790 



JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 



given on Egyptian agriculture by the secretary of the Khedivial Agricul- 

 tural Society, Cairo, on the methods of cultivation of Egyptian Cotton, 

 with a selection of varieties. Sugar-cane, Beet, Wheat, Barley, Rice, 

 Beans, Onions, and other minor crops are discussed. The whole subject 

 is dealt with from the composition of Nile mud, which adds 15,000 lb. of 

 sediment per acre annually, consisting of nitrogen 0-12 per cent., phos- 

 phoric acid 0*21 per cent., and potash 0*68 per cent. This gives to the 

 soil in the Nile Valley 18 lb. of nitrogen, 3H lb. of phosphoric acid, and 

 1P2 lb. of potash annually per acre. It has been found by practice that 

 it is impossible to grow two cereal crops in succession owing to the limited 

 amount of nitrogen in the deposit. But by alternating with a leguminous 

 crop, which to a large extent obtains its nitrogen from the air, some 

 excellent results are obtained. — E. F. H. 



Elodea canadensis, The Morphology of. By R. B. Wylie (Bot. 

 Gaz. xxxvii. No. 1, p. 1 ; with 5 plates).— In this paper the author treats 

 of the floral development, the female gametophyte, the microsporangium, 

 the male gametophyte, the phenomena of pollination, fertilisation, and 

 embyro, concluding with a general summary. The following features 

 may be specially noted : — " The pollen grains adhere in tetrads, and have 

 a greater specific gravity than water. The extine possesses spines which 

 hold back the surface film and imprison sufficient air to keep the spores 

 afloat." Gas bubbles aid in detaching the staminate flowers and in 

 bringing them promptly to the surface of the water ; while pollen grains 

 floating near to the female flowers are brought into contact with the 

 stigmas by means of gravity.— G. H. 



Embyro-sac in Hybrids, Obliteration of the.— By G. Tischler 

 (Beih. Bot. Cent. xv. pp. 408-420; with one plate). — G. Tischler found 

 that four hybrid plants— Cytisus Adami, two species of Syringa, and Bibes 

 Gordonianum — are quite unable to produce seed on account of the 

 embryo-sac being reduced to a narrow slit. — G. F. S.-E. 



Eneephalartos Lemarinelianus. By E. Andre (Rev. Hort. 

 pp. 58-59, Feb. 1, 1904 ; 1 woodcut). — A description and illustration of 

 a new Cycad from the Congo. A fine robust species, with serrate sub- 

 divisions, rendering it, to judge by the woodcut, a more feathery form 

 than C. rcvoluta. Fruit resembles large Pineapples. — C. T. D. 



Entomology in Connecticut, Economic. By W. E. Britton 



(U.S.A. Exp. 8tn. Conn., Bep. 1903, pp. 199-282; 8 plates).— A 

 transcript of the law concerning the inspection of nursery stock is given, 

 and brief notices of some of the insect pests of the year, together with 

 longer reports upon the more troublesome, some of which are noted 

 under other headings in these abstracts. One hundred and eighty-five 

 specimens of insects were received for identification during the year. 



F. J. C. 



Enzyme-secreting- Cells : A Study of these in the Seedlings 

 of Zea Mays and Phoenix dactylifera. By Howard S. Reed (Ann. 

 Bot. xviii. April 1904, pp. 267-285 ; 1 plate).— The greater part of the 



