26 EXPKltlMKXr STATION RECORD. 



eiiipbiisizi's tbc iuiiMH-taiicc in tlio iiiamiractun' oi' suiiiTphi>s[jliat(>s of avoidiug 

 as far as possihlo tlic formation of ferrous and ferric salts or of rendering them 

 harmless. 



The world's production of phosphates in 1907, .Maizikkks (IJiif/nii.s, 23 

 (I'JOH). .\it. 7. pp. 156-158). — The world's i)roduetion during 1!)0T is ])lac-ed at 

 •J,o47,l()7 metric tons as against 4,(>!)2,24o tons in 1000. Of this amount the 

 United States furnished 1,917,000 tons in 1907 as against 2,0.52,000 in 1900. 



[South Carolina] marl, E. Sloan {Handbook of South Carolina. Columbia: 

 State Dcpt. Afir.. Com. mid Jiiuiiif/.. I'.UIl, pp. 121, 122). — A brief account is given 

 of dejiosits of this mat(>rial in the State. 



Commercial fertilizers, W. J. .Jones, Jr., O. C. Ha worth, and E. G. Proulx 

 {Indiana Sta. Bid. 125, pp. 63-139, map 1). — This bulletin gives results of 

 analyses of 79.o samples of fertilizers inspected during 1907 with full text of 

 the Indiana fertilizer law and notes on its enforcement, estimated sales of differ- 

 ent classes of fertilizers in the State, and a review of results of inspection for 

 the six years 1902 to 1907. It -is estimated that 100,791 tons of fertilizer, valued 

 at .$2,341, S42, was sold in Indiana in 1907. 



Commercial fertilizers, .7. L. Hills, and C. H. .Jones {Vermont Sta. Jitil. hi), 

 pp. 35-51).— 'i!\\iii is the first report on fertilizer inspection for tlie season of 

 1908 and contains analyses of 00 brands of fertilizers. 



AGRICULTURAL BOTANY. 



The occui'rence of rennet in the Papaveracese, C (iERiiER (But. Soe. Bot. 

 France, 5.'/ {1907). pp. 17/- A 17). — The author describes the occurrence of ren- 

 7iet or a similar substance that coagulates milk in a number of species of i)lants 

 ])elonging to the poppy family, and gives the results of experiments with the 

 juices of a number of these plants in the coagulation of milk. 



The iH'operties of rennet are found quite marked in ClieUdonium majiis and 

 Mcconopsifi cambrica. while they are less pronounced in Paparer rhaas, Roemeria 

 Injbrida, Hypecoum pendulum, Glaucitim luteum. and G. corniculatum. In study- 

 ing these rennet-like substances, the author finds that they fall into two classes, 

 which may be distinguished as the type occurring in the genus Papaver and the 

 type represented in Glaucium. 



The presence of a nitrate-reducing enzym in green plants, Annie A. Irving 

 and Rita Hankinson {Bio-Clieni. Jour.. 3 {1908), Ao, 1-2, pp. 87-96). — The 

 Question as to the form in wliicli nitrogen is most easily assimilated by the 

 green plant has long been under discussion, and various conflicting views have 

 been given regarding it. There appear but few statements in the literature of 

 plant physiology suggesting the presence of a nitrate-reducing enzym, but the 

 authors' investigations seem to show that a general distribution of such an 

 enzym is to be exjjected if nitrates are utilized in the formation of proteids. 

 The present i>aper is the outcome of work carried on upon this hypothesis. 



Experiments were conducted with a number of water plants, as these offered 

 greater facilities for collecting and examining gases than otliers. The results 

 obtained were checked up by application to other plants. 



The theory of the presence of an enzym capable of reducing nitrates in green 

 plants seems to be established, and the authors report the extraction of such 

 an enzym from grass. Eater the same enzym was found pi-esent in a number 

 of other plants, including various grasses, iris, Vieia faba, etc. In the case of 

 the sjtecies of Vicia the enzym was found in all parts of the plant, but the reac- 

 tion was stronger in starting and slower in jirogress in the case of the roots 

 when placed in the nitrate and as[>aragin solution. 



