FIKLl) CHOPS. 635 



Vnriiitions fnmi this tijiuro rt'suK fioui |iliysi()l(»;;ieal cansos, boin}; associated 

 with a hi;;h content of carbohydrates or of ash. Salts retard fat formation, 

 while the lack of salts, and especially of alkalis and lime, promote it. 



The normal ash content is ahont ."5 per cent of the dry matter. Tlu> ash is 

 rtnliicetl when the plant is insntticiently nourished, and an abnormally high ash 

 content is attribntwl to overfeed iii}: with salts or to too early riitening. 



A new basis for barley valuation and improvement, A. Mann ( U. S. Dciit. 

 A<ir.. Hiir. riuiil Indti.s. ('in: Hi, pp. S, fifjs. 3). — From th(> investigations described 

 the author concludes that the diastatic and cytatic starch fermentf* in barley 

 are wholly a product of the scutellum and are secreted by its epithelial layer. 

 While a minute trace of these ferments is found in the starch cells, this is 

 l)ractically negligible because it i>Iays so slight a i)art in the normal starch 

 conversion. It is stated that the aleurone layer has nothing whatever to do with 

 this process. 



The results of these investigations further led to the conclusion that a broad, 

 circular, slightly convex tyi)e of scutellum. having long, narrow epithelial cells, 

 is a characteristic of the best grades of malting barley, while a narrow, deep 

 sunken tyjie, with short and broad ei)ithelial cells is indicative of barley inferior 

 for malting imrjHises. This correlation is considered of value as furnishing a 

 means of nn-ognizing the grade of any variety of barley, and also as jtoiuting 

 (»ut that any improvement in malting Itarley nnist include an iniiirovement of 

 (he scutellum. 



The Mendelian and DeVriesian laws applied to cotton breeding. It. J. H. 

 DkIajacii {(icorgia ^7«. lint. 83, />/*. .'i3-63, pgs. 7, dyinx. ^). — Cook and Ivilgore 

 cottons were selected for brei>ding purpo.ses, with the view of combining the 

 good qualiti«>s of both varieties and to making an application of Mendel's law. 

 Hybridization was begun in August, 1!>0(!, with the result that capsules were 

 secnre<l with Cook as the mother variety and 3 capsules with Kilgore as the 

 female iiarent. In 1007 the capsules produced 140 plants, of which 11 r> were 

 of the C'f)ok type, 14 of the Kilgore type, and 11 of the hybrid type, while the 

 3 cajtsules ]»roduced 2t> plants, of which 7 were of the Cook type, IS of the 

 Kilgore type, and 1 of hybrid character. The results of each series showed the 

 dominance of characters of the female parent and, with .some exceptions, very 

 little breaking \\p of characters. The cafisule coming nearest reaching Men- 

 delian proportions producetl 21 plants, of which 11 were of the C(H)k type, ."> of 

 the Kilgore type, and 5 of hybrid tyi)e, and these plants were selected for 

 further work. 



Tests were made of single capsule, single iilant, and progeny. Nine cajisules 

 were fertilized on one plant and three each on the other plants entering into 

 the experiment. In the single capsule test 1,282 plants were produced, including 

 of tlie Cotik, Kilgore. and hybrid type 583, 334, and 3tir> plants, resi)ectively. 

 In the individual i)lant test 1.1(57 i)lants were secured, and of these 48,") were of 

 the Cook ty|»e, 411 of the Kilgore tyiK', and 270 were hybrids. The results of 

 the progeny test with .")70 iilants were 2(i(> of the Cook type, 100 of the Kilgore 

 type, and 210 were hybiids. It was found that variation in types occiirn-d 

 almost as often in the single capsule test as in the other two experiments. 



In tlie cast> of i)Iant 3 in the first ex|ieriment, all plants from the first capsule 

 revert«Hl to the male parent type, while all from the second capsule reverted 

 to the female type and those from capsule 3 were hleal hybrids. The author 

 Htntes that should these experiments be continued all three experiments would 

 be dropiK'd exce|>t the hybrid types of capsule 3 in the first experinn'iit. The 

 results have shown that there is ;i gri-at variation in the activity of dilT'erent 

 indlvidinil capsules, and that certain of these seem to approach fixation, and 

 that every capsule on a hybrid plant will not always contain exact Mendelian 



