1896] CURRENT LITERATURE 343 
the “lines of investigation that might be undertaken by experiment stations.” 
These words need emphasis: “One of the serious drawbacks to advanced 
research work is this very matter of continued duplication of work already 
being done by other stations and the running along in the same old grooves 
year after year. We cannot hope to have this difficulty remedied, however, 
until there is some attempt at unification of purpose or specialization on the 
part of stations.” 
r. Walter H. Evans writes of ‘Copper sulfate and germination,”® that 
fungicide being commonly used to prevent smut by soaking the seed. Many 
contradictory observations are recorded regarding the effect upon germina- 
tion of soaked seed. He finds that o. 5 and 1 percent, solutions do no serious 
injury in 1-2 hours, which is adequate to kill smut spores, and that much 
Stronger solutions can be used if seed are planted at once. Some of his 
Statements need revision in the light of Kahlenberg and True’s work on the 
“Toxic action of dissolved salts.” ® 
Mr. Jared G. Smith has brought together™ brief untechnical descriptions 
of the “Fodder and forage plants exclusive of the grasses,” including 200 
species, both native and exotic, illustrated by fifty-six figures. It forms a very 
convenient reference list.—C. R. B 
A SECOND EDITION of the catalogue of the plants of Los Angeles county, 
California,” is said on the cover to be a reprint from the Proceedings of the 
Southern California Academy of Sciences but gives no other indication of 
being anything but an independent pamphlet. Dr. A. Davidson, who pre- 
pared the first list in October 1892, is also the author of this. In this coun- 
'Y embracing 4,000 square miles, 100 miles of seacoast, the San Gabriel 
mountains reaching 6,000 feet, a part of the Mojave desert and the islands 
San Clemente and Catalina, 934 species and varieties of spermatophytes 
and 27 of pteridophytes are known. A second part, listing the remaining 
“ryptogams is promised, some day.— C. R. B. 
1 & Panes ex of eighteen pages with the curious title Labrador, pub 
lished at Munich under date of July 1896, Dr. F. Arnold has given a list 
of the Jj chens collected in late years on the east coast of Labrador by Mr. 
3 W. Eckfeldt and Rev. Arthur Waghorne. One hundred and twenty-seven 
Species are enumerated.—_ C, R. B 
* Bulletin no. 10, Division Veg. Phys. and Path. 1896. 
* Bor. Gaz. 22:81. 1896, 
z — no. 2, Division of Agrostology. 1896. | co 
Part wine ANSTRUTHER : Catalogue of the plants of Los pe Se ET - 
emy of Scie = nogamia. Reprint from the Proceedings of the Southern California 
ces, 8vo, pp. iv-+ 36, p/. 7. 35 cents. 
