16 
NAROT TE 
[MarcH 5, 1914 
One of the first steps necessary to inaugurate such 
work is to determine the variation of the active con- 
stituents in individual plants and the extent to which 
such variation is influenced, if at all, by the various 
factors affecting the growth and cultivation of the 
plant. Investigations in this direction have been car- 
ried out with belladonna recently, and are reported 
by Mr. A. F. Sievers to the new Journal of Agricul- 
tural Research (vol. i., No. 2). The variation in the 
alkaloidal content of the leaves throughout the season 
was determined, but no relation appeared to exist 
between the physical appearance of the plant and the 
amount of alkaloid present. It was found advisable, 
however, to aim for a greater yield of young leaves 
of rather lower content than to delay picking until 
higher content and lower aggregate yield is only 
obtainable. The plants experimented with show, 
among themselves, a very great variation in alka- 
loidal content, separation into two groups being pos- 
sible, the content of the one being twice that of the 
other. By selection and cultural means the total pro- 
duction of alkaloids ought to be capable of great 
increase. 
A REPORT by Dr. J. V. Eyre on the possibility of 
reviving the flax industry in Great Britain has been 
published as a supplement to the Journal of the Board 
of Agriculture. <A brief historical review of the subject 
is given, followed by a discussion of the effect of soil, 
manure, climate, and cultivation, on the crop. Har- 
vesting, retting, and subsequent treatment» are de- 
scribed in detail, and the whole forms a valuable guide 
to the condition of the industry in this country. The 
crop has many advantages to recommend its more 
general adoption, especially by the small holder, pro- 
vided that efforts are directed to the preparation of 
high grades of fibre. There certainly is reason for 
believing that the judicious revival of the industry, 
managed according to improved methods, would be 
productive of benefit to British agriculture, and would 
induce people to find regular employment in rural 
districts by creating a demand for skilled labour. 
THE indexes to the Physics and Electrical Engineer- 
ing volumes of Science Abstracts for 1912 have reached 
us. The former volume extends to 750 pages, with 
more than 2000 abstracts, and the latter to 670 pages, 
with nearly 1300 abstracts. The greater average 
length of the electrical engineering abstracts appears 
due to descriptions of installations and appliances. 
The initials of the abstractor at the foot of each 
abstract and a reference to the list of abstractors at 
the beginning of each volume, show that in nearly all 
cases the abstract has been written by one who has a 
special knowledge of the subject, and so long as this 
characteristic of Science Abstracts is maintained, so 
long will it continue to enjoy the confidence of those 
who make use of it. The indexing appears adequate, 
the name-index in the physics volume covering thirty 
and the subject-index fifty-six pages. 
WE have received from the Reichsanstalt a number 
of memoirs dealing with the work done there, which 
have appeared in recent numbers of the Annalen der 
Physik, the Zeitschrift fiir Instrumentenkunde, and 
NO.” 2314) VOL, - 93 | 
| 
! 
other periodicals. One by Dr. F. Henning deals with 
new determinations of the boiling points of oxygen 
and carbonic acid, and the freezing points of mercury 
and other liquids. The temperatures were measured 
by five platinum resistance thermometers, which had 
been previously compared with the constant volume 
hydrogen thermometer. The static method was used 
for the boiling points. The results are :—Normal 
boiling points: Oxygen, —182-97°, carbonic acid, 
— 78-53; freezing points : mercury, — 38-89, ethyl ether, 
—123-6;. melting points, carbon bisulphide, — 112-0, 
chloroform, —63-7, chlorobenzene, —45:5° C. Others 
by Drs. W. Jaeger and H. von Steinwehr deal with 
comparisons of various copies of the ohm amongst 
each other and with the mercury standard, and with 
current measurements with the silver voltameter. They 
show that the German ohm agrees with the English 
to within a few hundred thousandths, and that the 
electromotive force of a Weston cell is 1-01829 volt 
at 20% GC. 
Tue White Star liner Britannic was launched from 
Messrs. Harland and Wolff’s yard at Belfast on 
February 26. The following particulars of this vessel 
are taken from illustrated articles in Engineering and 
the Engineer for February 27. The principal dimen- 
sions are :—Length over all, about goo ft.; breadth, 
extreme, about 94 ft.; depth moulded, 64 ft. 3 in.; 
total height from keel to navigating bridge, 104 ft. 
6 in.; gross tonnage, about 50,o00 tons; propelling 
machinery—reciprocating engines of 32,000 i.h.p. ex- 
hausting into a Parsons low-pressure turbine of 18,000 
shaft-horse-power ; sea speed, 21 knots. Accommoda- 
tion is provided for 2,579 passengers and 950 crew, 
a total of 3,529 persons. The vessel is probably the 
strongest passenger ship structurally constructed up 
to the present time, and is so amply divided by longi- 
tudinal and transverse bulkheads that her destruction 
by any dangers of the sea is incredible. The double 
system of construction is carried up the sides of the 
vessel to a considerable distance above the load water 
line, and the walls are literally honeycombed with 
compartments. None of these compartments will be 
opened on the inner side during a voyage. There are 
sixteen transverse bulkheads, five of which extend to 
a height of more than 4o ft. above the deepest load 
line, and all the others are carried to a height of more 
than 21 ft. above the water line. The bulkheads are 
of very heavy construction. The lifeboat arrange- 
ments will-meet fully the requirements of the recent 
International Convention. 
Messrs, FLATTERS AND GARNETT, LTp., have issued 
a supplementary catalogue of the lantern slides added 
to their stock during 1913. Among these additions are 
a large number of photographs of British wild flowers 
and a series of slides illustrating the commercial geo- 
graphy of the north of England, arranged by Dr. A. 
Wilmore. 
AMONG recent additions made by Messrs. Jack to 
their ‘‘ People’s Books’ are ‘‘ Applications of Elec- 
tricity for Non-Technical Readers,’”’ by Mr. A. Ogilvie, 
and ‘“‘ Wild Flowers,’ by Mr. M. Skene. The first 
book explains in simple language, which takes no 
