NOTES AND ABSTRACTS. 



585 



devour the larvae, and they are eaten by the field vole (M. agrestis) in 

 the winter. — F. J. C. 



Lewisia Cotyledon. By W. B. Henisley (Bot. Mag. tab. 8220).— 

 Nat. ord. Portulacaceae. North America. Perennial herb, stemless ; 

 leaves fleshy, rosulate, inches long ; flower- scapes 4-5 inches 



high, 8-12 flowered ; flowers 1J inch diameter, white, with crowded 

 red lines. — G. H. 



Lime-sulphur Wash, Dipping- of Nursery Stock in. By P. J. 



Parrott, H. E. Hodgkiss, and W. J. Schoene (U.S.A. Exp. Stn. 

 Geneva, N.Y., Bull. 302; April 1908). — Comparisons between the 

 effect of dipping trees in the lime-sulphur wash, various miscible oils, 

 kerosene emulsion, and treatment with hydrocyanic acid gas for the 

 destruction of San Jose scale are reported. Note is also made of the 

 effect upon the trees. Attention was directed in the main towards the 

 effect of the lime-sulphur wash (of standard strength), and it was found 

 that immersion of the trees therein at temperatures ranging from 

 60°-120° F. for different times up to ten minutes, gave very variable 

 results as regards the scale, but immersion at 212° F. killed the scale. 

 The buds and bark were so severely injured at 212° F. that the trees 

 were ruined. Immersion of the roots in this wash was usually followed 

 by more or less severe injury at all temperatures ; but immersion of the 

 tops at temperatures up to " 120° F. entailed no injury to the trees. 

 Nurserymen are recommended to continue the use of hydrocyanic acid 

 gas as a fumigant in preference to this as a dip. — F. J. C. 



Meeonopsis sinuata var. latifolia. By D. Prain (Bot. Mag. 

 tab. 8223). — Nat. ord. Papaveraceae ; tribe Eupapaveraceae. Himalaya. 

 Herb 1-4 feet high ; leaves many, radial, soon disappearing ; flowers in 

 raceme-like cymes ; petals 4, blue, 1^ inch long and 1 \ inch wide. — G. H. 



Mendelism in Corn Breeding", Practical Use of. By E. M. 



East, Ph.D. (U.S.A. Exp. Stn. Conn., Bien. Bep. 1907-8; pp. 406- 

 418). — It is found that in the characters which are concerned in the 

 selection of a marketable type of maize the dominant character is 

 completely dominant. Thus " flint " is dominant over " sweet," 

 "flint" over "dent," "dent" over "sweet," "purple" over "no 

 purple or white," "yellow" over "no yellow or white," "red" over 

 " no red or white." The occurrence of xenia permits of early selection 

 of the character desired, and rejection of hybrid seeds where necessary. 

 The law of segregation is found to work out, and more important still, 

 from a practical point of view, the law of purity is found to be constant, 

 so that a variety -having a combination of two of certain of the characters 

 mentioned above will be able to be selected out in the second year and 

 bred true in each following generation if kept from chance crossing. 



F. J. C. 



Moisture Equivalent of Soils. By L. L. Briggs and J. W. McLane 

 (U.S.A. Dep. Agr., Bur. Soils, Bull. 45; September 1907).— By the 

 " moisture equivalent of -soils " is meant the maximum percentage of 



