154 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLII. No. 1074 



tends to rise at solsticial times, and to sink at 

 the time of the equinoxes. Mauna Loa re- 

 sponded to the last solstice with an outhreak. 

 In Kilauea a daily rise at noon and midnight 

 has been observed at almost all the prolonged 

 watches during the past month. There has also 

 been a periodic activity of Mauna Loa, and a 

 certain amount of periodicity in Kilauea. 



At the time of the 1907 activity of Mauna 

 Loa there was a period of relative inactivity 

 in Kilauea. Since that time there has been 

 prolonged activity. If the next quiescence is 

 to come in the near future, as is perhaps fore- 

 shadowed by the dropping of the lava in 1913- 

 14, the lava may continue to drop after the 

 coming equinox, and disappear. If, on the 

 other hand, the present period of activity is to 

 continue, the lake will rise during the spring 

 in response to the summer solstice. 



Mauna Loa, since the first known eruption 

 in 1832, has shown an average duration of 

 epochs of 11.5 years before 1868, and 5.5 years 

 since 1868; with an average interval of repose 

 before 1868 of 5.5 years, and since 1868 of 4.75 

 years. The maximum intervals of repose have 

 been eight years each, the second being the 

 last one. Moreover, the general activity has 

 been an outbreak on the summit, followed, 

 sooner or later, by an outbreak on the side of 

 the mountain accompanied by a lava flow. 

 Within the next three or four years, at one of 

 the solsticial times, there should be another 

 flow. 



Sidney Powers 



Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, 

 March 19, 1915 



INTERSTATE CEREAL CONFERENCE 

 An Interstate Cereal Conference was held 

 at the University of California, Berkeley, 

 June 2, 1915, with an attendance of 37. Dr. 

 J. W. Gilmore, of the University of California, 

 was elected chairman and Mr. Charles E. 

 Chambliss, of the U. S. Department of Agri- 

 culture, secretary. The executive committee 

 consists of the ofiicers and Messrs. M. A. Carle- 

 ton, F. S. Harris and Bert D. Ingels. The 

 program was as follows : 



" Cereal Production in California as Af- 



fected by Geographic and Climatologic Con- 

 ditions," by J. W. Gilmore and B. A. Madson. 



" The Water Requirements of Cereals as 

 determined by Physical Environments," by 

 H. L. Shantz and L. J. Briggs. 



" Work with Cereals at the Nevada Experi- 

 ment Station," by C. S. Knight. 



" Effect of Various Alkali Salts on the 

 Growth of Cereals," by P. S. Harris. 



" Improvement of Barley for the Pacific 

 Coast," by E. Clemens Horst. 



" Possible Sources of Barley for Introduc- 

 tion into California," by H. V. Harlan. 



" Present Status of Studies of Helmintho- 

 sporium Diseases of Barley in America," by 

 A. G. Johnson. 



" Rhyncosporium graminicola on Barley," 

 by James McMurphy. 



" Cereal Diseases and their Control in Den- 

 mark," by F. K0lpin Eavn. 



" Wheat Varieties of the Basin and Pacific 

 Coast States," by C. E. Ball. 



" The Bunt Problem in the Pacific Coast 

 States," by H. B. Humphrey. 



" Wheat Breeding in the Rocky Mountain 

 Regions," by B. C. Buffum. 



" The Effect of Rust on Water Requirement 

 of Wheat at Akron, Colo.," by H. L. Shantz 

 and L. J. Briggs. 



" The Milling of California Wheat," by B. 

 D. Ingels. 



" Commercial Handling and Grading of 

 Grain," by L. M. Jeffers. 



On June 1 the cereal crops in the vicinity 

 of Stockton, Cal., were inspected by many in 

 attendance at the conference. 



The cereal experiments of the University of 

 California at Davis and of the office of cereal 

 investigations, U. S. Department of Agricul- 

 ture, at Chico and Biggs, Cal., were inspected 

 June 3 and 4. 



Charles E. Chambliss, 



Secretary 



INVENTION COMMITTEES IN ENGLAND 

 AND IN THE UNITED STATES 

 The Invention Board established by the 

 British government consists of a central com- 

 mittee and consultants who will advise the 

 main committee on questions referred to them.. 



