ments), and from the fact that it is transmitted on the seed from one crop to the next, I assumed it to be a recent importation. I confined myself to saying only that much in 1917, but in 1920 I stated textually:

I think, for example, that our black chaff of wheat is an importation from Russia. At least it should be searched for in that country. It was not observed in the wheat region west of the Mississippi River until after numerous importations of Russian wheats.1

Word now comes from Russia2 that this disease was observed in many localities in Russia in 1924. It occurred also in 1923 in the Crimea and he has found it on Russian wheat collected as long ago as 1916, Rjovzi, Government of Poltawa, and in wheat collected in 1910 in the province of Mohilew, Government of Elis-a-vetpol.

I quote from a translation as follows:

In 1924 the disease was noticed in the Kuban district, in the Don district, in the Governments of Charkow, Kiew and Woronesh. There remains no doubt whatsoever that this form of bacteriosis exists in Russia, where it is evidently widely distributed for a long time.

Janczewsky thinks he has also observed it on wheat collected in Sunpan, China, in 1893.

A. Kusmenko, in a letter to K. S. Flaksberger, cited by Dr. Janczewsky, writes as follows:

This summer, while working in the Ivanow Agricultural Experiment and Breeding Station, where there is a large collection of wheats, I have observed an exceedingly interesting fact of pigmentation of many winter wheats which I wish to communicate to you.

The pigmentation (coloring of glumes and beards into dark color) was exclusively observed on red wheats and consisted in that the entire (or part of the) beard or of the glume (or both together) blackened on the given

The bacteria have been found not only in the glumes but also in the kernels.

The black chaff, therefore, occurs, according to Professor Janczewsky, the well-known Russian mycologist, in eight widely separated localities in southwest Russia, to wit, in the provinces of Crimea, Kuban, Don, Charkow, Woronesh, Poltawa, Kiew

1""Bacterial Diseases of Plants," W. B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia and London, 1920, p. 66.

2 Janczewsky, Bull. Applied Botany and Plant Breeding, Vol. 14, No. 1, pp. 377-385.

localities marked by a cross. From this it will be seen that the disease occurs in that part of Russia explored by Mr. Mark Alfred Carleton for the U. S. Department of Agriculture in 1898 and again in 1900, and from which under his direction we imported large quantities of hard wheats for planting in our semi-arid west. The disease, according to Dr. Janczewsky, undoubtedly occurs in other parts of Russia.

I have always considered Mr. Carleton's work to be the most far-reaching and practical piece of work ever done by the Bureau of Plant Industry, since in a district in our west stretching from Texas to North Dakota and covering several degrees of longitude, through his energy and ability, we now grow annually 100,000,000 bushels of the Russian hard wheats, where previously we did not grow any.

I write this not to condemn Mr. Carleton but only to point out that, if our government were as intelligent as it ought to be (few governments have much foresight), we should now have agents scouring the whole world studying all sorts of crops and crop diseases so that in future when we import valuable ornamental plants and food plants we may do so without at the same time bringing in their parasites. Had we known of this Russian wheat disease in 1889 we should have imported the Russian hard wheats more slowly and grown the plants in quarantine first and so have avoided introducing the parasite along with the grain. In similar ways we might have avoided the introduction of a dozen very destructive parasites which have come to us from the old

of world in the last three decades. The United States, even at the present time, is very derelict in making explorations in foreign countries for the benefit of its citizens and the conservation of its industries, but if we would lead the world, we must change our policy. Japan is the only country thoroughly awake to the need of foreign exploration. Her scholars are in every quarter of the globe, dozens of them, picking up every grain of information possible for use in the mother country. It is much to be regretted that we have not already adopted the same far-sighted and commendable policy.

edi

C

where Poisson's constant is taken as 0.25.1 In the Rayleigh wave the particle vibrates in an ellipse in a vertical plane which contains the direction of propagation. Uller2 has also found theoretically a value for the velocity of surface waves which varies inversely with the square root of the density.

Now Angenheister3 found a greater velocity under the Pacific than under Asia for both types of surface waves, the L and M groups. He also found for nearby earthquakes a greater velocity for the preliminary groups for an under-sea path. Tams1 and Visser have also found the L group to have a greater

1 G. Angenheister, "A Study of Pacific Earthquakes,” New Zealand Journal of Science and Technology, Vol. 4, No. 5, 1921; also J. H. Jeans, "The Propagation of Earthquake Waves," Proc. Royal Soc. London, A, Vol. 102, 1923.

2 Karl Uller, Annalen der Physik, Folge 4, 56, 1918, S. 463.

3 Op. cit.

4 E. Tams, Centralblatt für Mineralogie, Geologie und Paläontologie, Jahrgang, 1921, 2, S. 51.

5 S. W. Visser, "On the Distribution of Earthquakes,' Batavia, 1921.

velocity for sub-oceanic paths. Gutenberg found for the Chilean earthquake a greater velocity in the M group for a Pacific path than for a path under South America, the Atlantic and Europe. He found the velocity of the L group to be independent of path. But it is important to notice that the phase of very long waves identified by him as the L group, and checked by the writer, are of greater velocity than the group which has usually been identified as L. Thus it is apparently not the group identified as L by other investigators, as Gutenberg suggests. The new velocity is 4.35 to 4.4 For oceanic paths Angenheister found a still greater velocity for L but a lesser velocity for continental paths.

km sec

It seems established then that for at least part of the surface waves the velocity under the Pacific is greater than the velocity under continents.

Some writers have cited this increase of velocity under the Pacific as evidence that the density is there greater than under the continents."

But from this increase alone the conclusion would be that of a less density beneath the ocean, since the velocity varies inversely with the square root of the density. It is only when we compare with gravitational measurements which indicate a greater density for ocean bottoms that we are forced to conclude that the greater velocity of seismic waves beneath the Pacific should be explained, as we explain the velocity increase with depth in the earth, by an increase in the elastic constants λ and μ which more than compensates for the increase in density.8

Thus we see that the increased velocity of seismic waves beneath the Pacific can not be cited as an evidence of greater density beneath oceans than beneath continents.

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

PERRY BYERLY

THE TREATMENT OF WART DISEASE OF POTATOES WITH SULPHUR

IN the "Annals of Applied Biology," XII, 2, 1925, a paper was published by Roach, Glynne, Brierley and Crowther entitled "Experiments on the Control of Wart Disease of Potatoes by Soil Treatment with Particular Reference to the Use of Sulphur." In 1922

6"Das Erdbeben in der chilenischen Provinz Atacama am 10. November, 1922,” Veröffentlichungen der Reichsanstalt für Erdbebenforschung in Jena, heft 3, 1924.

7N. H. Heck, "Earthquakes of 1925," Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, Vol. 15, No. 2, June, 1925, page 107; also Alfred Wegener, "The Origin of Continents and Oceans," English translation, Methuen and Co., Ltd., London, 1925, page 35.

• Angenheister, op. cit.

treatment of a light soil at Ormskirk with sulphur had given promising results, whilst in 1924 the amount of disease was reduced from 73 per cent. in untreated soil to 8 per cent. with an incorporation of 10 cwts of sulphur per acre and to less than 4 per cent. with 20 cwts sulphur per acre. On a heavy clay at Hatfield clean plots were obtained with an application of 40 cwts per acre. During the past season a larger experiment has been carried out to test these results and the deductions drawn from them and to determine whether the effect be a permanent one. As we have learned that experiments are being set up in other countries to test the efficacy of this sulphur treatment it is desirable that the discrepant results obtained by us this season should be known as soon as possible. In our test at Ormskirk the following arrangement was adopted.

In the untreated plots the plants grew well and were heavily warted. In the treated plots a first set of tubers planted in May and a second set planted in July almost entirely failed to grow. The surviving plants showed in all plots considerable amounts of wart disease, although much less than in the control areas. At Hatfield two tons of sulphur per acre was applied; the crop was damaged and a considerable amount of wart disease was present.

Unavoidable differences in the conditions (seasonal, manurial, etc.) under which the work was carried out in 1924 and in 1925 suggest certain explanations of these results, but we are not in a position to say that any one of them is correct. The results already published are not of course invalidated, but it is clear that the sulphur treatment can not, in the absence of further information on the soil and other factors involved, be regarded as a reliable method for freeing soil of the parasite causing wart disease. A more detailed account of our work will be published in the "Annals of Applied Biology," XIII, 2, 1926.

W. A. ROACH WM. B. BRIERLEY

ROTHAMSTED EXPERIMENTAL STATION, HARPENDEN

THE ATTITUDE OF THE ELECTRICAL RAILWAY COMPANIES ON ELECTROLYSIS THE creed of the scientist and the engineer always has been to follow unbiasedly Truth, wherever she may lead, so that in solving any problem the engineer seeks to obtain the whole truth and then to act according to that truth.

However, certain incidents seem to show that there is a tendency not to follow literally this much respected and necessary ideal, where the problem being studied lies between directly interested parties. This is very regrettable, since a suppression of data, obtainable by one group but not by the other, necessarily inhibits the solution of any engineering or scientific problem. Moreover, such an attitude among men of science loses the confidence of the public and lessens their respect.

This departure from our creed has been forcibly brought to my attention by recent incidents which have occurred in Los Angeles in connection with studies on corrosion by stray current electrolysis.

The electrolytic conditions of Los Angeles have been and are such as to demand the attention of all metallic substructure owning companies and the electric railway companies, and therefore, engineers in general.

The Los Angeles Section of The American Institute of Electrical Engineers decided to have an academic paper on the general subject of "Electrolysis," presented at one of its monthly meetings. I was asked to prepare and present such a paper.

Upon hearing that the subject of electrolysis was to be presented locally and before it was known what was to be said, the engineering representatives of the electric railways held an indignation meeting, criticized the action of the local section of the A. I. E. E. in scheduling the subject of electrolysis and resolved not to attend the meeting.

I prepared copies of the address and presented them to the engineering representatives of both the railway companies and the public utility companies owning affectable structures so that they could prepare any discussion or raise any objections prior to the presentation of the paper. Up until the time of giving to the railway companies these copies of the proposed address, I knew nothing of the attitude that they had taken.

Upon learning their view of the matter, wishing to have the railways' representatives at the meeting and not desiring to jeopardize the cooperation between any of the parties, I offered to cancel all parts of the paper to which the railway companies objected. They had very few objections to the paper, but all parts that they did object to were cancelled. All reference to Los Angeles was omitted. However, the railway companies were not satisfied and

were not present at the meeting on January 5, 1926, when the paper was presented. The railway companies made it plain that what they objected to was any mention whatever of the subject of 'electrolysis. They offered as their excuse that the subject was a personal one and against the ethics of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers to study or discuss it. Evidently they forgot that the American Committee on Electrolysis, which published a unanimous report in 1921, was organized by and worked under the auspices of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, and that on this committee were representatives of the American Electric Railway Association and the American Railway Engineering Association.

If the attitude herein presented is held by the electric railways of America, then the stray current electrolysis problem will have to be solved in the courts of law, which is not believed to be an ideal

and main works of 150 scientists of the sixteenth to nineteenth century, as author of "Geschichte der Physik," edited after the author's death by W. Barentin and published in 1879, and as a scientist, who by his own inventions and investigations will never be forgotten, no one was better fitted for such a gigantic task. It took Poggendorff fifteen years of his spare time to complete the first two volumes. The third volume was edited by Dr. W. W. Feddersen and Professor A. J. von Oettingen, the fourth volume by von Oettingen alone, and the present volume by Professor T. Weinmeister. Of course a biographical work of such a character could not be compiled by one man and all the editors gratefully acknowledge the great help rendered them by many scholars in different countries.

The principles which guided the editors in their program are of the greatest importance. The titlepages of Volumes 1, 2 and 3, which are almost iden

neering or scientific problem.

I would like to learn the opinions of other engineers and scientists in regard to this matter.

IRA D. VAN GIESEN BUREAU OF WATER WORKS & SUPPLY, DEPARTMENT OF WATER & POWER, CITY OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

SCIENTIFIC BOOKS

J. C. Poggendorff's Biographisch-literarisches Handwörterbuch für Mathematik, Astronomie, Physik, Chemie und verwandte Wissenschaftsgebiete. Bd. V: 1904-1922. Redigiert von Professor Dr. P. WEINMEISTER. I. Abtlg.: A-K. Leipzig, Verlag Chemie, 1925.

For those who are engaged in scientific reference work "Poggendorff's Biographisch-literarisches Handwörterbuch zur Geschichte der exacten Wissenschaften

aller Völker und Zeiten" is an indispensable tool. The first two volumes were published in parts. The printing commenced in 1858 and the last part was issued in 1863. The third volume, covering the period from 1858 to 1882, was published in 1898 and the fourth volume, dealing with the period from 1883 to 1902/3, was published in 1904. The war and the war's aftermath caused a temporary discontinuance of this monumental undertaking, but we hail now with great satisfaction the appearance of the first part (A-K) of the fifth volume, which embraces the years 1904-1922.

The conception of this work originated with Johann Christian Poggendorff (1796-1877). As editor of the "Annalen der Physik und Chemie" (1824-1876), as author of "Lebenslinien zur Geschichte der exacten Wissenschaften" (1853), which contained the dates

isches Handwörterbuch is only devoted to the representatives of the exact sciences and enumerates mathematicians, astronomers, physicists, geometricians, mineralogists, geologists, etc. In Volumes 3 and 4 after the geologists the geographers are named. On the title page of the fifth volume the words "exacte Wissenschaften" are omitted and the title reads "Biographisch-literarisches Handwörterbuch Mathematik, Astronomie, Physik, Chemie, und verwandte Wissenschaftsgebiete."

zur

In the classification and history of sciences there were generally two divisions recognized: The exact sciences and the cultural sciences (Geisteswissenschaften). With the growth of our fields of knowledge and by a changed conception of different branches of science the term "exact sciences" has lost its old meaning and application. For this reason it seemed to be proper to replace the term "exact sciences" by the term "natural sciences," which is subdivided into "descriptive natural science" and "exact natural science." It was Virchow who said, "Every science is natural science." Taking this into consideration, let us see how Poggendorff and his successors in the editorship of the Handwörterbuch proceeded. In the introduction of the first volume Poggendorff states precisely that scientists whose works dealt with the living nature (lebende Natur) were excluded. This principle-very regrettable-eliminated anthropologists, biologists, botanists and zoologists. The editors of the third volume, Drs. Feddersen and von Oettingen, adhered to the same principle outlined by Poggendorff, although they had received some communications protesting against the undue preference of mathematicians, physicists, etc. On the other hand, they recognized the difficulties facing them in the

proper consideration of the allied sciences (Grenzgebiete). The single editor of the fourth volume (1883-1902/3), Dr. von Oettingen, has followed in the footsteps of his predecessors. In the fifth volume, edited by Dr. P. Weinmeister under the auspices of the Saxon Academy of Sciences in Leipzig and other academies, there are further limitations in the scope of the work. "To prevent the increase in the volume we have taken less consideration of the allied sciences." This policy of the editor and the academies which fathered the new volume is in my opinion a great mistake.

With the publication of Volume 5, the time had come not to limit but to widen the scope of the Handwörterbuch. Physical anthropology, biology (animal, botanical and human), comparative zoology, physiology, medical chemistry and entomology-these subjects should not have been omitted.

On the other hand, the new volume considered from

a bibliographical standpoint deserves the highest praise and is a worthy successor to the previous volumes of this monumental work.

The policy of the previous editors to request scientists, especially those living outside of Germany, to prepare their own biographical statement was continued in this volume, without consideration of political boundaries. “Real science does not know political boundaries," says the editor. All the requests were answered and there will be found quite a number of original contributions by American, Belgian, English and French scholars.

In the preface of the fourth volume the editor recommends, in case the work should be continued, that for each branch of science to be dealt with an advisory board should be appointed to decide on the names to be included. It seemed that this suggestion was not carried out in the fifth volume. For the publication of future volumes I would like to recommend the election of such a board in each country, which would prevent regrettable omissions.

Extensive tables give the deposits in grams per square dekameter for each month, or metric tons per hundred square kilometers. It is noted first that Birmingham, farthest from the sea, has least chlorine both for the past year and in the general average for five years. A rather curious relation appears to exist between the amount of sulphate deposited from the air and the amount of total impurity. The greater the total impurity, the lower the percentage of sulphates. Also there appears to be an inverse relation between percentage of carbonaceous matter and sulphates.

The effect of wind on impurity is graphically brought out by plotting the mean values of the suspended matter for all observations at particular wind velocities against wind velocity in meters per second. The result is a curve, the equation of 0.55 which is I= + 0.27, I being the concentration in V milligrams per cubic meter and V the velocity in

meters per second.

It is remarkable that this curve indicates a variation of the concentration of impurity inversely as the first power of the wind and not as some higher power, which one would expect if there had been free lateral and vertical spread of the smoke as well as the stretch

ing-out downwind. The actual results show what a profound effect wind has on concentration.

When the wind drops below one meter per second in winter, a smoke haze or fog in London appears almost inevitable under present conditions.

From some experiments made by Dr. Owens, assuming that the density of the particles is 1, and the average diameter 0.8 micron, the velocity of settlement will be 0.003 centimeters per second and the number falling on one square centimeter per minute should be 2880. Actual results are greatly in excess of the theoretical number, indicating that other factors are operative.

"London Particular," it appears, is found by a replacement of water particles by smoke and not by a dirtying of the condensed water by smoke.

BLUE HILL OBSERVATORY

SPECIAL ARTICLES

A. MCADIE

THE IONS OF INERT GASES AS CATALYSTS IN SCIENCE of December 25, 1925, several gas reactions were reported in which we had found that the ions of certain inert gases, produced by radiating a mixture of inert and reactant gases with alpha rays,

2 To convert metric tons per hundred square kilometers multiply by 0.0256 to get English tons per square mile; 0.09 to get pounds per acre.