FIELD CROPS. 737 



In the rather wet year 1908 potatoes ii!aute<;l 21 in. apart each way on ridges 

 gave lower yields than those planted in furrows, but the usual method of plant- 

 ing gave considerably better I'esults than the use of either furrows or ridges. 

 In the dry year 1909, however, the best yields were obtained by planting on 

 ridges. 



The use of small tubers with an average weight of 19 gm. each resulted in a 

 smaller growth of foliage than when medium sized tubers averaging 43 gm. in 

 weight were used, but the yield of tubers was about the same in each case. 



Depth of planting appeared to make little difference, as the yields following 

 planting to depths of 1| and 5^ in. were almost equal. The 4-year average 

 yield secured from planting the transverse halves was somewhat greater than 

 the 3-year average secured by the use of the longitudinal halves, and both were 

 excelled by the 4-year average resulting from the use of whole tubers. In dry 

 years the yield from the halves was considerably lower than that secured by 

 the use of whole tubers, but in wet years the reverse was the case. In the 

 dry year 1909 the making of hills proved injurious, but in the wet year 1908 it 

 appeared advantageous. 



[Cultural tests with rye at the Zmiyev experiment field], M. F. Keama- 

 REVSKi (Yiizli. Ross. 8dsJ:. Khoz. Ghaz., I'JOS, yos. 11, 20; ahs. in Zhur. 

 Opytn. Affi-on. (Riiss. Jour. Expt. Landiv.), 11 {1010), No. 3, pp. IjOl, .',08).~ 

 These pages report the results of tests of different rates of sowing rye, and 

 different depths and times of plowing. Early sowing and deep plowing gave 

 higher shields of grain and straw on April fallow than on black fallow. 



The grain yields increased with the depth of plowing in the case of wheat, 

 barley, and millet, but the shallow plowing gave lai'ger oat yields. Early sow- 

 ing of millet gave larger yields. 



Other things being equal, the different fallows ranked in the following order 

 so far as yields were concerned: With deep plowing — April fallow, black fallow, 

 May fallow, a fallow with vetches, and the June fallow ; with shallow plowing — • 

 black fallow, April fallow. May fallow, June fallow, and a fallow with vetches. 



Methods for the improvement of sorghum, A. H. Leidigh {Amer. Breeders 

 Mag., 2 (1911), No. Ji, pp. 29^, 295). — This is a very brief review of work done 

 by a number of investigators on the improvement of sorghum. The author sug- 

 gests the use of bagging as especially valuable in this connection, and cites a 

 strain of Orange sorghum grown 2 years from seed bagged each year as pos- 

 sessing extraoi'dinary vigor, purity, and uniformity. 



Sug-ar beet: Some facts and some illusions, J. W. Robertson-Scott (London, 

 1911, pp. XIX+.'i2-'i, pis. 72, figs. 37).— Information on the status of the sugar- 

 beet industry is followed by chapters on the botany, agriculture, manufacturing 

 processes, and economic and political problems connected with sugar-beet pro- 

 duction and the beet-sugar industry. 



The absorption and utilization of the principal plant foods by the sugar 

 beet, A. Dushechkin (Vi^stnik Sakh. Promuish., 1910, pp. 714-732, 791-797, 

 828-835; 1911, pp. jiO-J,6, 74-78, 130-133, 162-173, 203-212, 2Jil-2Ji9, 274-282, 306- 

 312, 334-3.'i3; oljs. in Zhur. Opytn. Agron. (Russ. Jour. Expt. Landic), 12 

 (1911), No. 3, pp. 385, 386). — These pages report the results obtained on un- 

 fertilized and phosphate fertilized plats on the Trostyanetsk estate in Bogo- 

 dukhov County in the Kharkov government. During the investigation exami- 

 nations were made every 10 days after the appearance of the beet sprouts. 

 Observations were made of the weights of leaves and roots and the ash, nitrogen, 

 phosphoric acid, potash, and sugar contents of the roots. 



Some of the more important conclusions drawn by the author are as follows: 

 Under normal meteorological conditions the increase in weight proceeded with- 

 out interruptions. The leaf mass at first predominated, later that of the 



