230 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [MARCH 
obtained for Aspergillus and Penicillium are too small to have any 
critical value, and agree in this respect with those of previous 
investigators. The highest capacity for nitrogen fixation was 
found in the strains of Phoma isolated from Oxycoccus, Vaccinium, 
and Andromeda, in which the values cited appear to be well outside 
the range of any possible experimental error. Table I, reproduced 
from the original paper by TERNETZz, shows the values obtained for 
Phoma radictis as compared with those on record for the nitrogen- 
fixing bacteria. 
TABLE I 
RECORDS OF NITROGEN FIXATION BY FUNGI EXTRACTED FROM FOUR ERICACEOUS 
SPECIES, AS COMPARED WITH THAT EXHIBITED BY Clostridium, Azotobacter 
Aspergillus, AND Penicillum, From TERNETZ (loc. cit.). 
DEXTROSE De NITROGEN 
SUPPLIED | 89 FIXATION 
ae 
ORGANISM Days Bo INVESTIGATOR 
er- | 2S Bid cept 
gm. centage Op | mg. jdextrose 
Clostridium Pasteurianum..| 20 |40 4 ldo 53.6] 1.34 | Winogradski 
Clostridium Pasteurianum..| 20. |20 Dol ae) 24.4) 1.22 | Winogradski 
Clostridium americanum. ..| 30 | 1.25} 0.25} 1.25] 4.6] 3.7 | Pringsheim 
Clostridium canum...| 30 | 5 I 3.01| 8.2) 3.01 | Gerlach and Vogel 
Azotobacter chroococcus...| 35 | 5 e.5:bs 42.7| 8.56 | Gerlach and Vogel 
Azotobacter chroococcus...} 35 |12 1.2 |12 |127.9\10.66 | Ternetz 
pergillus niger.......... 28 | 7 a Coe Po, Lee ernetz 
Penicillium glaucum 28 | 7 7 0.7 | 52.81 3 Ternetz 
Phoma radiciis Oxycocci 28 | 7 y 0.85} 15.3|18.08 | Ternetz 
Phoma radiciis Andromedae} 2 V] ‘3 0.67| 7.3|10.92 | Ternetz 
Phoma radiciis Vaccinii 28 | 7 7 0.71| 15.7|22.14 | Ternetz 
Phoma radiciis Tetralicis 28 | 7 7 I 4 | 3-99 | Ternetz 
Phoma radiciis Ericae 28 | 7 7 1.41 2.3) 2:47 | Ternete 
The three fungal strains concerned work much less energetically 
but more economically than Clostridium or Azotobacter. For 
example, for each gram of dextrose used, 22 mg., 18 mg., and 
11 mg. of nitrogen were combined, as compared with values ranging 
from 1.2 mg. to 10.6 mg. of nitrogen per gram of dextrose for the 
nitrogen-fixing bacteria. These are the highest relative figures 
on record for nitrogen-fixing organisms. 
(2) The evidence contributed by the writer was obtained in the 
course of an intensive experimental study of Calluna vulgaris, and 
supplied the link needed to connect the fungi isolated by TERNETZ 
