488 



The leading facts -wliicli appear from a comparison of tlio crops of 1888 and 1839 are 

 these : 



(1) The weight of the water- free crops on three plats was less in 18S9 than in 1838, 

 bnt on the other six plats it was larger, and the gross yield from them all was 7 per 

 cent larger in 188<) than in 1883. 



(2) In tlie water-fr.'O crops the percentage of ash did not exhibit A'ery striking dif- 

 ferences in the two years. The per cent of fiber and of nitrogen-free extract was on 

 the average considerably larger in lfc89 than in 1838. 'J'he percentage of iat was 

 smaller. In 1889 there was on the average in the dry matter of these grasses 28 per 

 cenr, less allmminonls than in 1838. Tlte minimum diiterence was Ki per cent, the 

 inaximnm (iidcienco 40 p^^r cent. 



A similar thongh not so striking difference in tlie percentage of albiiminoiils has 

 already been noticed in tin? corn crops of the two years. 



On the awned sked of Agrostis vulgaris, E. II. Jenkins, Ph. 

 D. ([)n. 247-240). — "The species Agrosfis rnlgnris has at least two very 

 distinct agiiciiltural varieties well known to farmers in the Eastern 

 States and very likely elsewhere; oiie is the eoaise redtop, called by 

 Gould, .i. vuhjarlH viajor, the other ^1. vnhjaris minor, variously called 

 fine bent, furze-top, and lihode Island bent. A poi)uIar description of 

 these varieties by J. B. Olcott may be found in the lieport of this station 

 for 1887, p. 177. 



"Awns on the palets of coarse redtop are unknown, but in old pas- 

 tures where fine bent grows, plants with awned palets are occasionally 

 found. The awns are upwardly barbed, usually geniculate, and attached 

 very near the base of the palet. The plants whicii bear tbera do not 

 differ strikingly in ap[)earancc from the others which are not awned. 



"An experiment was begun in 1888 to learn whether awned seed pro- 

 duces plants bearing only awned seed or a larger proportion of awned 

 seed tliau is produced by plants grown from seed destitute of awns." 

 Awned seed of the fine bent variety were sown at the station in 1888 

 and i^roduced seed in 1889, with the following results : Of G79 panicles 

 examined there were 405 fully awned, 208 with a few awns, and G with 

 no awns. "Comment on the results is reserved till further data have 

 been gathered." 



Comparison of solvents for fat in feeding stuffs, E. S. 

 CuRTiss, Ph. B. (pp. 250-253). — These experiments were made to com- 

 pare ether, ])etroleum-benzine, and chloroform in their action on feeding 

 stuffs, patticularly with reference to chlorophyl, which it has been 

 claimed is not dissolved by petroleum-benzine. On this groniul it has 

 been proposed to substitute benzine for ether in the determination of 

 fat. 



Two fractions were prepared from petroleum-benzine, one distilling 

 over at 55-00^ C, the otlier at 75-80° C. The fraction distilling off from 

 gasoline betvreen 45 and 50° C. was also used. Both the ether and the 

 chloroform were dried over calcium chloride and distilled. These sol- 

 vents were compared on Typha latifolia (common cat's-tail), Agrostis 

 alha, ,li(iicus gerardi (late cutting and the young aftermath), new-process 

 linsoed meal, and gluten meal, these materials being in all cases dried 



