380 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



the texture of soils by coagulating clay soils, rendering them more pervious to 

 moisture and increasing the water-holding properties of light soils ; (2) its chemical 

 effect in correcting the acidity of soils; (3) its biological influence in promoting 

 the activity of nitrifying bacteria. A caution is given with regard to its use 

 with certain plants, e.g. foxglove and Erica, which dislike lime, and it is noted 

 that lime has been found to have a distinctly bad effect upon the yield of potatos. 



Lord Sherborne, however, March 14, p. 126, points out that Erica carnea 

 grows freely in the Cotswolds on limestone soil ; while J. D., March 21, 1914, p. 

 143, has found liming beneficial to potato crops. — H. R. D. 



Liming the Soil on a Crop of Clover, The Effect of. By F. W. Morse {U.S.A. 

 Agr. Exp. Stn., Mass., Bull. 161, April 1915, PP- 11 9-1 2 4). —This paper shows 

 that liming a soil increases the size of the clover plants and that the percentage 

 of nitrogen is increased when the soil is so treated, or on soils without an 

 application of nitrogen, or when supplied with sulphate of ammonia. The in- 

 crease in the assimilation of nitrogen was apparently prcmoted by the acticn 

 of the lime on the properties of the soil, and not by its action within the plants. 



A. B. 



Manuring Fruit Trees {Queensland Agr. Jour. *Aug. 1914, pp. 141-143). — 



The results of experiments by Mr. Alfred Thiessen, of Geeveston, Tasmania, on 

 apple trees, started 1912, three plot trials as follows: — No. 1 left unmanured; 

 No. 2 received per tree 3 lb. superphosphate, 2 lb. bone-dust, £ lb. sulphate of 

 ammonia, i \ lb. sulphate of potash; No. 3 received 3 lb. superphosphate, 2 lb. 

 bone-dust, £ lb. sulphate of ammonia. 



The yields calculated from an acre were for the first year : Plot 1, 560 cases; 

 Plot 2, 800 cases ; Plot 3, 667 cases. The yields for the second year were equal 

 to Plot 1, 525 cases ; Plot 2, 1,022 cases ; Plot 3, 915 cases. In the second year 

 the trees on Plot 2 complete fertilizer received an additional 1 \ lb. sulphate of 

 potash.— C. H. H. 



Melon Fly, Life-History of. By E. A. Back and C. E. Pemberton ( Jour. Agr. 

 Res. iii. Dec. 1914, p. 269) .—Bactrocer a cucurbit ae Coq. causes great damage 

 to water melons and cantaloupes ; pumpkins and cucumbers are also attacked. 

 The fly oviposits both in the young fruit and in the unopened flower, in the stem 

 and even in the seedlings of the water-melon and cantaloupe. Entire fields in 

 Hawaii have been killed by the larvae boring into the plants. Beans, peas, 

 peaches, papayas and other soft fruits are liable to attack. Full outlines of the 

 life-history are given. The wrapping of the young fruits in cloth or paper, or 

 burying them in the soil, has met with some success. — F. J. C. 



Milton, Flowers of. By Canon Ellacombe {Gard. Chron. July 17, 31, 

 August 7, 14, and 21, pp. 33, 69, 89, 99, 113). — An alphabetical enumeration 

 of all the plants mentioned by Milton, with short notes for identification or 



illustration of the names. — E. A. B. 



Mosaic Disease of Tobacco, Effect of Dilution upon the Infectivity of the Virus 



of. By H. A. Allard {Jour. Agr. Res. iii. Jan. 1915, p. 295). — Dilutions of 

 the virus 1 part in 1000 of water produced infection as readily as did un- 

 diluted virus, but 1 part in 10,000 is less readily infective. Enzymic activities 

 are held by many to be the source of the disease, but the author considers 

 parasitism responsible and " by far the simplest and most reasonable explanation 

 of its origin." The parasite has not, so far, been isolated. — F. J. C. 



Mulberry Blight, The South African. By E. M. Doidge {Ann. Appl. Biol. 

 ii. pp. 1 1 3-1 24, July 1 91 5 ; plates). — A disease characterized by the death 

 of the tips of many branches and the appearance of brown spots on the 

 foliage attacks certain mulberries in South Africa, black mulberries {Morus nigra) 

 being especially liable to attack. Spraying with fungicides has proved unavailing. 

 A bacillus identical apparently (except for the number of flagellar) with Bacterium 

 Mori was isolated and is regarded as the cause of the disease. Probably prxning 

 away of diseased twigs would prove the most effective remedy. — F. J. C. 



Nodule Bacteria, Six Different Species of. By H. Garman and Mary Didlake 

 {U.S.A. Agr. Exp. Stn., Kentucky, Bull. 184, pp. 343-363, Aug. 1914 ; 7 figs.). — 

 This paper describes the various organisms producing nodules on the roots of 

 various Leguminosae, including specific organisms on the roots of Alfalfa (Lucerne), 

 Clover, Garden Pea, Vetch, Soya Bean, Garden Bean, and Cow-pea. A series 

 of interesting experiments for the cultivation of the bacteria producing the 

 nodules under sterile conditions are described. The sterilization of the large 

 seeds used in the experiments presented much difficulty, but treatment with 



