No. 1, October, 1920) AGRONOMY 5 



29. Neumeister, [ J. Die Verwendung des Ammoniak - Superphosphats als Kopf- 



diinger zu Winterroggen. [The use of ammonium superphosphate as the chief fertilizer for 

 winter rye.] Illustr. Landw. Zeilg. 39: 145-146. 1919. — As t lie result of three experiments in 

 the use of fertilizers for winter rye, the author considers ammonium superphosphate to be 

 promising as chief fertilizer. Additional experiments are being carried on. — John W. Roberts. 



30. Pantanelli, E. Utilizzazione della cannarecchia o sorgagna. [Utilization of Johnson 

 grass.] Staz. Sper. Agr. Ital. 52: 105-415. PI. IX. 1919.— A short note designed to draw- 

 attention to the possibility of utilizing Sorghum halepenee (L.) Pers. in the agricultural 

 explorations of dry countries. The plant is stated to be indigenous in Italy, but it has not been 

 considered as an agricultural crop up to the present time. Its utilization in America, how- 

 ever, shows its great possibilities for this purpose. — A. Bonazzi. 



31. Piper, C. V., and Lyman Carrier. Carpet grass. U. S. Dept. Agric. Farmers Bull. 

 1130. 12 p. 5 fig. 1920. — Carpet grass (Axonopus compressus (Swartz) Schlecht.) the most 

 important grass for permanent pasture in the Coastal Plain area of the South. Is not a native, 

 but was accidentally introduced from tropical America before 1830 and has spread gener- 

 ally over the Southern States. The plant requires a moist or at least not droughty soil and 

 succeeds better in such soils if sandy than any other pasture grass. The minimum tempera- 

 ture it will survive is about 10°F. Carpet-grass pastures are readily established in tilled 

 land by seeding at any time from early spring to late summer on a well-firmed seed bed, when 

 moisture conditions are favorable. On unbroken or stump land good results can be secured 

 by burning or mowing the tall native grasses, seeding at a favorable time, and then pasturing 

 to keep the native bunch grasses constantly short. Under this treatment the native grasses 

 are eradicated in one or two years and replaced by a pure stand of carpet grass. The carrying 

 capacity of good carpet-grass pasture is one cow to the acre for the five best months and one 

 cow to 2 acres for 3 to 5 months longer. Dallis grass, lespedeza, white clover, bur clover, 

 black medic, and Augusta vetch are desirable in mixture with carpet grass. Italian rye may 

 be used as a winter mixture, but needs to be sown each fall. Under some conditions redtop 

 should be used to precede carpet grass. Carpet-grass pastures should be grazed to their capac- 

 ity, as under heavy grazing the best condition is maintained. Bitterweed and dog fennel 

 are the only two w r eeds that seriously invade carpet-grass pastures. During the first two sea- 

 sons these weeds should be mowed before they ripen seeds. Thereafter they will cause but 

 little trouble, but mowing should be resorted to when necessary. Seed of carpet grass is 

 easily harvested by mowing and thrashing. Large areas of pure or nearly pure carpet grass 

 occur in several regions in the South. Up to the present the quantity of seed produced has 

 been only a fraction of that required. A comprehensive plan has been devised to increase 

 greatly the harvesting of seed, as the outstanding need to stimulate a much greater use of car- 

 pet grass for pasture is an ample seed supply. — Authors' summary. 



32. Roberts, Herbert F. Yellow-berry in hard winter wheat. Jour. Agric. Res. 18: 

 155-169. 1919. — Opaque, starchy spots in wheat kernels, which give rise to the name "yellow- 

 berry," almost invariably appear near the embryo, the proximal end of the kernel, and spread 

 from there upward. Seventy-seven pure lines of wheat were grown in comparison with 87 

 lots of a standard variety, Kharkov, to determine the relation of yellow-berry to field condi- 

 tions, especially with reference to the period between first heading and ripening. — The opera- 

 tion of common causes for the production of yellow-berry overshadows any differences that 

 may be due to hereditary tendencies and preclude a definite statement regarding the relation 

 of hereditary tendencies in hard winter wheat tow r ard the production of yellow-berry. "That 

 some isolated pure strains of wheat are freer from yellow-berry than others growing in the 

 same field and apparently under identical conditions of soil and climate is, however, possible." 

 The percentage of yellow-berry is higher with the later dates of ripening. Starch grains in 

 the yellow-berry portion of a kernel are smaller than those in the flinty part. Yellow-berry 

 kernels average 0.4 mgm. heavier than flinty kernels; their specific gravity is 0.023 greater; 

 they contain a greater percentage of moisture and of starch, and a lesser percentage of protein 

 and ash than flinty kernels. — D. Reddick. 



