232 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



In the flve-year variety tests Kubanka wheat Nos. 1516 and 1354 yielded 22.7 

 and 22.5 bushels per acre, respectively, as compared with 14.9 bushels each 

 Bearded Red Fife and Minnesota No. 51 Blue Stem. The five-year average 

 yields of Swedish Select No. 134 and Kherson No. 539 were 35.4 and 33.9 bushels 

 per acre in a test of 14 oat varieties. Hanncheu No. 531 and Bohemian No. 27 

 produced five-year average yields of 2S.4 and 27.5 bushels per acre, respectively, 

 in a test of 10 barley varieties. 



Lucern, J. E. O'Grady (Dept. Agr. N. S. Wales, Farmers' Bui. 37, pp. 118, 

 pi. 1, figs. 48). — This bulletin is a compilation of articles dealing with the pro- 

 duction and utilization of crops of lucern or alfalfa. 



The history of the clover-seed traffic in Vermont, Alma L. Carpenter {Vt. 

 Agr. Bui. 3, 1909, pp. 28). — The author deals with the sources of clover seed 

 used in America, clover-seed production in "S'ermont, and the clover-seed in- 

 dustry in the United States. 



Some facts concerning those characters of the corn plant associated with 

 yield and factors which influence them, C. B. Williams and W. O. Etheridge 

 {North CaroUna Sta. Rpt. 1909, pp. -^i-^JG). — Six years' variety tests indicate 

 *' that the prolificacy of stalks in ears should be given prime consideration in 

 selecting corn." Sanders Improved, a fairly prolific variety, produced a five-year 

 average yield 6.8 bushels per acre higher than did Holt Strawberry, a good 

 one-eared variety. Biggs Seven-ear, another prolific variety, produced a three- 

 year average yield 4.4 bushels higher than that of Holt Strawberry. 



Studies of shelling percentage indicate that a given variety may have a 

 seasonal variation of 2 to 4 per cent or more, but that the best yielding varieties 

 average from 80 to 87 per cent of grain. 



The author presents in detail data from which he draws conclusions on the 

 effect of different rates of planting and fertilizing upon yield, size of ears, height 

 of ears and stalks, maturity, stand, production of suckers, and barrenness. 

 Under poor fertilization there was practically no difference in yield between 

 a spacing of 20 and 30 inches of the hills in the rows, but increasing the pro- 

 ductivity of the soil by liberal fertilization " was accompanied by materially 

 increased yields, over 30-inch spacing, by thinning the stalks to 20 inches." 



On highly manured plats the stalks 30 inches apart produced the largest and 

 longest ears, but gave lower yields than the 20-inch spacing. High fertilization 

 and increased distance between hills increased the length and circumference 

 of the ears of from two-thirds to three-fourths of the varieties tested. When 

 plant food was limited in quantity the increase from 20 to 30 inches in distance 

 between stalks in 4-foot rows was followed by the production of taller stalks 

 and of ears attached farther from the ground, whereas the reverse followed on 

 the same soil fairly well fertilized. An increase in either soil fertility or 

 distance between hills resulted in a larger number of ears per stalk and a 

 marked increase in the yield of shelled corn per bearing stalk. 



Variation in the rate of planting produced no apparent difference in the 

 extent of growth of the plants up to the time of tasseling and silking, but the 

 closer spacing appeared to delay maturity about one day. The higher fertiliza- 

 tion was followed by the production of suckers on 9.48 and 6.13 per cent, 

 respectively, of the stalks planted 30 and 20 inches apart in the rows, while 

 on poorly fertilized plats the percentages were 6.15 and 2.87, respectively. 

 Barrenness was apparently decreased by either increasing the distance between 

 hills or heavier fertilization. 



Corn production, M. V. Calvin {Georgia Sta. Bui. 93, pp. i^7-i54, fig. 1). — 

 During 1907, 1908, and 1909 Marlboro Prolific and Stone Flint were among 

 the three varieties producing the highest yields in variety tests. In 1910 

 Wanamaker Marlboro, Sanders Improved, and Batt 4-Ear produced the highest 



