AGRICULTURAL BOTAKY. 717 



three circulars giving analyses and valuations of fertilizers inspected during the 

 season of 1910-11. The circiilar emphasizes the folly of buying fertilizers 

 wholly on the basis of price per ton and of using low-grade fertilizers. 



Commercial fertilizers, N. W. Lord and C. E. Thorne (Ann. Rpt. Ohio Bd. 

 Agr., 6^ {1909), pp. 321-ftl2). — Analyses and valuations of fertilizers insi^ected 

 during 1909 are reported, with the text and a summary of the state fertilizer 

 law, a brief discussion on the use of fertilizers, and an explanation of their 

 valuation. 



AGEICULTTJRAL BOTANY. 



A text-book of general bacteriology, E. O. Jordan (PJiiJadelphia and Lon- 

 don, 1910, 2. ed., rev., pp. 59.'t+16, figs. 162, chart 1, map 1). — This is a second 

 edition of this booli (E. S. R., 20, p. 827), in which the author has added 

 several new sections, including discussions of iron and sulphur bacteria, the 

 relations of bacteria to the higher forms of life, concentration of diphtheria 

 antitoxin, fermentation of sauerkraut, bakery fermentation, retting of flax and 

 hemp, bacterial destruction of cellulose, and epidemic infantile paralysis. 



A review of microbiological agriculture, E. Kayser {Bnl. Mens. Off. Ren- 

 seig. Agr. [Paris], 9 {1910), No. 11, pp. 127.'i-12Sl). — Recent works on industrial 

 fermentation (alcoholic, etc.), milk, butter, cheese, and fermentation products 

 of milk are* reviewed. 



On bacteriological soil investigation ra.etliods, T. Remy and G. Rosing 

 {GentbL Balct. [etc.], 2. AM., 29 {1911), No. 1-3, pp. 36-77).— The authors give 

 the results of experiments on the influence that the chemical elements and 

 physical properties of the inoculating soils have on peptone decomposition, and 

 the possibility of using the peptone-decomposing power of a soil as a measure 

 of its ability to decompose other complex nitrogenous compounds. 



The movements of nitrogen in the soils in the vicinity of Eome, R. 

 Perotti {Atti R. Accad. Lined, Rend. CI. Sci. Fis., Mat. c Nat., 5. ser., 19 

 {1910), II, No. 12, pp. 671-678). — As a result of investigations and experiments 

 with various soils with reference to their nitrogen content, the author claims 

 that the fertility of soils is dependent upon their ammonification, nitrification, 

 denitrification, and nitrogen-fixation ability, as determined by the soil micro- 

 organisms present. 



Relation of certain fungi to nitrogen fixation, B. M. Duggar and L. Knud- 

 SON {Science, n. ser., 33 {1911), No. 8-'f0, p. 191).— The authors report the 

 results of two series of experiments involving about 400 flask cultures, in which 

 the following fungi were used : Coprimis comatus, Dcpdalia quercina, Polyporus 

 sulphureus, Trichoderma Ugnicola, and Aspergillus niger. Nine different kinds 

 of culture media were employed. 



The nitrogen determinations indicate that no fixation of free nitrogen oc- 

 curred, except possibly in certain cultures of A. niger. On the contrary, in 

 many cases there was a loss of nitrogen. 



Torula bogoriensis rubra, a new nitrogen-fi.xing yeast, E. de Kruijff 

 {Ann. Jard. Bot. Buitcu-org, 1910, Sup. 3, pt. 1, pp. 93-96; abs. in Bot. Centhl., 

 m {1910), No. 19, p. 489). — ^A description is given of this yeast, which was 

 obtained by inoculating a solution of mannite with garden soil. The author 

 claims that it is able to fix free nitrogen and to produce amylase and lipase, 

 but is unable to ferment glucose, saccharose, maltose, and galactose, or to 

 form alcohol. 



Influence of the mineral constituents of nutritive solutions on the de- 

 velopment of Azotobacter, Helens Krzemieniewska {Bui. Internat. Acad. Sci. 

 Cracovie, CI. Sci. Math, et Nat., Ser. B, 1910, pp. 376-413; ahs. in Jour. Chem. 



