NOTES AND ABSTRACTS. 



777 



Education, Horticultural, in Prussia (Jour. Bd. Agr., vol. xx. 

 No. 9, pp. 771-773). — A brief account is given of the facilities for 

 higher horticultural education at the Royal School for Gardeners at 

 Dahlem, the Royal Pomological Institute at Proskau, and the Royal 

 School for Fruit Cultivation, Vine-growing, and Gardening at Geisen- 

 heim-on-the-Rhine. — A. S. 



Electricity and Crop Production, Experiments on. By J. H. 



Priestley (Jour. Bd. Agr. vol. xx. No. 7, pp. 582-594). — Ex- 

 periments were carried out at Garforth during the summer of 1912 

 " to settle a very important point, hitherto neglected," viz. the exact 

 current which is delivered to plants by the overhead electrical dis- 

 charge. As soon as the current under the wire had been determined, 

 measurements in other parts of the field at varying distances from 

 the charged overhead wires were made. " These determinations 

 soon showed that the effect of the discharge could by no means be 

 looked upon as restricted to the area under the wires, but that on 

 a still day a current at least a thousand times the normal was to be 

 found at a distance of some thirty to fort}' yards out from the wires, 

 while on a windy day, even though the wind was comparatively 

 light, the current travelled out away from the wires down the wind 

 for quite unexpectedly long distances." These results are quite 

 capable of explaining the numerous discrepancies and contradictions 

 to be found in the literature of field experiments on electricity and 

 crop production, since they show that " a control area unaffected 

 by the discharge cannot be obtained within hundreds of yards on 

 the leeward side of the electrified area." 



The results are given of field experiments carried out at Dumfries 

 during 1912 with potatos, but, as the author points ou£, they cannot 

 be looked upon as decisive, since, in the light of the Garforth experi- 

 ments, the electrified and control areas probably have to be regarded 

 as virtually both electrified areas. 



The problem of how a genuine control area can be provided near 

 enough to the charged wires to be under similar conditions to the 

 electrified area as regards soil, climate, and exposure, is now being 

 made the subject of experiment. — A. S. 



Elm Die-back (Ueber Exosporium Ulmi n.sp.). By Prof. Dr. J. 

 Eriksson (Mycok Centralb. vol. i. pp. 35-42 ; 1912 ; plate). — The 

 attack of a new species of Exosporium called ulmi by the author, 

 upon the shoots of Ulmus Montana, U. montana exonensis, U. cam- 

 pestris, and U. effusa is described. The young shoots are caused to 

 die, and it is recommended to prune off and burn the affected parts 

 before the fungus fruits in March. — F. J. C. 



Epidendrum falcatum. By M. Ehinger (Orchis, vol. vii. 

 pt. v. pp. 70-72 ; 1 fig.). — Epidendrum falcatum has short branched 

 hanging stems and fleshy leaves. During the period of growth this 

 orchid requires warmth and plenty of moisture, In June and July 



