276 REPORTS ON THE STATE OF SCIENCE, ETC. 



Silene. — The year's work included the crossing of a large number of newly obtained 

 varieties of Silene vulgaris and S. maritima and the scoring of the F^ generations. 

 Parts three and four of the series of papers on this genus have been published in the 

 Kew Bulletin 1929, pp. 145, 197, and the fifth part is nearly completed for press. 

 Many hundreds of plants are being grown in connection with these studies and 

 extensive field work is being continued. 



Centaurea. — The scoring and describing of the large generations referred to in the 

 last report was completed, with a few exceptions. 



Saxifraga. — The F, generation of the tetraploid S. potternensis has been scored 

 and the papers on the genetics and cytology of the three generations has been 

 accepted for publication in the Journal of Genetics. F^ generations of numerous 

 back-crosses have been successfully made and scored. 



Ranunculus. — Two papers on the inheritance of sex and colour have been 

 published in the Journal of Genetics xxi (1929). The discovery of more sex forms in 

 the wild and the making of more F., generations will, it is expected, lead to the need 

 of extending research on this genus. 



Anthyllis. — Additional generations from selfings have been scored. 



Finance. 



The balance of £32 2s. Gd. has been spent on wages for labour and sundries con- 

 nected with breeding work on the genera mentioned above. Vouchers for this 

 amount have been forwarded. 



Transplant Experiments.— ^ejjori of Committee (Dr. A. W. Hill, 

 Chairman ; Dr. W. B. Turrill, Secretary ; Prof. F. W. Oliver, 

 Prof. E. J. Salisbury, Prof. A. G. Tansley). 



The transplant experiments initiated in 1927 by the British Ecological Society are 

 being carried out at Potterne, near Devizes, Wilts, in the grounds of Mr. E. M. Marsden- 

 Jones, with assistance from Kew. Five species of British plants are being grown in 

 five different soils at Potterne and also in ordinary garden soil at Kew. Every species 

 is represented bj^ 25 plants of known origin and similar genetical constitution in every 

 one of the soils. Four large enclosures, 35 feet long, 10 feet broad and 3 feet deep, 

 were erected to contain the imported soils, sand, calcareous sand, clay, and calcareous 

 clay. The species already transplanted are : Centaurea nemoralis Jord., Silene vulgaris 

 Garcke, S. inaritima L., Anthyllis vulneraria L., and Plantago major L. — Material of 

 Fragaria vesca L. is being prepared for use as the sixth species. Soil analyses have 

 been made by Mr. C. G. T. Morison, M.A., of the School of Rural Economy, Oxford. 

 Meteorological records have been kept since April. 



A full report of the results obtained up-to-date has been prepared by Mr. E. M. 

 Marsden-Jones and Dr. W. B. Turrill, and has been presented to the Transplant Com- 

 mittee, and accepted for publication in the Jottrnal of Ecology for August, 1930. The 

 results of periodic records for the five species transplanted for the 5 to 18 months the 

 plants have been in the beds are embodied in the report. The chief facts emerging 

 to date are : — 



The most obvious changes are taking place in Silene vulgaris, S. maritima, and 

 Plantago major. 



Centaurea nemoralis has shown little change, but the general tone is better on the 

 clays than on the sands, though flowering commenced first on the latter. The mean 

 number of stems per plant was higher on the claj'S than on the sands. The main 

 seedling germination was in the spring. 



In Anthyllis vulneraria morphological changes of a qualitative nature have not 

 occurred, but interesting facts regarding selection are apparent from the data 

 obtained. The species is known to be calcicolous, and this is in agreement with the 

 high death rate on the sand and on Potterne soil. It is, however, certain that absence 

 of lime is not the sole factor involved. The death rate at Kew, following frosts, was 

 very much higher than on the clay (or other soils) at Potterne, though the CaCOj 

 content is lower in the clay than in the Kew soil. Attack bj' wilt-causing fungi 

 ( Verticillium), blocking the vascular bundles of the root is often an immediate cause 

 of death. Secondary flowering, stem heights and heads per stem, and seed germina- 

 tion showed the same sequence as tone and deaths. Edaphic factors are obviously 



