NOTES AND ABSTRACTS. 



635 



salts the immersed roots do not grow at all, while the leaves, if not 

 in contact with the solution, often grow well at the start. 



When a plant is grown in mixtures of two equally toxic solutions, 

 there may or may not be " antagonism." If not, the mixture has 

 the same effect on growth as the pure solutions themselves. 



The author explains how the antagonistic effect may be measured. 



In the second paper a method of calculating the antagonistic 

 effects of three poisonous solutions is explained. The author figures 

 a solid model showing the forms of the antagonism curves in all possible 

 mixtures of certain solutions of sodium, potassium, and calcium 

 chlorides. 



The third paper deals with the effect of concentration on the form 

 of the antagonism curve. A solid model, of which an illustration is 

 given, gives a complete description of the changes in growth produced 

 by diluting the various mixtures. As the solutions become more 

 dilute the antagonism curve becomes flatter. Growth in strong 

 solutions is more satisfactory as a criterion of antagonism than in 

 those which are more dilute. — G. F. S. E. 



Pollination in Orchards. By F. J. Chittenden (Ann. Appl. 

 Biol. i. pp. 37-42 ; May I9I4).~A review of the present condition 

 of our knowledge regarding pollination in orchards is given, and a 

 statement of the problems that await solution.— -F. /. C. 



Population, The Agricultural, of England and Wales [Jour. 

 Bd. Agr. vol. xxi. No. 5, pp. 408-418). — ^The article discusses the 

 Census returns under the following headings : {a) The Extent of 

 the Increase in the Agricultural Population ; {b) The Proportion of 

 the Agricultural to the Total Population ; {c) The Employment of 

 Women and Children in Agriculture. 



The number of (male) nurserymen, seedsmen, florists, market 

 and other (but not domestic) gardeners in 191 1 was 140,103 as compared 

 with 123,125 in 1901, an increase of some 17,000. It is practically 

 certain that this is an understatement of the increase in view of the 

 fact that the Census records an apparent increase in domestic gardeners 

 of some 31,000. some proportion of which was certainly due to a more 

 definite return in 191 1. Taking the total number of males working 

 in gardens, whether in market gardens, nursery gardens, or in domestic 

 service, the increase appears to have been from 211,025 to 258,842. 

 The counties having the largest numbers in 1911, classified under the 

 heading " nurserymen, seedsmen, and florists " (from which are 

 excluded, as far as possible, florists who are only shopkeepers or shop 

 assistants), were Middlesex (3750), Hertfordshire (2186), Surrey 

 (2147), Sussex (2135), Kent (1994), and Essex (1692) ; the counties 

 with the largest numbers classified as " Market Gardeners (including 

 Labourers)," were Worcestershire (3550), Hampshire (2122), Middlesex 

 (2062), Yorkshire W. R. (1900), Sussex (1828), Lancashire (1799), 



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