NOTES AND ABSTRACTS. 



179 



extraction with strong hydrochloric acid, which does not give the 

 total content. Fusion of the soil itself with an alkali is considered 

 to be probably the most correct process, though even this is liable to 

 error (p. 7). 



Taking into account the fact that an average crop of seed from 

 cereal plants removes from the soil about half as much sulphur trioxide 

 as phosphorus pentoxide, and that the straw removes a somewhat 

 larger quantity, while the Cruciferae are heavy sulphur-using plants 

 (p. 6), the authors hold that, compared with phosphorus, the amount 

 of sulphur at the disposal of crops in normal soils is, on the average, 

 lower (p. 8). 



To determine definitely the effect of continuous cropping on the 

 sulphur content of soils a number of analyses of cropped, virgin, and 

 manured soils have been made, and the results show that on an 

 average 40 per cent, of the sulphur trioxide has been lost from the 

 cropped soils (p. 12). Where farm manure, however, has been applied 

 in regular and fairly liberal quantities the sulphur content of the soil 

 has been maintained and even increased (p. 13). 



The amount of sulphur precipitated by rain, and the amount lost 

 by drainage, vary with the locality, but it is held that the grains from 

 the atmosphere cannot serve as a complete compensating factor for 

 the losses sustained by cropping and drainage (p. 16), and that future 

 systems of manuring will have to take this into account. 



The views outlined are given with extreme caution, and the authors 

 express the hope that further researches will be made (p. 21). — A. P. 



Sweet Pea Disease, A Study of some Gloeospopiums and 



theiP Relation to a. By J. J. Taubenhaus {Phytopathology, i. 6, 

 pp. 196-202; Dec. 1911; plates). — The " wilt" disease of sweet peas 

 was found to be associated with a species of Gloeosporhim. The 

 disease occurs on stems, flowers and pods, but principally on the latter. 

 The affected parts wilt and finally die from the tips of the younger 

 shoots downwards. The dead parts shrivel, and on these the fungus 

 fruits. The affected pods are at first dirty VN^hite, but assume a dull 

 colour later owing to the production of spores upon them. The seeds 

 of diseased pods shrivel and frequently fail to mature. 



The fungus was isolated and found to be identical with that pro- 

 ducing bitter rot of the apple (Glomerella rufomaculans), as Sheldon has 

 already shown. The experimental evidence is given in detail, and 

 appears to admit of no doubt as to this being the cause of the disease. 

 The Gloeosporhim from Podophyllum peliatum, G. gallarum from oak 

 galls, G. officinale from Sassafras were also found to cause the disease 

 when the spores were sprayed on the peas or were inoculated into the 

 plants by punctures. 



Glomerella psidii and the Gloeosporium from Persea failed to repro- 

 duce the disease. The spores are capable of surviving the winter, and 

 diseased pods were kept both in the laboratory and outdoors, and the 

 spores upon them found to be viable in the following spring. The 



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