226 EXPERIMENT STATIOK RECORD. 



produced tobacco on his own land and with his own labor the green leaf could 

 be produced at the cost of about 2 to 2i cts. per pound. 



General notes on the culture of cassava in Hawaii are given and its value for 

 Hawaiian conditions is indicated. 



Report on agricultural investigations in Porto Rico, 1905 [Field ci'ops], 

 D. W. May (/". .S'. Dept. Ar/i:, Office Expt. Htas. Bui. Ill, pp. 1-11, i)U. 2).— 

 General notes on the agricultural conditions of Porto Rico are presented and 

 the conditions and prospects of the culture of sugar cane, tobacco, cotton, corn, 

 rice, potatoes, and forage crops are discussed. 



Experiments with cotton at the station indicate that sea-island cotton is the 

 most profitable for Porto Rico. Egyptian cottons made a very rank growth, 

 but the production was not xery satisfactory, probably due to the excessive 

 rainfall. The fertilizer experiments with cotton show that the three elements 

 of plant food were needed, but more especially potash and phosphoric acid. It 

 is estimated that from G,000 to 7,000 acres were planted with sea-island cotton 

 during the season. The two principal insect enemies of this crop at the present 

 time are the cotton caterpillar (Alabama aryillacea) and the cotton stainer 

 {Dysderciis snturcUus). 



The results from seed corn from the States have not been promising. The 

 only serious insect pest of the corn plant is the cotton boll worm (Heliothis 

 obsoleta). 



Of 5 varieties of potatoes from northern-grown seed the best results were 

 obtained from Bliss Triumph and Early Rose. Some of the potatoes produced 

 were shipiied to San Juan and New York, and the indications are that under 

 proper conditions potatoes may be grown commercially with success. Heavy 

 fertilization and freqvient spraying with Bordeaux mixture are recommended 

 for successful potato culture. 



Of the different forage crops grown the cowpea proved the most promising. 

 Beggar weed made a fair growth, but did' not reach the height it does on the 

 light sandy soils of Florida. Velvet beans were not equal to the cowpea for a 

 quick-growing crop. On properly drained and inoculated soil alfalfa made a prom- 

 ising showing. So far the clovers have not done well, and lupines and vetches 

 have also failed to make satisfactory growth. The sugar beet was found subject 

 to blight in the later stages of its growth. Turnips and kale in experimental 

 plats did very well. Improved varieties of peanuts from the States gave goofl 

 results at the station, while horse beans were practically a failure. Experi- 

 ments with fiber crops are in progress, and the insular government has made 

 provision for growing sisal on a commercial footing. 



Report of the agriculturists, W. P. Brooks, F. R. Church, and S. B. Has- 

 kell, (Massachusetts Sta. Rpt. 1905, pp. 15-43). — The lines of work were the 

 same as those followed in recent years (E. S. R., 17, p. 2.34). The' experiments 

 this season included 244 field plats, 150 closed plats, and 245 pots in vegetation 

 experiments. 



Mixed oats and peas were grown this year in connection with comparative 

 tests of different sources of nitrogen, and on the basis of yields secured the 

 materials ranked as follows : Nitrate of soda, dried blood, sulphate of ammonia, 

 and barnyard manure. Based on the increase of all the crops since the 

 beginning of the experiments the relative rank was: Nitrate of soda 100, dried 

 Jjlood 68.72, sulphate of ammonia 60.78, barnyard manure 80..58. 



High-grade sulphate of potash was superior to muriate for clover, for rhu- 

 barb, and for blackberries. The different potash salts used as fertilizers for 

 soy beans this season ranked as follows: Carbonate, high-grade sulphate, sili- 

 cate, nitrate, muriate, low-grade sulphate, and kainit. The poorest results 

 ivere obtained with kainit, the crop being much lower on the kainit plats than 



