NOTES AND ABSTRACTS. 



485 



Indian botanic stations send out cuttingy, seeds, and grafted plants, and 

 have materially assisted the development of the agriculture of the 

 islands. 



In addition to this they have been useful in piuxhasing seed for 

 sale at cost price to planters and peasants and in exchanging desirable 

 varieties of plants from one island to another. 



In St. Lucia there has been an increasing demand for coffee; in 

 Montserrat for bay trees, in Antigua for limes and cocoa-nuts and forest 

 trees. In St. Vincent the demand for permanent types of economic 

 plants was Jess than formerly, though still considerable. The decline 

 can be clearly traced to the extension of the sea island cotton industry. 



G. H. L. 



Eelworms. By T. W. Kirk and A. H. Cockayne {Dep. Agr. 

 New Zealand, Bull. 20; illus. ; 1909). — Eelworms and their eggs 

 possess remarkable vitality, for they can survive three or more years 

 of desiccation. They attack many kinds of plants, including potatos, 

 wheat, oats, hops, clover, and onions. 



Methods of control are extremely difficult, but the following are 

 useful : — 



1. Eotation of crops, extending to six or even eight years' interval 

 between the same species. 



2. Infested refuse should be destroyed. 



3. Deep ploughing. 



4. Kainit and sulphate of potash have been found to check the 

 increase of eelworms. 



5. A trap crop of beet which can be destroyed before the pest has 

 l)red and escaped again into the soil. — C. H. L. 



Elm-leaf Beetle, The Imported (Galerucella luteola MiilL). 

 By 0. L. Marlatt (U.S.A. Dep. Agr., Bur. Entom., Circ. 8, revised 

 Sept. 22", 1908 ; 1 fig.). — This insect is easily subjected to treatment in 

 nearly every stage of its life-history. The best means of extermination 

 consists of spraying the foliage with Paris green. — V. G. J. 



Enzymes. By Dr. F. G. Kohl (Beih. Bot. Cent. xxv. 1. Abt. 

 Heft ii. pp. 115-126; 1910). — Details are given of certain important 

 experiments which seem to show that the enzyme, katalase, when 

 acting upon grape-sugar produces lactic acid. Oxalic acid may also 

 be formed by change of the lactic acid through the action of some 

 oxidizing ferment, possibly the katalase. 



This important paper is apparently the last by this distinguished 

 authority on ferments and fermentation, for his death is recorded in 

 Ibis volume.— G. F. S.-E. 



Euonymus Scale, The {Ghionaspis euonymi, Oomstock). By 

 J. G. Sanders, M.A. {U.S.A. Dep. Agr., Bur. Entom., Circ. 114; 

 Nov. 24, 1909 ; 2 figs.). — The most serious enemy of the various species 

 and varieties of Euonymus in the Eastern United States is commonly 



