22 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



In conclusion the author states that his experiments showed that larger amounts 

 of nitrogen were assimilated in artificial cultures than in any previous experiments, 

 indicating that the conditions of growth obtaining in the culture vessels favored the 

 assimilation of nitrogen. From this it seems probable that one of the functions of 

 the host plant is the removal of soluble products of growth, which when present 

 in previous artificial cultures have prevented the assimilation of nitrogen. 



The fungicidal action of fungus cultures, Y. Kozai and O. Loew {Bid. Col. 

 Agr., Tokyo Imp. Univ., 6 (1904), No. 2, pp. 77-79).— The authors cite a number of 

 instances in which the inhibiting action of the growth of certain organisms toward 

 others is shown and give brief notes on their investigations on the effect of cultures 

 of fungi and bacteria on the development of other organisms subsequently added to 

 the media. 



The subject has an economic application in the failure to ferment miso, the Japan- 

 ese vegetable cheese, during very hot weather. The explanation of this failure is 

 the possibility of the inhibiting action of other organisms which readily grow at 

 temperatures higher than the optimum for the miso organism. 



Symbiosis between Azotobacter and Oscillaria, H. Fischer (Centbl. Bait, 

 [etc.], 2. Alt., 12 {1904), No. 6-S, pp. 267, 268). — Notes are given on the symbiotic 

 association of species of Azotobacter and Oscillaria, and the author points out the 

 symbiotic relationships which exist between a number of other species of plants. 



Relationship of Macrophoma and Diplodia, Julia T. Emerson (Bui. Torrey 

 But. Club, 31 (1904), No. 10, pp. 551-554, pi- 1). — While making studies of fungi 

 occurring on flower bud spathes of cocoanut, the author was led to examine the asso- 

 ciated Macrophoma and Diplodia species. 



Cultures taken from the spathes were reasonably sure to produce typical spores of 

 each fungus. The different forms were isolated and studied, and the author con- 

 cludes that the unicellular white spores in the pyenidia of Macrophoma are simply 

 the immature form of mature Diplodia spores. The Macrophoma form of this species 

 was described originally under the name Splmropsis palmarum, a technical descrip- 

 tion of which is given. 



Notes on the blackening- of Baptisia tinctoria, Julia T. Emerson (Bui. Tor- 

 rey Bot. Club, 31 (1904), No. 12, pp. 621-629).— The blackening of the wild indigo 

 (Baptisia tinctoria) after the opening of the flowers is a phenomenon of common 

 observation, the entire plant, even to its flowers, frequently turning black. 



The author has made a study of the possible causes of this change, and arrives at 

 the conclusion that the blackening is due to the action of oxidizing enzyms. There 

 are said to be at least two enzyms present, an oxidase, which gives an opalescent 

 blue with a gum guaiac solution and which is destroyed at temperatures of 83-84° C, 

 and a peroxidase, which gives a deep blue with hydrogen peroxid and which has a 

 thermal destruction point of 86-87° C. Both enzyms are destroyed by dilute solu- 

 tions of citric acid and sodium hydroxid. 



FIELD CROPS. 



Report of the Upper Peninsula Substation for 1904 [Field crops], L. M. 

 Geismar (Michigan Sta. Spec. Bui. 31, pp. 1-23). — The weather conditions of the 

 season are noted and the results with the different field crops are reported. The 

 work of former years has been previously described (E. S. R., 16, p. 250). 



Wet weather in May and September favored rust attacks in the grain crops. In 

 the experience of the station oats have been more affected by rust than the other 

 cereals, and no so-called rust-proof varieties have resisted rust attacks. Early Cham- 

 pion oats was practically free from rust in 1901, but this was due to its early maturity. 

 The yields of different varieties under test ranged from 25 to 47.5 bu. per acre. The 

 leading varieties were Early Champion, White Shonen, University Ino. 6, and 



