IJp, pp. 96). — This bulletin 

 gives a detailed report on fertilizer Inspection in Massachusetts in 1913, includ- 

 ing analyses and valuations of 541 samples of mixed fertilizers, fertilizing mate- 

 rials, and lime products. It discusses valuations, cost and quality of fertilizers 

 sold in the State, commercial shortages in both unmixed fertilizing materials 

 and mixed goods, and the economy of purchasing only high-grade fertilizers. 



A brief account is also given of comparative tests of various stone meal ferti- 

 lizers. These experiments were made with corn, oats, and potatoes. There was 

 apparently some slight benefit from the use of the ground rock ferlitizers, but 

 not such as to justify the extravagant claims made by the manufacturers of 

 these products. 



Average composition of commercial fertilizers from 1880 to 1912, C. S. 

 Cathcaet {Xcw Jersey Stas. Rpt. 1912, pp. 36-38). — The average composition 

 of each year's output of mixed fertilizers as inspected by the station from 1880 

 to 1912 is shown in a table. The number of samples upon which the averages 

 are based increased from 93 in 1880 to 847 in 1912. The only marked change in 

 composition was the increase of potash from 2.71 per cent in ISSO to 6.71 per cent 

 in 1912. 



Analyses and valuations of commercial fertilizers, fertilizer supplies, and 

 home mixtures, C. S. Cathcaet et al. (Neio Jersey Stas. But. 259. pp. 3-Jfl). — 

 This bulletin reports analyses and valuations of 539 samples of fertilizing mate- 

 rials representing a part of the samples of such materials collected during the 

 season of 1913. 



Report on commercial fertilizers, 1913, E. H. Jenkins and J. P. Street 

 {Connecticut State Sta. Rpt. 1913, i)t. 2, pp. 97-180). — ^Analyses and valuations 

 of 894 samples of fertilizers collected and examined during the 1913 inspection 

 are reported and the character of the raw materials of fertilizers examined is 

 discussed. 



Analyses of commercial fertilizers, B. L. Hartwell et al. (Rhode Island 

 Sta. Insp. Bui., 1913, Oct., pp. 3-12).— This is the third and last reix>rt on 

 analyses and valuations of fertilizers collected during 1913. 



AGRICULTURAL BOTANY. 



Heredity of quantitative characters, A. B. Bruce {IV. Conf. Internat. G4- 

 n^tique Paris, Compt. Rend, et Raps., 1911, pp. 96-98). — The author states that 

 it can not be alfirmed with certainty that Mendelian laws apply to quantitative 



k 



