(580 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



of the crop. In each case the use of the nitrate was followed by largely 

 increased profits. 



The use of nitrate for forage crops is also discussed in this bulletin. 



E. F. H. 



Nitrogen, Assimilation of Atmospheric. By Prof. F. D. Chester 

 (U.S.A. St. Bd. Agric. Delaware, Rep. 1901-2, pp. 64-77).— This paper 

 gives a good summary of what is known regarding the work of bacteria in 

 the soil as regards nitrogen, and deals specially with leguminous plants, 

 nitragin, and alinit. The use of nitragin (a pure culture of the bacteria 

 which form nodules on roots of Peas, Beans, &c.) is deprecated except on 

 barren or worn-out soils, where for a first crop of any particular legume an 

 application may be beneficial. It is pointed out that alinit (a pure culture 

 of Bacillus ellenbachiensis, an organism having the power of fixing free 

 nitrogen), even if really efficacious at all, can have but very slight influence, 

 at any rate in a single year. The best results are usually to be obtained 

 by giving the organisms already present in the soil the best conditions for 

 their growth. — F. J. C. 



Nuclear Membrane, its Relationship to the Protoplast. By 



A. A. Lawson (Bot. Gaz. vol. xxxv. No. 5, p. 305, pi. xv.). — The author 

 traces the history of the formation of the fully-developed nucleus in the 

 spore mother-cell of Passiflora ccerulea, and of the archesporial cell of 

 Equisetum Umosum, from the arrival of the chromosomes at the poles 

 after mitosis. The chromosomes are at first free in the general 

 cytoplasm. They then fuse together into an irregular mass of chromatin ; 

 vacuoles are formed containing karyolymph. These unite, forming (in 

 Passiflora) a central vacuole with a superficial layer of chromatin. It is 

 at this stage where the author traces a procedure parallel to the formation 

 of vacuoles and the primordial layer of a cell. The chromatin now 

 becomes differentiated into masses, and the karyolymph comes in contact 

 with the bounding cytoplasm. At that moment the nuclear membrane 

 appears as a bounding layer of cytoplasm. The karyolymph increases in 

 quantity, while the chromatin becomes further differentiated inip the 

 spirem condition in preparation for a new division. Nucleoli appear 

 simultaneously with this last stage. 



In Equisetum, the vacuoles are numerous, and do not fuse into a 

 central one. 



The author concludes that the only part which is truly nuclear is the 

 chromatin, the nuclear membrane and the karyoplasm being non-existent 

 in the early stages, and lost later when the former becomes lost in the 

 cytoplasm. 



He thinks that this throws light upon the much-discussed question 

 whether bacteria and other low organisms have nuclei ; for chromatin-like 

 bodies have been detected, and may thus resemble the early stages of 

 nuclei-construction seen in higher plants. — G. H. 



Nutrition, Relation of the, to the Health of Plants. By A. F. 



Woods (U.S.A. Dep.Agr. Year Bk. 1901, p. 155 ; plates).— This is a really 

 valuable contribution dealing with an all-important subject, and the plates 

 arc particularly well done and sometimes coloured. The writer opens 



