536 EXPERIME^'T STATION RECORD. 



vent a conip'olo loss thr(»iiKli failure of the seed at any one i)nint, and to demon- 

 strate its adaptation to different cultural retrions of the I'niled Slates. 



The results with new lots of seed planted in l'.K)S were materially intlneneed 

 by an early, moist, and prolon^t'd j^rowinj; season which lowered the average 

 sufrar conlciit and in<-reas('d Ihc iirn|i((rlioii of beets rejected. 



Seedling canes and manurial experiments at Barbados, 1906-1908 (///(/*. 

 Iti lit. Aijr. M'cst Indies Pamphlet 59, pp. 101). — I'revious work at this station 

 has been noted (E. S. K., liO, p. 2;«). 



During 1906-190S experiments were conducted on IL' black soil estates and :! 

 red soil estates. In a variety test of cane in comparison with the White Trans- 

 irarent variety, Sealy Seedling produced an increased yield of 0,184 llts. of 

 Muscovado sugar per acre, valued at .$24.S!), B3412 an increased yield valued at 

 $17.r.T, BIT)!'! .$4!)..^.(t, R3(j<)(i .$16.31, and H34().j .^oO-^O. A total increased yield 

 from the plants and first rattoons of $73,27 was secured from B13Sf>, and of 

 $58,50 from B15(j(J. Total increased yields of $115.14 and $100.27 were secured 

 from B3390 and B3412, respectively, during the period 1904-1908. 



Of the 219 seedling canes planted in 190(5, 22 reached the required standard 

 in field characteristics and in purity and richness of juice, and were retained 

 for planting at th<> close of 1908. At the end of 1907, 0,690 seedlings were 

 obtained, of which 4,099 were transplanted for further test. 



A list of selected varieties for 1908 is given with a description of each, 

 together with its chief mean results per acre, including yield, i)ounds of 

 saccharose per gallon, quotient of purity, and glucose ratio. 



None of the 5 varieties of seedling canes obtained by artificial hybridization 

 or of the 6 varieties obtained by self-fertilization proved superior to the newer 

 seedlings now under cultivation. 



At the Dodds liotanic station plats low in fertility were enriched l)y an 

 application of 20 tons per acre of barnyard manure. Experiments were also 

 conducted in which barnyard manure was applied at twice this rate and in 

 which commercial fertilizers were applied to determine the relative values of 

 various sources of nitrogen, potash, and phosphorus. The results showed that 

 the application of nitrogen as dried blood, nitrate of soda, or sulphate of 

 ammonia, gave a profitable increase of yield. Sulphate of ammonia pi'oved 

 superior to nitrate of soda, and under some circumstances the organic form of 

 nitrogen found in dried blood was thought to equal sulphate of ammonia. The 

 most favorable rate of application of nitrogen was from 40 to 60 lbs, per acre. 

 The yield of sugar appeared to deci'ease with the application of superphosphate. 

 A profitable increase of yield was obtained by the aiiplication of 60 lbs. i)er 

 acre of potash as sulphate. Greater profit arose from the application of half 

 of this sulphate in January and the remainder in June than from the applica- 

 tion of the entire amount in January. 



Agricultural work for the season between 1906-1908 at Barbados, J. P. 

 d'Albuqt'erque and .T. R. Bovell (Rpi. Arjr. Work B(irh(t(lof<, Imp. Depf. Am: 

 West Indies, 1906^1908. pp. 'i-109). — This report presents the same conclusions 

 as noted above but includes more extended tabulated data from the investiga- 

 tions on which they are based. 



Report on turnip manuring experiments, 1908, It, B. Grek; [Aberdeen and 

 A'O. of Scot. Col. Agr. Leaflet 7, pp. 6). — A mixture of ? cwt. sulphate of am- 

 monia, 5f cwt. superphosphate, and 1 cwt. sulphate of potash produced an 

 increase of 9 tons 15 cwt. of turnips per acre. When the potash was omitted 

 the increase over the check plat was only 5 tons 6 cwt. On omitting the 

 phosphate the increase was 2 tons 4 cwt.. and omitting the nitrogen resulted 

 in an increa.se of 7 tons 10 cwt. The use of superphosphate alone showed an 

 increased yield of 5 tons over the check plat, but of only 1 ton 15 cwt. on plats 



