August 8, 1902.] 



SCIENCE. 



23^ 



mou onion (Allium cepa), all three stages 

 having been produced. Mr. E. W. D. Holway 

 reports that he collected secidia on ' winter 

 onions ' the latter part of May and the writer 

 collected two specimens about a month later. 

 In each of the above instances asparagus was 

 growing near ' winter onions.' The great 

 similarity of the asparagus rust (Puccinia 

 asparagi) and the onion rust (P. porri), 

 together with the results obtained by inocula- 

 tion and the secidia recently collected on the 

 onion, is very suggestive of the identity of the 

 two rusts. But Klebahn* has been able to 

 inoculate several species of Allium, including 

 A. cepa with Melampsora, producing a 

 Cceoma in each case, so that it appears that 

 the Alliums are very susceptible to the attack 

 of the rusts when inoculated. 



The writer is conducting experiments along 

 the same line with other liliaceous plants, but 

 as yet results are not ready for publication. 



Inoculations of a number of species of 

 Dianihus and Gypsophila with the uredospores 

 of the carnation rust (JJromyces caryophylli- 

 nus (Sch.) Schroet.) have given the same gen- 

 eral results, so far as the effect of temperature, 

 sunlight and susceptibility is concerned, as 

 was obtained for the asparagus. It has been 

 demonstrated that the carnation rust is local 

 instead of being distributed through the plant, 

 and that certain varieties are practically 

 immune. 



There is often associated with both the 

 asparagus and carnation rusts another fungus 

 {Darluca filum Cast.) thought to be parasitic 

 on the rust. Some observations have led the 

 writer to conclude that it is not parasitic on 

 the rust and that it is not so beneficial as is 

 generally supposed. Its saprophytic tenden- 

 cies have been demonstrated by growing it 

 on various culture media, both animal and 

 vegetable, including bouillon-gelatine and 

 bouillon-agar, asparagus-agar, potato, canned 

 asparagus stems, etc. On some media it pro- 

 duced pycnidia in three to five days. Spores 

 from pure cultures when inoculated on rusted 

 asparagus gave the characteristic pycnidia 

 with the curled masses of spores issuing from 



* Klebalin, Zeitschrift filr PflanzenkranJc- 

 heiten, 12: 1, 17, 1902. 



them. Only negative results have as yet been 

 obtained on the stems of living asparagus, 

 although it flourishes on the cooked stems, and 

 there are strong indications that it may be 

 parasitic on asparagus. A complete account 

 of the work will be published later. 



John L. Sheldon. 

 The University op Nebraska, 

 Lincoln. 



CHEMICAL INDUSTRY IN GERMANY IN 

 lOOl.'- 



Recently published statistics of the chem- 

 ical industry in Germany for the year 1901 

 show that it has shared in the general busi- 

 ness depression of the Empire, though the 

 results are less unsatisfactory than in other 

 branches of manufacture. 



A m ong the reasons assigned for the depres- 

 sion are a tendency toward overproduction, the 

 increased cost of raw materials, the high price 

 of coal and of labor, and proposed changes in 

 the tariffs on many articles which enter into 

 chemical manufacture. It is also pointed out 

 that in the United States, in Russia, and in 

 several other countries, there is a growing in- 

 terest in this branch. 



The following figures show the imports and 

 exijorts for the years 1900 and 1901. The 

 articles included are the more important 

 drugs, pharmaceutical supplies, and dyestuffs 

 or materials entering into the manufacture of 

 the same : 



While these figures show an excess of ex- 

 ports over imports, and a gain in exports for 

 the year 1901 over the preceding year, the 

 cost of raw materials and of labor has left 

 manufacturers but small returns for their in- 

 vestments. 



Statistics of dividends paid by concerns en- 

 gaged in this branch of manufacture during 

 the year 1901 are not yet fully announced, but 



* Consular Report from H. W. Harris, Mann- 

 heim. 



