738 EXPEEIMENT STATION KECORD. 



roots. The percentage contents of the various nutrients in the raw mass varied 

 Jittle, but varied more marliedly in tlie dry matter and diminished toward the 

 end of the vegetation period, particularly in the roots. 



The absorption of plant food occurred during almost the entire growing period, 

 the maximum being reached in the case of potash and phosphoric acid somewhat 

 before growth was completed. In case of nitrogen and ash the maximum 

 was reached simultaneously with the maximum weight of organic matter. 



After this maximum had been attained the total nutrients in the beets dimin- 

 ished. The decrease was greater In the leaves than in the roots; it was most 

 marked in the case of potash and least in the case of nitrogen. The main cause 

 of the decrease in the nutrients appeared to be the unfavorable climatic and 

 meteorological conditions which caused the leaves to dry and fall. The absorp- 

 tion of nutrients was relatively gi-eater in the first period of growth and out- 

 stripped the increase of organic matter. Fertilization favored regularity of 

 growth, increased absolute weight, and enabled the beet sooner to reach the 

 point of maximum utilization of plant food. 



The percentage and absolute weight of sugar in the beets increased con- 

 rinuously duj-ing growth, but the largest increase took place in August and 

 September. The ratio between the amount of sugar in the roots and the dry 

 matter in the leaves increased toward the end of the vegetation peri(jd. 



The influence of precipitation on the yield and quality of sugar beets, 

 S. HfRKk (Kiserlet. Edzlem., IJt {1911), No. 6, pp. 820-832) .—The author pre- 

 sents data from which he concludes that the more moisture there is available to 

 the sugar beet during the growing season the greater will be the yield. The 

 weight of foliage increases more rapidly than that of roots and the sugar per- 

 centage falls as precipitation increases, although the total sugar yields is in- 

 creased. The nitrogen content, especially that of injurious nitrogen, decreases 

 as precipitation increases. 



Data on the chemical composition of sug'ar beets of different sizes, S. 

 Herke (KisMet. Edzlem., 1 !, (1911), No. 6, pp. 833-8.^2 ) .—The author reports 

 analyses of sugar beets of different weights from which he concludes that as 

 the size increases the percentage content of sugar and dry matter decreases. 

 On the other hand, the percentage content of nitrogen increases with the size. 

 Potash, sodium, and crude ash continue to increase as long as the weight in- 

 creases. The phosphoric acid percentage increases until the beet has reached 

 a moderate size, after which it decreases. 



Examination of the beets of the crop of the year 1909-10, Dushki, Mints, 

 and Pavlenko {Viestnik Sakh. Promuish., 1910, Nos. 31, 38, 39, 42, 43; ads. 

 in Zhur. Opyitn. Agron. (Riiss. Jour. Expt. Landw.), 12 (1911), No. 1, pp. 131, 

 132). — These pages indicate that the sugar content of Russian beets increased 

 from 13.55 to 16.56 per cent between 1899 and 1909. 



Growing' tobacco for nicotin purposes (Dept. Agr. and Tech. Instr. Ireland 

 Jour., 11 {1911), No. 4, PP- 685, 686). — An experiment conducted for the purpose 

 of determining the profitableness of growing tobacco for use as an insecticide 

 resulted in a considerable financial loss. Yellow Pryor and Nicotiana nistica 

 were used in the experiment. 2V. rustica has been found to contain 6.53 per cent 

 of nicotin. The author concludes that it is not commercially profitable to grow 

 tobacco for nicotin production and cure and handle it in the ordinary manner, 

 as this costs nearly as much as growing it for smoking purposes but yields a 

 lower income. 



Wheat and flour investigations, IV, R. W. Thatcher (Washington 8ta. 

 Bui. 102, pp. 18). — This bulletin consists of 2 papers, and continues previous 

 work (E. S. R., 25, p. 859). 



