122 NATURE STUDY REVIEW [10:4— April, 1914 



(8) Where upon the stem do the flowers open first? How 

 many open each day? 



(9) What becomes of the green sepal-like lobes when the flowers 

 open? Describe where the change of color begins? Which 

 part of the lobes is the last to lose the green ? 



(10;) What sort of flower stem has the hyacinth? How are the 

 flowers arranged upon it ? 



(11) Are they packed more closely at the top of the stem or at 

 the bottom? 



(12) What is there peculiar about the juice of the hyacinth 

 plant ? 



(13) Take an open flower. How is it set upon the stem? Is 

 there a bract where it joins the stem? 



(14) How many lobes to the flower tube? Can you tell by 

 feeling which of these lobes acted as sepals to the bud? 



(15) How many anthers? Where are they placed? How do 

 they open? 



(16) What is the color of the pollen? 



(17) Describe the stigma, the filament, and the ovary. 



(18) Of what service is the strong odor of the hyacinth? 



(19) What insects visit it? What do you think is its scheme 

 for securing pollen? 



Studies of Commercial Fertilizers 



B. M. Davis 



The use of commercial fertilizers is becoming increasingly 

 important, both from the standpoint of maintenance of soil 

 fertility and of actual cash investment. In Indiana alone it is 

 estimated that in 1912 $3,465,636.32 were spent for commercial 

 fertilizers. It is significant that $2,431,312.00 were spent for 

 complete fertilizers, and only $8,258.31 for rock phosphate. 

 The average purchaser of a commercial fertilizer is unable to make 

 the simple calculations necessary to an intelligent choice of the 

 various combinations offered. Often he pays a high price for a 

 combination of ingredients which, for his piuposes, might be 

 obtained in a slightly different combination at a considerable 

 saving, or better by buying the ingredients separately and mixing 



