750 



EXPERIMENT STATION REPORD. 



Correlations in the wheat stem of importance in breeding varieties resist- 

 ant to lodging, K. Albkkcht {Lundir. Juhrh., SI (19U8), No. 3-'/. p/i. (Ul-Gl^, 

 fig. I). — The factors studied as being of value in this connection were weight 

 of spilie, length of internode, weight of internode, thickness or diameter of stem, 

 resistance to cross bending, and the anatomical structure of the stem, including 

 among other features the area occupied by the fibrovascular bundles in a cross 

 section of the stem wall. 



The author concludes from his results that the relative weight of the straw, 

 which he determined by calculating the weight of a section of the stem 1 cm. in 

 length, is the most reliable indication of the strength of the cell structure upon 

 which resistance to lodging depends. The determination of the resistance in 

 cross bending tests, which stands in absolute correlation with the relative straw 

 weight, is not considered so valuable on account of the sfmiewhat crude methods 

 of measurement in use. In practice, however, the resistance of the stem as 

 determined by cross bending is considered as sufficiently accurate for the selec- 

 tion of individual plants for breeding purposes. The determination of the rela- 

 tive weight of the straw is regarded as too tedious and difficult for the plant 

 breeder. While the thickness and the length of the internodes are characters 

 nmch less reliable in detecting the interior develojiment of the cells, they are 

 believed nevertheless to be of value in selecting plants resistant to lodging. 



The book of wheat, P. T. Dondlinger {New York and Lcmdon. J908, pp. 

 XI+369, pi. I, figs. 65, dgiu. 1, maps 2). — In the ti'eatment of his subject the 

 author devotes a chapter of the book to each one of the following topics : Wheat 

 grain and plant, improvement, natural environment, cultivation, harvesting, 

 yield and cost of production, crop rotation and irrigation, fertilizers, diseases, 

 insect enemies, transportation, storage, marketing, prices, milling, consumption, 

 production and movement. The bibliography given occupies 27 pages. 



A short wheat survey of Bengal, D. N. Mookerji {Dept. Agr. Bengal, Dept. 

 Rec, 1907, No. 2, pp. UK pis. 2). — The botanical relations of the wheats grown 

 in Bengal, the names and relationships of the different races, the foremost 

 important races of Bengal wheat, the distribution of varieties, the culture of 

 the crop, the composition of the grain, and statistics with reference to pro- 

 duction are discussed. 



The content of important plant food ingredients in some common weeds, 

 A. Stutzer and L. Seidler {Fuhling's Landw. Ztg., 57 (1908), No. 12, pp. 429, 

 Ji30). — The authors report the results as determined by analyses given in 

 the following table: 



Plant food contained in the dry matter of some common weeds. 



Kind of weed. 



Sonchus olerareus 



Centaurea eyanus 



Spergula arvensis 



Serratida arvensis 



Raphanus raphanistrum 

 Polygonum persicaria . . . 

 Achillea millefolium — 



Ash. 



Per cent. 

 14.95 



8.12 

 10.12 



9.68 



.'S. 22 

 10. 58 



9.61 



Nitrogen, 



Per cent. 

 2.39 

 2.30 

 2.36 

 1.91 

 1.85 

 3.12 

 2.30 



Phospho- 

 ric acid. 



Per cent. 



0.88 

 .78 



1.08 

 .76 

 .78 



1.16 



Potash. 



Per cent. 

 4.77 

 1.94 

 4.21 

 2.22 

 1.30 

 3.12 

 3.15 



Sodium. 



Per cent. 

 2.16 

 1.07 

 1.91 

 1.02 

 .71 

 2.53 

 1.17 



Calcium. 



Per cent. 

 1.94 

 3.13 

 1.52 

 3.07 

 1.81 

 4.93 

 3.84 



Testing seeds by means of electricity. T. Johnson {.Jalircshcr. Yer. Angric. 

 Bot., (1907), pp. 102-112, figs. 3).— A method to estimate the vitality of seeds 

 by electricity, in which the blaze current is used as the indicating factor, is 

 described in detail and the results of testing seeds of different grades of vital- 

 ity are given. 



