NOTES AND ABSTRACTS. 



317 



mixed with the lime-sulphur wash, but Paris green should not, as some of 

 the arsenic in the latter case would be lost. In order to avoid injury to 

 the foliage it is essential that the heating of the mixture should be 

 stopped as soon as the lime is slacked. — F. J. C. 



Saxifrages, Choice. By H. Correvon {Rev. Hort. t March 16, 1909, 

 pp. 126-128). — An interesting descriptive list, embracing S. Burseriana 

 major, rich red, S. Kotzchyi, S. sancta, S. pseudosancta, S. Elisabethae, 

 all good yellows, the last considered as the pearl of saxifrages. S. aretioides, 

 another yellow, is also highly recommended, as are S. Grisebachii and 

 S. Frederici-Augusti for their curious habit. — G. T. D. 



School Gardening 1 . By Miss S. B. Sipe (U.S.A. Dep. Agr., Off. of 

 Exp. Stn., Bull. 204 ; February 1909 ; figs.). — Contains an account of 

 of the impressions of school gardening gathered by an American teacher 

 on a visit to England to study junior rural education. English teachers 

 will value the criticisms made, though some appear to be based on in- 

 sufficient knowledge. — F. J. G. 



Seed-pickling 1 ; Influence of Various Fungicides on Ger- 

 mination Capacity and Disinfection of Cereal Grains. By H. P. 



Burmester (Zeit.f. Pflanzkr. vol; xviii. No. 3, 1908, pp. 184-7).— Eleven 

 methods for treating grains of barley, oats, and wheat for prevention of 

 smut, &c, were investigated from the points of view of their effect on the 

 germinating power of the seed and of its disinfection. Copper sulphate 

 applied in various ways gave good results, but must be used cautiously 

 with machine-threshed wheat. Formalin was equally good, and in some 

 respects would work better in practice. The others were practically of 

 no value. Particularly the hot-air and hot- water methods of treatment 

 which have lately been highly spoken of are shown not to possess the 

 great advantages claimed for them. — G. H. P. 



Seepage and Drainage, By E. T. Tannatt and R. D. Kneale 

 (U.S.A. Agr. Exp. St., Bull. 76; February 1909).— Thousands of acres 

 of some of the best agricultural lands of the State have become practically 

 unproductive owing to excessive moisture in the soil, and this pamphlet 

 deals in a masterly way with the most approved methods of drainage and 

 general improvement of such lands for agricultural purposes. — A. D. W. 



Shrubs, &c, American Native (U.S.A. Hort. Soc, Wisconsin; 

 Trans. 1907). — Considerable information concerning native American 

 plants is given in the form of papers read at the meetings of the Wisconsin 

 Horticultural Society. — F. J. G. 



Soil Carbonates, The Action of Water and Aqueous Solutions 



upon. By F. K. Cameron and J. M. Bell (U.S.A. Dep. Agr., Bur. of 

 Soils, Bull. 49 ; November 1907). — This bulletin is in continuation of 

 previous ones concerning the solubility of sulphates and phosphates of 

 calcium and is upon the same lines as those. A great mass of experimental 

 data is given and the general conclusions arrived at are summarized. 

 The presence of carbon dioxide, sodium chloride and sodium sulphate, 



