1008 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



The plant alkaloids, .1. W. Bruhi-, K. II.ielt, and ( ). Aschan (/>/> Pflnnzen 

 ML-aliiidr. Bniiisinck: Frinliirh Vicirrg, WOO, })j). 386). 



On a small laboratory furnace, A. Bruno {Compt. Rinid. Acad. Sri. Far'n^, 13^ 

 {1901), Xo. 5, pp. ;.'?>>', ■.'77,JJf/. 1). — An attachment for a Bunsen burner, by means 

 of which a crucible may bi' iieated hi very hijijli temperature, is described. 



Report of the chemical department of the State experiment station at 

 Albano, Sweden, 1898-99, C. (j. Ecciektz {K<jI. Landtbr. Akad. Handl. Tklskr., 

 ,)f/ (I'.ioo), Sd. 4, pp. .i.ii'i-JBl). — The suljjects treated in the report are fertilizer 

 experiments with Klagstorp clay soil and with Martebo marsh soil, potash experi- 

 ments on sandy soils, and sugar-beet experiments conducted during 1898 and 1899. 



BOTANY. 



Alkali studies, V, B.C. Buffum and E. E. Slosson {Wijonuix/ 

 Sf(i. Rpt. lUOO^ pp. 16., pis. 5). — In continiuition of these stu(li(\s 

 (E. S. R., 11, p. 1052), the authors report on the effect of alkali on 

 the gerniination and growth of phmts, the rate of absorption of salts 

 from sohition, and the evaporation oi water from salt solutions and 

 plants. It has been shown that the effect produced by salt solutions is 

 inversely proportional to the osmotic pressure of the salt in solution. 

 This indicates that the effect is a mechanical or physical one, and that 

 the deleterious effects of various salts on plants depends on the osmotic 

 pressure of the alkali salt in the soil rather than upon the physiolooical 

 action of the different kinds of salts. This of course applies onl}^ to the 

 neutral salts, and not to those which have a corrosive effect upon plant 

 tissues. To further elucidate the above statement, experiments were 

 carried on in germination and growth of plants in solutions of sulphates 

 and chlorids of potassium and sodium having the same osmotic pres- 

 sures. From the previous experiments the effect of sodium sulphate 

 was determined and this was taken as an arbitrary base, the strengths 

 of the other salts being i, 1, and 2 per cent solutions. These percent- 

 ages of sodium sulphate in solution represent atmospheric pressures 

 of 2.03. 3.8, and 7.1 atmospheres. Wheat and alfalfa seed were germi- 

 nated in sand which was given an amount of the different solutions 

 equal to 15 per cent of moisture in the sand. From time to time the 

 water lost by evaporation was replaced with distilled water. The 

 germinations are shown in tabular form, from which it is seen that 

 the effect of the different salts on both wheat and alfalfa was almost 

 identical in each series of salt solutions. There was a regular decrease 

 in tile germinations of the seeds as the osmotic pressure increased 

 and there was no apparent difference between the effect of sodium or 

 potassium or between the sulphates and chlorids of the same or dif- 

 ferent salts. As in the experiments previously pul)lished, the «>Hect 

 of the salts in solution is to retard the time of germination. >Miile 

 the total percentage of seeds germinated was about the same foi' the 

 salt sohitions as those germinated with distilled water, the n-tardation 

 amounted to iis nuu'h as 5 or «i days. 



Pot experiments were conducted with wheat and alfalfa in which 

 the solutions ])i'evi<)usly desci'ibed were used, comparisons l)eing made 



