July 20, 19 16] 



NATURE 



423 



of those materials is limited, the blossom buds 

 may have to go short. This effect of one year 

 will be manifested in the poverty either of blossom 

 or of fruit — or both — in the following year. 



The sequence of barrenness on fruitfulness is, of 

 course, not confined to fruit-trees, but is of com- 

 mon occurrence in forest-trees also. It is to be 

 hoped that this interesting inquiry will be pursued 

 at Wobufn, and that a more precise expression 

 may be given to the somewhat sketchy views with 

 which we have at present to content ourselves. In 

 an earlier report (the ninth) the authors startled 

 orthodox fruit-growers by announcing that the 

 practice of trimming tree-roots before planting is 

 a work of supererogation, and that trees planted 

 with bruised (untrimmed) roots do rather better 

 than those with which this trouble is taken. The 

 experiments described in this report tend rather 

 to point away from the conclusions reached earlier, 

 for they indicate — in the case of apples, pears, and 

 plums — that root-trimming shows a balance in its 

 favour of 15 per cent. In another experiment 

 (with apples) there was no advantage either way ; 

 but with bush fruits (red currants and gooseberries) 

 the untrimmed showed an advantage of 16 per 

 cent, in the former case and '5 per cent, in the 

 latter. 



It must, we think, be conceded that the 

 authors have established their contention that 

 root-trimming is unnecessary. Growers are con- 

 servative and will doubtless need further convin- 

 cing. In America, however, fruit-growers appear 

 to share the authors' view, for in the most recent 

 work on the apple (by Mr. Albert E. Wil- 

 kinson) we read that the leaving "of clean cuts 

 is not being emphasised so much as formerly." 

 It is noteworthy in this connection that in the 

 southern States what is known as the String- 

 fellow method of root-pruning is practised. In 

 this system all the roots are removed at planting 

 and only small stubs left. 



Further experiments on " careless " versus 

 " careful " planting, in which the roots are either 

 bundled in or spread out carefully, lead the 

 authors to conclude that the carefiJ method is 

 unnecessary. They hold also to their previously 

 expressed conclusion that ramming the roots is 

 beneficial to the growth of the tree. We do not 

 remember whether the experiment has been tried 

 under the somewhat drastic conditions of pot- 

 cultivation — the pots would need to be strong — 

 but we are inclined to think that only by some 

 such means may this point of practice be estab- 

 lished beyond cavil. All are agreed that firm 

 planting is necessary ; the point on which growers 

 are not at present convinced is the beneficent 

 effect produced by such drastic ramming as is 

 likely to injure the roots. 



In expressing our gratitude to the authors for 

 their valuable researches .we would venture on 

 the suggestion that the time has come for the 

 publication of a full summary of the work at 

 "\\'oburn. 



F. K. 



NO. 2438, VOL. 97] 



THE ORGANISATION OF BRITISH 

 CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES. 



THE term "chemical industry" includes so 

 many diverse interests, many of which are 

 relatively small, that hitherto no joint action has 

 been possible, and the smaller firms in particular 

 have not been in a position to take advantage 

 of the modern progress of science. There has 

 been intense competition between neighbouring 

 firms, and consequently great secrecy as to 

 methods and results. All this must be changed 

 in the future if the competition of enemy and 

 friendly States is to be met successfully ; British 

 firms with kindred interests must unite and pool 

 their resources instead of competing. The posi- 

 tion to-day of those branches of the chemical 

 industry which are highly organised shows that 

 foreign competition can be encountered and 

 defeated, and that the knowledge how to organise 

 for success is not lacking in this country. 



The formation of an association of British 

 chemical manufacturers under the auspices of the 

 most progressive chemical manufacturing firms in 

 the country is undoubtedly an event of the deepest 

 significance for the welfare of the industry. At a 

 meeting held in London on June 22 a draft con- 

 stitution and rules were approved, and the follow- 

 ing provisional committee elected : — 



Dr. E. F. Armstrong (Joseph Crosfield and 

 Sons), F. W. Brock (Brunner, Mond and 

 Co.), Dr. Charles Carpenter (South Metropolitan 

 Gas Co.), Dr. M. O. Forster, F.R.S. (British 

 Dyes), J. Gray (Lever Bros.), C. A. Hill 

 (The British Drug Houses), X. Holden 

 (Hardman and Holden), C. P. Merriam 

 (British Xylonite Co.), the Rt. Hon. Sir Alfred 

 Mond, Bart., P.C, M.P. (Mond Nickel Co.), 

 Max Muspratt (United Alkali Co.), Sir William 

 Pearce, M.P. (Spencer, Chapman and Messel), 

 R. G. Perry (Chance and Hunt), R. D. Pullar 

 (PuUar's Dye Works), Dr. Alfred Ree (Society 

 of Dyers and Colourists), A. T. Smith (Castner- 

 Kellner Co.), the Rt. Hon. J. W. Wilson (Albright 

 and Wilson). 



The objects of the new body are ver\- com- 

 prehensive. Broadly, the association aims to re- 

 present the chemical industry when dealing with 

 the Government, to develop technical organisation, 

 and to promote new industries and the extension 

 of existing ones. In addition to the usual powers 

 taken by trade associations, the objects enumer- 

 ated include the promotion of industrial research, 

 the encouragement of the sympathetic association 

 of manufacturers with the various universities 

 and teaching institutes, and the co-operation with 

 any society having for its object industrial eflS- 

 ciency or the advancement of applied chemistry. 

 The names of the members of the committee are 

 a guarantee that the scientific side of the work of 

 the new association wiU not be neglected, and, 

 moreover, provision is made for co-opting to the 

 committee four representatives of allied associa- 

 tions, such, for example, as the scientific societies. 



The subscription, which is based pro rata on 



