cvi Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [N.S.. XII, 



The Application of Botanical Science to Agriculture 1 . — By 



Albert Howard, G.I.E. 



In the application of botanical science to crop production, difficulties 

 arise of a somewhat similar nature to those which universally occur 

 whenever the attempt is made to adapt scientific knowledge to practical 

 ends. In the first place, the dangers of specialization have to be avoided 

 and the investigator has to study the scientific aspect of botany in such a 

 way as to combine within himself a well-balanced and accurate grasp of all 

 the main branches of the subject — anatomy, physiology and systematy. 

 In the second place, he has to devote himself to the study of agriculture 

 as an art and to be able to understand the physiological aspects of 

 agricultural operations. Both the scientific study of the plant in the 

 laboratory and the practice of agriculture in the field must then be 

 merged into a connected whole in the mind of the investigator. In this 

 manner practical agriculture attains a new meaning and a new significance 

 and the traditional knowledge of the Indian ryot is seen to consist of 

 simple lessons in plant physiology learnt by experience during the ages. 



The main directions in which botanical science can be applied to crop 

 production are three — (1) improvements in the efficiency of the plant as 

 a working machine, (2) the treatment of disease, and (3) the creation of 

 improved varieties. The place of science and of practice in attacking 

 such problems was discussed in detail and the conclusion was reached 

 that in all such work science must be regarded as the instrument which 

 in the hands of an investigator possessing real agricultural insight can be 

 utilized in rapidly improving the production of the world's supply of food 

 and of raw materials. 



The Aquatic Reeds of the Godaveri and Pravara Canals ; a 



Study in Applied Ecology l . — By W. Burns. 



Irritability of the Bladders in Utricularia [ . — By T. Ekambaram. 



The present views concerning the presence of animalculae, such as 

 crustaceans, etc., inside the bladders of Utricularia is : — 



(1) that they make their way in by pushing the elastic trap-door of 

 the bladder : 



(2) that the bladder is passive ttid does not make any effort to 

 capture the animalculae ; 



(3) that the animalculae enter in b< <'ause they expect to find food 

 or protection inside. 



The object of this paper is to show that the bladders are irritable 

 and actively suck in the animalculae when they irritate a particular set 

 of hairs. The observations were made on a species of Utricularia very 

 near U. flexuosa and differing from it in having either very rudimentary 

 or no floaters at the base of the flower stalk. 



Under natural conditions the bladders that entrap insects occur in 

 two distinct states, viz., (a) nearly 75% with the walls convex and with 

 the cavity inside filled with water or with water and air and (b) nearly 25% 

 with the walls closely adpressed and biconcave and with practically very 

 little cavity inside. This state is called the ' hungry ■ state. The valve 

 or trap-door is normally transversely convex. The margin of the valve 

 is tightly pressed up against the •' collar" or ridge round the mouth. 

 On the upper surface of the valve, very near its free tip are 4 to 6 long 

 pointed hairs which extend towards the base. These are the irritabh 

 hairs. When the irritable hairs of the hungry bladders are irritated with 



1 This paper will be published >n extenso in the Congress number ot 

 the Agricultural Journal of India. 



