FIELD CROPS. 



731 



clay with one irrigation produced yields of the same varieties containing from 

 34 to 87 per cent of hard kernels and from 2 to 29 per cent of soft kernels. 



A sug-gestion regarding heavy and light seed grain, L. R. Waldron (Amer. 

 Xat., 'I'l {WIO), So. .Jll, i>p. J/S-olj). — Some unreduced data from Bulletin 78 

 of the Bureau of Plant Industry of this Department, previously noted (E. S. R., 

 17, p. 552), as ^A'ell as other material, are thrown into the form of correlation 

 tables in this article. For winter wheat the coefficients of correlation were as 

 follows : Average weight of grains subject, average number of grains per head 

 relative, — 0.115±0.31 ; average weight of grains subject, average length of culm 

 relative, 0.1(;±(t.0?>4 : average weight of grains subject, average volume of grains 

 relative, O..S9(;±0.(K)!;), the coeflicients of variability for a number of grains, 

 54.5±2.;5:] : average weight of grains. 14.5±0.4S : length of head. 19.7±0.68. 

 length of culm, 14.2±0.47. For oats the coefficients of correlation were as 

 follows: Average weight of grains subject, average number of grains per head 

 relative. — 0.595±0.013 ; average weight of grains subject, average length of 

 bead relative, — 0.511±0.015; average weight of grains subject, average length 

 of culm relative. — 0^404±0.017; average weight of grains subject, average num- 

 ber of grains ]ier head relative, — 0.n5±0.031. 



It is noted that " the correlations given of winter wheat hold about the same 

 relations to each other as do the corresponding correlations of the oats." The 

 correlation shown between the average weight of kei-nel and the average volume 

 per kernel was almost perfect. 



Seed commissioner's branch, R. A. Fishek (Rpt. Miii. Agr. Canada, 1909, 

 pp. l-'i-22). — The results of germination tests of 713 samples, mainly of vege- 

 table seeds, are given in tabular form. Numerous other samples of grain, 

 clover, timothy, grass, and miscellaneous seeds were tested at the Ottawa and 

 Calgary seed laboratories, the samples received being mainly from Canadian 

 provinces and from Great Britain. Seed fairs and field crop competitions are 

 also reported. 



The purity of the principal grains tested is indicated by the following table: 



Number of seeds of noxious irecds in small grains. 



Kind of grain. 



Number of noxious weed seeds. 



None. 



Not over 1 

 per pound. 



1-5 per 

 pound. 



Over 5 per 

 pound. 



Recleaned wheat (about 545 cars) 



Oats from western Canada 



Barley 



Per cent. 

 27.0 

 8.0 

 2.5 



Per cent. 



31.0 



8.0 



32.5 



Per cent. 

 30 

 32 



Per cent. 



Carbon bisulphid for killing weeds, E. V. Wilcox {Haicaii Sta. Press Bui. 

 25, pp. Jf). — Carbon bisulphid was poured up(m the stems of numerous plants 

 about 6 in. above the surface of the ground. In most instances no effect ap- 

 peared until after a lapse of a considerable period. On Crotalaria, the death of 

 the plant, root, and branches was produced within 4 to 10 days. Oi and Lautana 

 bushes 2 in. in diameter died in 17 to 32 days. Young prickly pear plants fell 

 over on the ground in some instances within 24 hours, and in others were dead 

 within 2 days. No visible effect was produced upon guavas for a period some- 

 times as great as 2 or 3 months, but the plants almost invariably eventually 

 withered and finally died. These results were ai)parently due both to artificial 

 freezing and to a poisonous action of the carbon bisulphid resulting in the com- 

 plete destruction of the roots. A brief list of articles covering similar work is 

 given. 



