92 AGKONOMY [BoT. Absts., Vol. IX, 



585. Ahr, und Chr. Mayr. Grundlagen der Wiesen-Dxingung. [The fundamentals of 

 fertilizing meadows.] 159 p. F. P. Batterer & Cie.: Freising, 1919. — Meadows furnish the 

 greater part of the winter feed in Bavaria. Among the chief means for securing increased 

 j'ields is the application of fertilizers, and the authors give in the first 87 pages an account of 

 the fertilizer experiments carried on from 1912 to 1916 with nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and 

 potash in different combinations and from different sources. It was found that the use of 

 commercial nitrogenous fertilizers did not pay. When a meadow was properly supplied with 

 lime, potash, and phosphate the yields were as good, and the amounts of nitrogen in the hay 

 as high, as when commercial nitrogen was used. — In the 3rd and 4th sections, the authors 

 discuss the fertilizer utilization and the fertilizer balance in the fertilizing of meadows as 

 well as how to determine the manurial requirements, in which analyses of the hay for potash 

 and phosphorus content can be very helpful. The authors quote with approval the statement 

 of Paul Wagner that if the hay contains in the vicinity of 2 per cent potash or around 0.65 

 per cent phosphoric acid, further applications of these substances will not increase yields; 

 but they call attention to important limitations in the application of this conclusion. Not 

 only must the chemical analysis be constantly checked by a botanical determination of the 

 species occurring and a separation of these into grasses, clovers or other legumes, and herbs, 

 but the previous conditions of the meadow must be taken into account. Further care must 

 be taken that the material for chemical analysis be carefully selected from the freshly cut 

 meadow and not from the hay after it has been exposed to the weather. — A. J. Pieters. 



586. Ahr, J., und Chr. Mayr. Diingungseinfiusse auf Ertrag und Giite von Gerstensor- 

 ten. [Influence of fertilizer on yield and quality of barley varieties.] 124 P- F. P. Batterer & 

 Cie. : Freising, 1919. Two years' results of pot tests of various fertilizers on different varie- 

 ties of barley are reported. Six varieties of barley were used, as follows : 2 selections of Upper 

 Bavarian, a Lower Bavarian, a Danubian, a 4th Bavarian and a Lower Frankish. Each of 

 these received 10 different treatments: Unfertilized; single applications of nitrogen, phos- 

 phorus, potash, or lime; application of pairs of fertilizers, nitrogen and phosphorus, nitrogen 

 and potash, and potash and phosphorus; complete fertilizer with lime; complete fertilizer 

 without lime. — The plants showed a strong reaction to nitrogenous and phosphatic fertilizers. 

 Nitrogen alone, while it stimulated culm production and increased yield, was not a satisfac- 

 tory fertilizer as the quality of the grain was not good. Phosphorus and potash without nitro- 

 gen gave a good quality of grain, but the yield was greatly increased and the quality remained 

 good when nitrogen and lime were added. Too much nitrogen is not desirable from the Ba- 

 varian point of view. The smaller kernels were highest in nitrogen, the larger highest in 

 starch. — H. V. Harlan. 



587. Amend, Friedrich Wilhelm. Untersuchungen uber fiamischen Roggen unter 

 besonderer Berucksichtigung des veredelten fiamischen Landroggen und seiner Ziichtung. 

 [Investigations of Flemish rye with special reference to the improved Flemish "land" 

 rye and its breeding.] Landw. Jahrb. 52: 615-670. 1919. — The small farmers of West 

 Flanders have developed through selections in the old Flemish "land" rye, a new variety, 

 which, while retaining the good qualities of the old, is improved in jnelding ability, kernel 

 weight, resistance to lodging, and ratio of grain to straw. Studies of the original and the 

 improved sorts show that clubheadedness is correlated with density of heads and shorter 

 kernels, but not with green color of kernels. Length of head is positively correlated with 

 kernel weight and negatively with density. The short dense head shows slightly more sterility 

 than the more loosely formed head. Kernel color and kernel quality are closely related, 

 green color being preferable to brown. Form of head and culm development are closely related, 

 short heads, each with a short peduncle, generally accompanying short culms. The degenera- 

 tion of foreign ryes in Flanders is due to the maritime climate, which interferes with normal 

 development. — C. E. Leighty. 



588. Ames, C. T. Cotton experiments at the Holly Springs Branch Experiment Station 

 seasons of 1919 and 1920. Mississippi Agric. Exp. Sta. Bull. 192. 10 p. 1920.— Results from 

 variety tests on hill and valley land, fertilizer tests, and cotton spacing experiments are given; 



