28 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



The transmission of characters without expression in vegetables, W. W. 

 Tracy, Sr, (Abs. in Science, n. ser., 32 {1910), No. 816, p. 256).— The author 

 gave an account of some studies of sweet corn in which White Cory, which bred 

 true for many years although originating from a red form, was accidentally 

 crossed with another white variety, also believed to be a sport from a red form, 

 and the resultant cross showed color characters of the parent variety which 

 had remained hidden for many years. 



A somewhat similar case of unexpressed transmission was noted in a variety 

 of cabbage. 



The development of parasitic sperniophytes, E. Heinricher {Die Aufzucht 

 uncL Kultur der parasitischen Samenpflanzcn. Jena, 1910, pp. 53, figs. 8). — The 

 author describes the development and parasitism of about 20 genera of spermo- 

 phytes, embraced in 7 families. The parasitism of some of these has been pre- 

 viously noted (E. S. R., 23, p. 628, 727). 



The lichens of Minnesota, B. Fink {U. 8. Nat. Mus., Contrib. Nat. Her- 

 harium, IJf, pt. 1, pp. XVlI-\-69, pis. 52, figs. 18). — This is a taxonomic mono- 

 graph of the lichens of Minnesota, including keys and descriptions of 68 genera 

 and about 440 species and varieties. 



Annual review of mycology, P. Vuillemin {Rev. G^n. Sci., 21 {1910), Nos. 

 10, pp. 432-4-'i3; 11, pp. Jf73-.'f8.'i) . — In the first paper, which is on fungi in gen- 

 eral, the author discusses the i*ecent articles on the affinities of the fungi to 

 other plants, their chemical composition, and the relation (saprophytic, para- 

 sitic, symbiotic, etc.) of fungi to their hosts. 



In the second paper the author reviews the work of various authors on 

 special subjects of research, such as the generic position of the root tubercle 

 micro-organisms of the legumes and of Eleagnus, cytology and biology of certain 

 Myxogastres, the affinities of the Myxobacteriacete and the Myxochytridineoe, 

 sexual studies on certain of the Mucorineie and Uredinese, the cytology of the 

 Basidiomyeetes, the affinities of the Laboulbeuiaceae, and sexual and taxonomic 

 studies on certain other Ascomycetes. 



On soil bacteriology, A. Dzierzbicki {Btil. Internat. Acad. Sci. Cracovie, CI. 

 Sci. Math, et Nat., 1910, Nos. 1, pp. 21-6'i; 2, pp. 65, 66). — The results are given 

 of investigations on (1) the relationship of the bacteriological conditions of 

 soils in regai'd to the available food elements they contain, (2) the relationship 

 of nitrogen fixation to the composition of the inoculating soil material, (3) the 

 relationship of the form of the foodstuffs in the culture media to nitrogen fixa- 

 tion, (4) the ratio of the amount of fixed nitrogen to that of the utilized .sources 

 of energy as regai-ds the quantity of available phosphoric acid present in the 

 solution, (5) the occurrence of Azotobacter in certain garden soils, (6) decompo- 

 sition processes and ammonification, and (7) the influence of different organic 

 substances on ammonification in peptone solutions. 



It was found that the Remy method of bacteriological soil investigations 

 (E. S. R., 15, p. 859) gave trustworthy results on the bacteriological condition 

 of the soil only when the composition of the nutrient solution was such that the 

 inoculating soil material influenced the performance of the process only through 

 its bactei'iological conditions and not by its chemical composition. The bacterio- 

 logical condition of the soil with reference to nitrogen fixation was found to 

 depend to a great degree on the character and amount of mineral foodstuffs in 

 the soil. If the soil was deficient in available lime, phosphoric acid, or potash, 

 nitrogen-fixing bacteria, such as Azotobacter, were either entirely absent or 

 present only in small quantities. If mannit is used as a culture medium then 

 not only must the required mineral elements be present, but also humus material 

 before sterilization and inoculation with the Azotobacter. It was found that 

 dipotassium phosphate was as suitable for the Azotobacter nutrient media as 



