FIELD CROPS. 748 



of tlipse bacteria is responwililt' for liip better growtb of tlie clover, the clover 

 would suffer by their abseiuc. iiiul m series of exi)eriinents was carried on to 

 tlirow lif,'lit oil tliis (luestion. A suiiiinary of the conclusions drawn from the 

 results secured is that bacteria were in no way responsible for the beneficial 

 action of the manure on tlie growth of the clover because the sterile manure 

 was as beneficial as tlu' inisterilized, and further that when the whole pot was 

 sterilized the trop did not suffer, but was even a little better than otherwise. 



Mendelian studies of Egyptian cotton, \V. I.. R,\lls (Jour. Agr. t^ci.. 2 

 { HKIS), \it. }. III). ,l'i6-37!), thfins. 3). — The author concludes from his results 

 that Mendel's law of heredity ai)plies to all those characters of the cotton pl.int 

 which have been critically investif^ated. No cases of coupliuf^ luive yet been 

 discovered which are likely to prevent the synthesis t)f the desired forms of 

 cotton. .Most of the characters of the plant tluctuate to some extent, but far 

 less than has been connnonly assiuned. It is stated that the maxinnim length of 

 the lint may be forced above the normal by special physioloj^ical conditions of 

 the cnviroinncnt or the individual, but that it can not be depressed below that 

 normal. 



The cultivated varieties of cotton in Ef;yi)t are found to consist of innumer- 

 idde ditTerent strains, and the deterioration which these undert;o alter a few years 

 Is due to this lieteroueneity brouirht about by natural and unconscious artificial 

 selection. The amount of cross fertilization in Ejjjyptian cotton fields is given as 

 not h'ss than r> per cent ]ier annum nor more than ir» p«>r cent. The accumulated 

 I'fTect (if this ainiual crossing maintains the cotton crop as a mass of natural 

 hybrids, and it aids in the dei)reciatiou of varieties when inferior strains are 

 introduced by seed mixture. It was observed that many characters of cotton 

 are intensified <tn crossing. Iiut the causes of this phenomenon are as yet 

 undetermined. 



It is annomiced that the Kliedivial Agricultural Society has founded the 

 first ofhcial experiment station dcvottnl to the utilization of Mendel's law for 

 economic purpo.ses. 



Cotton, II. nic S.v {() Jinisil: Siids h'iqucza.s Xatunics: Suas J iidiislrids. h'io 

 ill ■liiiniri): Crntri) Jmliis. lini-^il. I!K)S, I'ortufnicxc nl., ml. ,.\ /</*. /77-i/.7). — 

 The methods of culture practiced in Brazil and the general condition of the 

 industry are described. 



Cotton growing and Nigeria, (\ A. Hirtwistf-k (I'roc. lioj/- Colon. lust., 

 3D {1!)07~S), iij). HO-IO.'i). — This jiajter discusses the prosi)ects of cotton culture 

 in .\ig«>ria and «'stimates that an area of 24,(i()().(M)() acres in that country is 

 available for this crop. Labor, transportation, and market conditions are con- 

 sidered, :ind it is believed that an appre<'iable quantity of cotton will conic out 

 of Nigeria within ;"> years of the opening of the Kano railway. 



The effect of lime nitrogen on flax, ('. IIokkmkister (I'laclifi u. Lciurn. /•> 

 (I'JOH). \o. 170, I,/,. 3701-3703).— T]w results of the experiments here reported 

 indicate that lime nitrogen as a source of nitrogen f(U' tlax may be us«'(l with 

 profit. It was found tliat not only the yield of seed was increased but tliat 

 iilso the length of the stems and the yield of fiber were considerably .lugmenti'd. 

 With references to (piaiily, lim«' nitrogt'U acted like other sources of nitrogen 

 in that it increas«'d the thickness of the fiber. Tli»> best results with tins 

 lerlilizer are se<Mired im a loose friable soil with the suhst.iiice .ipplicd from 

 X to 1(( d.iys before seeding. 



[Varieties of oats on different types of soil and their composition!, 

 I?. S.ioi.i.K.MA and .T. ('. uk Kci.itik ok Wii.nr {Vcrslajj. Landboiiirk. Oiidrrzorh: 

 lfijlx.shniilhoiiiriiiorf.sliil. \ Sillnrhiinls], IHOH, \o. J, />/>. l-)3). — In these ex|HMi- 

 nicnts I'robst«'i, Llgowo, Black I'resident, (Joldregen, Beseler II, Mesdag, atid 

 New Market oats were grown on marsh, moor, and newly Itrokeu heath soil.s. 



