Current Literature 95 



Extracts front the Bulletin of the Forest Experiment Station, 

 Meguro, Tokyo. Bureau of Forestry, Department of Agriculture 

 and Commerce, Tokyo, Japan. 1915. Pp. 221. 



This elegant publication brings on 221 pages, with many excel- 

 lent illustrations, tabulations and diagrams, the result of investi- 

 gations during the period of 1905-14, at the Japanese Forest 

 Experiment Station. Under 21 headings, as many different 

 subjects are treated, some of general biological and other scien- 

 tific interest, some of more local interest; each reported upon by 

 some member of the Station, ten in number. The English, while 

 perfectly intelligible, is sometimes quaint and unusual. 



Dr. Shirasawa discusses the influences of derivation of seed, of 

 course on Japanese material, and comes to some conclusions 

 which do not quite tally with German and Swedish findings, e. g., 

 that seeds from young (20-30 year) trees are larger and show a 

 better growth than that from older trees. Otherwise, the con- 

 clusion that the best tree seeds should be taken from a locality 

 resembling in climate the place where the seeds are to be sown 

 confirms the well-established European experience. An investi- 

 gation into storing seeds does not bring out anything new. 



The chemist furnishes analyses of fallen leaves and an investi- 

 gation into the proper season of applying fertilizers to seedlings in 

 the nursery. 



Timber physics investigations refer to transverse strength of 

 Japanese woods, in which the banal effect of knots is accentuated, 

 and foresters are advised to pay attention to pnming; the caloric 

 power of wood and electric resistance of wood, where it is shown 

 that woods of high specific gravity offer far less resistance than 

 those having low specific gravity, provided the amount of moisture 

 is the same. 



The charcoal-burning practices are described and investiga- 

 tions into temperatures and their results reported which coincide 

 with the old findings of Violette ; also the wood vinegar production 

 as a by-product of charcoal-burning is discussed. 



Researches on the culture of some edible fungi, Cortinellus 

 edodes and Tremella fuciformis are of special interest. 



Notes on fatty and essential oils, the tapping of lac, a number 

 of fungus diseases, damage by white ants and coccids occupy some 

 70 pages. Then follows a very learned mathematical and philo- 

 sophical discussion on the analytical interpretation of growth 



