Botany and Zoology. 325 



11. Analysis of Mount Vernon Loess ; communicated by * 

 Nicholas Knight. — Loess occurs to a considerable depth on the 

 hills in the vicinity of Mount Vernon, Iowa. On the somewhat 

 elevated ridge on which Cornell College is located, the formation 

 extends to a depth of 40 feet, diminishing from the summit. In 

 general, it overlies the Kansan and Paha drifts, but it is usually 

 absent over the Iowan. A brickyard is located in the Mount 

 Vernon loess from which a good quality of brick is obtained. 

 The specimen chosen for analysis was taken from the brickyard, 

 eight feet below the surface of the earth. The analysis was 

 made by Frank Hann in the chemical laboratory of Cornell Col- 

 lege, under the direction of Dr. N. Knight. The following 

 results were obtained : 



Si0 2 C0 2 Fe 2 3 A1 2 3 Mn0 2 CaO MgO K 2 Na 2 Ti0 2 P 2 5 FeO H 2 

 rO-86 4-70 2-97 8*91 0-28 4-13 3'12 1-18 1-69 0-59 0-40 0-10 1-10=99-98 



III. Botany and Zoology. 



1. Horticultural Experiments and Botanical Bwestigations at 

 the Harvard Station in Cuba. — Through the kindness of Mr. 

 Edwin F. Atkins, the Botanic Garden at Cambridge has been 

 able to undertake a series of interesting studies relative to cer- 

 tain features of the vegetation of Cuba. Mr. Atkins has placed 

 at the disposition of the Botanic Garden a sufficient lot of land 

 for experimental purposes and has supplied the funds for current 

 expenses. He has also provided adequate local labor. 



The first series of experiments, covering a period of about 

 four months, was designed to test the possibility of repeating, in 

 the climate of Cuba, the well-known Javan studies in the pollina- 

 tion of the sugar-cane. The work was entrusted to the experi- 

 enced hybridizer, Mr. Robert M. Grey. At the date of writing, 

 his experiments appear to be successful in a high degree, although 

 the present season has been unfavorable on account of prolonged 

 drought. Mr. Grey and the assistant, Mr. Bohnhof, have now 

 brought under cultivation rather more than one hundred dif- 

 ferent sorts of tropical and subtropical plants, and they are 

 prosecuting the task of improvement in a systematic manner. 



Mr. Ames, Assistant Director of the Harvard Garden, has 

 lately visited the Experiment Station, and expresses himself in 

 general as well pleased with the outlook. 



Should the Experiment Station develop along the lines now 

 marked out, it is hoped that arrangements can be made by which 

 the establishment can freely offer its hospitality to students who 

 may wish to get a glimpse of the interesting vegetation of the 

 southern part of Cuba. 



Colonia Limones, where the Station is located, lies rather less 

 than twenty miles from Cienfuegos. The soil at the station is 

 very well adapted to plants which prefer a more or less dry 

 season in which to ripen the crop early. At a comparatively 



Am. Jour. Sci. — Fourth Series, Vol. XIII, No. 76. — April, 1902. 



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