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Extracted alfalfa saponins and leaf meal extracts from alfalfa influenced the growth rate of some fungi more than others. Of seven fungi whose growth rate was studied on media to which different concentrations of extracted alfalfa saponins or Leeben, a commercial saponin, were added, only Trichoderma viride was fonnd highly sensitive at concentrations below 1 mg of saponin per milliliter of medium.A correlation coefficient of —0.952** was found between the growth of T. viride on 2% potato‐dextrose‐agar containing leaf meal extracts from 36 F1 and S1 plant families and saponin percentage. This, together with a correlation coefficient of —0.922** between the growth of T. viride on media containing leaf meal extracts from individual alfalfa plants and saponin percentage, suggests the use of T. viride for bioassays for saponins.

White‐flowered alfalfa was equal to colored‐flowered alfalfa in attracting nectar‐collecting honeybees, but less attractive for pollen‐collecting leaf‐cutting bees. Comparisons of white‐ and colored‐flowered alfalfa for percentage of stainable pollen, nectar sugar per flower, and pollen extrusion were not significantly different. Cross‐pollination was higher for honey bees than leaf‐cutting bees (45.4%:41.2%), but seed production was higher for leaf‐cutting bees (315 g:265 g). Cross‐pollination but not seed yield was affected by the bee by variety interaction. This highly significant interaction occurred because cross‐pollination of white‐flowered alfalfa paired with ‘Uinta’ alfalfa pollinated by leaf‐cutting bees was low, but high when pollinated by honey bees. The percentage of crossing on spaced white‐flowered alfalfa plants as determined by colored hypocotyls was 54.9, with a standard error of 1.8. This compares with a value of 74.4% for hand‐crossed seed without emasculation.

Interest in the oxidation of aromatic amines has been renewed by the work of Akerfeldt (1, 2) with the in vitro oxidation of N,N-dimethyl-p-phenylenediamine dihydrochloride (DPP) by the serum of normal and schizophrenic patients. Since a survey of the literature failed to reveal any published data concerning this oxidation reaction in the case of children, we have examined the sera from 23 children hospitalized because of psychiatric illness. The group ranged in age from 6 to 13 years. There were 5 female and 18 male children.The Akerfeldt test (1) was modified slightly to yield a final solution of serum and DPP whose pH was between 7.00 and 7.15 (3). Three parameters were used in the analysis of the biochemical data. The first was the value of the slope when the optical density at 552 mgx was plotted against time. The second was the length of lag period which resulted in the majority of cases prior to the oxidation of DPP. The optical density at 552 mLt, determined 5 minutes after the addition of DPP to the serum, served as the final parameter. The length

Although herbage proteins are generally recognized as foaming agents in pasture bloat, a possible secondary role for saponins has not been ruled out. The role of saponins in pasture bloat was re-examined by feeding rumen-fistulated cattle fresh herbage from high saponin (HS) and low saponin (LS) near-isogenic strains of alfalfa.Each alfalfa strain was fed to six animals for 100 days. Feeds from the two alfalfa strains differed significantly in saponin concentration but were equal in protein concentration. At |.5-2 h after feeding, the cattle were examined for the occurrence of frothy rumen ingesta and for bloat. The HS alfalfa produced 86

Six alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) cultivars, ‘DuPuits,’ ‘Ladak,’ ‘Lahontan,’ ‘Ranger,’ ‘Uinta,’ and ‘Vernal’ were selected for low and high saponin concentration and tested at various locations for seven agronomic traits and resistance to six diseases, five insects, and two nematodes. Although the selection for saponin concentration was effective, none of the agronomic traits (yield, foliage color, frost damage, lodging, digestibility, fraction I protein, and soluble protein) was consistently affected by the selection. High saponin concentration retarded the in vitro growth of southern blight (Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc.) but had very little effect on any of the other disease organisms studied: anthracnose (Colletrotrichum trifolii Bain); bacterial wilt (Corynebacterium insidiosum (Mc‐Cull.) H. L. Jens.); common leafspot (Pseudopeziza medicaginis (Lib.) Sacc.); downy mildew (Peronospora trifoliorum deBary); and phytophthora root rot (Phytoph‐thora megasperma Drechs.). High saponin concentration was also correlated with resistance to pea aphids (Acyr‐thosiphon pisum (Harris)) but had no appreciable effect on chalcids (Bruchophagus roddi (Gussakovsky)), clover root curculio (Sitona hispidulus (F.)), spotted alfalfa aphid (Therioaphis maculata (Buckton)), alfalfa weevil (Hypera postica (Gyllenhal)), northern root‐knot nematode (Meloildogyne hapla Chitwood), or stem nematode (Ditylenchus dipsaci (Kühn) Filip.). Significant correlations among the pest resistance traits suggest the possibility of linkages or pleiotropic factors.

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creeping-rooted cultivar, 'Rambler,' survived better than three Selected cultivars and strains of alfalfa were seeded at five locations in Northern Utah during 1953 and 1954. Average annual other strains for 5 years on sites that received 32 and 38 cm precipitation ranged from 20 to 36 cm. Observations and detailed pxcipitation per year during the experiment. These plantings plant counts showed a decline in alfalfa stand densities at four of were not subjected to grazing, but were cut twice each year. the five sites. The reduction in plant density at two sites was Pearse (1965) showed a picture of a 2,430-hectare field of attributed primarily to livestock grazing and to severe damage by alfalfa in a 20-cm rainfall zone of the USSR that had remained rabbits. Moisture stress was an additional factor at two other sites. productive after 6 years. The method of utilization of the alfalfa Plant density has remained high at the fifth location for 23 years. Was not indicated.