102 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. LII. No. 1335 



from the Arctic Circle, where the yearly frost- 

 free period is about 97 days, some appreciation 

 can be had of the difficulties that prevail. 



According to the report, the Sitka station 

 propagates and tests, and to some extent dis- 

 seminates, all manner of plants that promise to 

 be useful in Alaska. The chief line of work 

 at the Fainbanks station is the growing of 

 grain, the testing of the adaptability of vari- 

 eties of grain, and the dissemination in small 

 quantities of the surplus seed grain produced. 

 At Eampart, the chief lines of work are the 

 production of new varieties of wheat, barley 

 and oats by means of hybridization, the testing 

 and selection of hybrids, and the increase of 

 those proving valuable. Hardy alfalfa is 

 grown, as well as vegetables, for the purpose 

 of ascertaining the best cultural methods to be 

 pursued. Cattle and sheep breeding work is 

 conducted at the Kodiak station, and at Mata- 

 nuska experiments are made with growing 

 grain and sugar beets. A small nursery has 

 also been started here for propagating hardy 

 nursery stock for distribution in the Mata- 

 nuska Valley. 



In 1918 a distribution of seed grain was 

 made to a number of farmers in the Tanana 

 Valley in an effort to induce them to begin 

 grain production on an independent basis. The 

 results were so satisfactory that the experi- 

 ment was repeated in 1919. In that year 22 

 farmers in the Tanana Valley produced 1,128 

 bushels of spring wheat, 2,811 bushels of oats, 

 and 121J bushels of barley. During the same 

 season the station at Fairbanks produced 303 

 bushels of spring wheat, 774 bushels of oats, 

 and 125 bushels of barley. A small flour mill 

 was installed at the Fairbanks station in 1918, 

 where Alaska-grown wheat has been milled into 

 an excellent bread flour. 



The 1918 report of the Alaska Agricultural 

 Experiment Stations can be had upon request 

 of the United States Department of Agricul- 

 ture, Washington, D. C. 



REPRODUCTION OF MICROSCOPIC UNDER-SEA 

 LIFE 



The American Museum of Ifatural History 

 has reproduced in glass and wax a two-inch 



section of sea-bottom, with its characteristic 

 plant and animal life, magnified more than 

 15,000 times. The exhibit is known as the 

 Bryozoan Group, taking its name from the sea- 

 animals popularly called sea-mats and sea- 

 mosses, which it principally depicts. 



The shells of these minute organisms form 

 encrustations on sea-weeds and pebbles and on 

 shells of larger animals. They are extremely 

 beautiful in their intricate form and coloring. 

 The " plumed worm " has especially fine colors. 

 Other microscopic creatures and marine plants 

 combine to make this group of especial in- 

 terest. 



The glass-blowing was done by Mr. Herman 

 Mueller, and the coloring by Mr. Show Shi- 

 motori, while the wax portions of the group 

 are the work of Mr. Chris E. Olsen. The en- 

 tire exhibit was prepared and assembled under 

 the expert direction of Mr. Eoy W. Miner, as- 

 sociate curator of the department of inverte- 

 brate zoology. 



I 



MATTERS OF SCIENTIFIC INTEREST IN 

 CONGRESSi 



The bill for a tariff on scientific instru- 

 ments, etc. (H. R. 7785) was brought up on 

 the Senate calendar on April 5, but was 

 passed over. On April 28, Mr. Knox offered 

 an amendment providing for the exemption 

 from import duty of " guaranteed disks, ten 

 inches or more in diameter, for astronomical 



The appropriations in the Second Deficiency 

 Act include: $75,000 for continuation of the 

 investigation of the mineral resources of 

 Alaska, to be available also during 1921; and 

 $47,100 for the continuation of magnetic and 

 geodetic work by the Coast and Geodetic 

 Survey. 



The legislative, executive and judicial ap- 

 propriation bill (H E. 12610), carrying ap- 

 propriations for the Bureau of Standards, 

 passed the House on March 4, and the Senate 

 on April 1. After agreement to the confer- 

 ence reports the bill was sent to the President, 

 carrying an amendment introduced by Mr. 



1 From the Proceedings of The Washington 

 Academy of Sciences. 



