132 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLI. No. 1047 



Florida, Wisconsin and Kansas. Eecently 

 silver scurf has been reported from Oregon* 

 and Washington.^ It has been very diffi- 

 cult to trace the introduction of this dis- 

 ease into Utah for the reason that the potato 

 growers are not always informed as to the 

 source of their seed tubers. In most cases 

 the seed was said to have been purchased from 

 other points within the state of Utah, but in 

 some instances it was definitely ascertained 

 that the seed came from Idaho. It is cer- 

 tain, therefore, that seed planted on new soil, 

 with the resultant crop developing the disease, 

 must have been infected previous to being 

 planted. The writer believes that the silver 

 scurf disease of the potato is widespread 

 throughout the intermountain states partic- 

 ularly in Utah and Idaho. P. J. O'Gaea 

 Pathological Laboratory, 

 Dept. op Ageictjltural Investigations, 

 American Smelting and Repining Co., 

 Salt Lake City, Utah, 

 December 9, 1914 



A SIMPLE device FOB COUNTING SEEDS 



In preparing tests of seed germination a 

 great deal of rather monotonous work is re- 

 quired in counting the seeds. The device to 

 be described was worked out to obviate part 

 of this labor, and has proved very efficient in 

 our seed laboratory. In the hope that it wiU 

 save valuable time for other workers in this 

 field the following description is presented. 



Pressure Tubing to Suction Pump. 



The seed counter is made from a piece of 

 brass or copper tubing 20 cm. in length and 

 about .5 cm. in diameter. This is bent in the 

 middle at an angle of 45° and then on one 



* Bailey, F. D., "Phytopathology," 4: 321-322, 

 August, 1914. 



5 Eees, H. L., Western Washington 'Experiment 

 Station Bulletin, 1 : 15-16, 1914. 



side filed almost paper thin for a distance of 

 8 cm. At intervals of .1 em. on this flattened 

 side ten holes of suitable diameter are punched 

 with a needle and hammer. One end of the 

 tube on the side nearest the holes is sealed with 

 solder or sealing was, and the other end is 

 connected by .5 cm. rubber pressure tubing to 

 a small Richards air pump. 



The seeds to be counted are placed in a flat 

 tray and the pump started. The suction 

 through the fine openings holds the seeds in 

 lots of ten to the tube, which are removed by 

 a flick of the finger. In case more than one 

 seed adheres to a hole the extra ones can be 

 quickly removed by tapping the tube, or with 

 the finger. It will be found advisable to have 

 tubes made up with various sizes of holes, one 

 for small seeds such as tobacco, with openings 

 as small as can be made with a No. 7 needle; 

 one with medium-sized holes of .5 mm., which 

 are best adapted to seeds of the size of radish, 

 clover, etc., and one with holes of 1 mm. in 

 diameter. Seeds with a very rough exterior 

 such as beet seed do not lend themselves well 

 to this method of counting as the surface is 

 too uneven to be held by the suction. Large 

 seeds — ^beans, peas and corn for instance— are 

 too heavy to be held by the suction produced 

 by the small Richards pump, but there is no 

 doubt that with a stronger suction such as that 

 produced by a vacuum cleaner this method 

 could be used in counting these heavier seeds. 

 Orton L. Clark 



Massachusetts Agricultural 

 Experimental Station, 

 Amherst, Mass., 

 November, 1914 



THE JOURNAL "iSIS" 



To THE Editor of Science: I beg to call 

 your attention to one of the incidents of the 

 war which is likely to be overlooked in the 

 midst of all the excitement of daily battles 

 and the destruction of life and property. I 

 refer to the devotion to scholarship, to duty, 

 and to educational ideals shown by Dr. G. 

 Sarton, of Wondelgem-lez-Gand, editor of 

 Isis, in continuing the publication of this im- 



