740 



JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Algae, Blue, Cell and Nuclear Structure (Beih. Bot. Cent, xviii. 

 Abt. i. pp. 1-45). — P. G. Kohl (Marburg) and Edgar W. Olive give two 

 papers on this subject. That of the latter has two plates and a very 

 carefully constructed bibliographical table. The work has been done 

 independently, but the conclusions arrived at are almost identical. The 

 cell possesses a nucleus and peripheral protoplasm with chromatophores, 

 cyanophycin granules supposed to be reserve albumen, fatty globules, 

 glycogen as the reserve carbohydrate (not found by Olive), and vacuoles. 

 The nucleus shows in division the spirem, spindle, dyaster, bispirem, and 

 other stages. The number of chromosomes varies from 4-6 (Kohl) up to 

 32 (Olive). The longitudinal division of the chromosomes is doubtful. 

 A ringlike growth of the cell-wall occurs towards the end of cell division ; 

 in the heterocysts all the living part of the cell seems to disappear, though 

 growth of the wall takes place. — G. F. S.-E. 



Alkali Land at Fresno, California, Reclamation of. By Thomas 

 H. Means and W. H. Keileman (U.S.A. Dep. Agr. Bur. Soils, Circular 

 No. 11). — An account of an experiment carried out by the Bureau of Soils 

 in co-operation with the owners, on a twenty-acre tract of land, impregnated 

 with alkali to such an extent that no crops could be grown. 



The plan was to irrigate the land so as to keep it under water four 

 inches deep until, by drainage, enough alkali had been washed out of the 

 soil to enable a crop to be grown. Four- and six-inch tile-drains were 

 found to be the best, the 3-inch clogging too easily (and even larger, up 

 to 24 -inch, were used) ; but in any case a fall of 1 in 500 was sufficient 

 to wash away the sand as fast as it entered the pipes, and in addition 

 a J-inch wire rope, passed through the pipes as they were laid, enabled 

 them to be cleared of all obstruction with a cleaning brush whenever 

 necessary. 



After four and a half months of irrigation the land was found to be 

 sufficiently sweetened to allow Sorghum and Egyptian Clover crops to be 

 grown. 



The experiment proving successful, the paper goes on to show how the 

 same system can be most economically applied to larger tracts in the 

 Fresno district, where, fortunately, a natural fall obviates the expensive 

 necessity of pumping plant. 



The cost, based on an extent of 20,000 acres, should not exceed $10 

 per acre, and the drainage water can be successfully used for irrigation in 

 the district west of Fresno, where it is much wanted. This water, 

 analysis has proved, is not strongly alkaline, as might be supposed, for 

 the sodium carbonate, or black alkali, on being washed into the soil, 

 absorbs carbonic acid gas and becomes the much less harmful sodium 

 bicarbonate. — C. H. C. 



Allium albopilosum. By C. H. Wright (Bot. Man. t. 7982).— 



Native of South Turkestan. Nat. ord. Liliacece ; tribe Allicce. This is 

 the largest-flowered species of the genus. A robust herb. Leaves strap- 

 shaped, 18 inches long, glabrous above, marked with longitudinal lines 

 of white hairs beneath ; perianth segments linear, deep lilac, with a 

 metallic sheen, nearly 1 inch long. — G. H. 



