342 



aud 89 per cent of those falling in June, July, August, and September 

 contained nitrites. " This points to a less favorable condition for the 

 production or conversion of nitrites in winter than in summer." 



Report of department of horticulture and entomology, 

 E. A. PopENOE, M. A., F. A. Marlatt, B. S., and S. C. Mason (pp. 

 133-212, illustrated). — " The present report covers the work of this 

 department during 18S9 in the following lines: comparative trial of 

 garden beans ; further trial of peas, tomatoes, and potatoes ; notes on 

 bean insects. Experimental work in progress in forest-tree planting, in 

 propagation of woody plants by cuttings, on vineyard and small fruits, 

 in trials of lawn plants, and in other lines of work in horticulture, with 

 other studies of injurious insects, is not here included, being reserved 

 for more complete report in future publications." 



Beans, test of varieties (pp. 133-151}. — Tabulated and descriptive notes 

 on 59 varieties of bush beans, 22 of pole beans, and 10 of Lima beans. 



Feas, test of varieties (pp. 151-168). — Tabulated and descriptive notes 

 on 137 varieties. 



Potatoes, test of varieties (pp. 168-198). — Tabulated notes on 225 vari- 

 eties planted April 23 and 24, with brief descriptive notes and estima- 

 ted yield per acre ; longer descriptive notes on 33 varieties which had 

 not previously been tested at the station ; tabulated notes on 56 vari- 

 eties of early potatoes planted March 15. 



Tomatoes, test of varieties (pp. 198-206). — Tabulated notes on 81 va- 

 rieties with descriptive notes on 2i varieties. 



Some insects injurious to the bean (pp. 206-212). — !N"otes on the bean 

 weevil {Bruchus obsoletus, Say); bean-leaf beetle {Cerotoma caminea 

 Fabr.) ; Agalliastes bractatus, Say ; and Ralticus minutus. The species 

 described are illustrated in a plate. 



Eeport of botanical department, W. a. Kellerman, Ph. D., 

 AND W. T. Swingle, B. S. (pp. 213-360). 



The loose smuts of cereals (pp. 213-288, illustrated). — This contains a 

 somewhat extended summary of available information concerning oat 

 smnt {Ustilago avence and var, Icevis), loose smut of wheat {Ustilago 

 tritici), covered smut of barley {Ustilago hordei), and naked smut of 

 barley (Ustilago nuda). Among the topics treated are history of the 

 species, injuries to the host plant, varieties attacked, amount of dam- 

 age, geographical distribution, botanic and microscopic characters, 

 germination in water and in nutrient solution, infection of the host plant 

 and methods of treatment. Details are given of the damage by smnt 

 in fields of oats near Manhattan, Kansas, in 1888 and 1889 ; of the 

 germination of smut, in water and in nutrient solutions; and of the treat- 

 ment of smut at the station with sulphate of copper solution and with 

 hot water as recommended by Jensen. There are also brief notes on five 

 natural enemies of the smut, viz., two species of black mold, a bacterial 

 blight, and two species of smut-eating beetles ; and a short account of 

 the stinking smut of wheat. This article is illustrated with nine plates, 



