nt.Lt) CROPS. 333 



SufRcient quantity of mineral iilnnt food. Tlic object of the exporiinont was 

 mainly to t(>st llic activity of tlu' b;ictcri;i !>>• tlic iirodnction of root iiodulos. 

 Tlio germination in all cases seemed to show no clfccf dnc to tlic treatment. 

 As to growth, alfalfa and soy beans showed no decided ailvantage from the 

 use of the connnercial culture. In the case of vetch the bacterial culture 

 had apparently been effective in one pot. With cowpeas slight ditferences 

 in favor of inoculation were also perceptible. 



The same experiment was carried out in the field and the results in general 

 confirm those obtained with pot culture. The soy beans which i)roduced no 

 nodules in tlie |)ot-culture tests showed a dccidedl.N- lieavy iirodn<-tion in the 

 field, and this was aitparently in favor of the inoculation. 



Culture tests with potatoes in 1905, H. J. Dannfelt and S. Riiodin (/v. 

 Landthr. Akad. Ilaudl. och Tidski:, 1,5 (1906), No. 2, pp. 92-131).— X report on 

 experiments conducted by the Royal Swedish Agricultural A<;ademy in 9 differ- 

 ent coimties of Sweden. 



In the fertilizer tests at the experiment slaticin of the Royal Swedish Agri- 

 cultural Academy the relative value of nitrate of soda, Norwegian lime niter, 

 annnonium sulphate, and calcium cyanamid was studied. In each case .5."5.4 lbs. 

 of nitrogen was applied per acre, with l.'j-i lbs. of potash in 87 per cent i)()tash 

 salt, and 50 lbs. of citric-acid soluble phosphoric acid in the form of Thomas 

 phosphate. The highest average yield, 27,871 lbs. per a<re with a starch con- 

 tent of 12.5 per cent, was secured with lime niter, and the lowest, 21,108 lbs. 

 with 13.4 per cent of starch content, with no nitrogen. Calcium cyanamid 

 ranked first in starch production with 3,495 lbs. per acre, the starch content of 

 the tubers being 12.7 per cent, and was followed by ammonium sulphate, lime 

 niter, and nitrate of soda in the order given, with no nitrogen standing last 

 with a yield of 2,828 lbs. Calcium cyanamid was most profitable and nitrate 

 of soda least so. 



Planting from May 5 to 22 gave better results than planting earlier or l;iter. 

 Minimum and optimum temperatures for germination of potatoes were deter- 

 mined as 4 to 5° C. and 10 to 12° C, respectively. Whole medium-size ])ota- 

 toes produced the highest yields, outranking different kinds of cut sets ;ind 

 small whole tubers. Planting 50 by 25 cm. apart gave the best results, but for 

 convenience in cultivation it is recommended that the rows be placed GO cm. 

 apart witli plants from 15 to 20 cm. in the row. Planting 10 cm. de(>p gave 

 better results than planting 15 cm. or 5 cm. deei*. 



In the variety tests the largest yields of tubers were obtained from Evergood, 

 Chieftain, and Nero Guardian, and the highest yields of starch from P>rocken, 

 Diana. Modrow Industrie, and Sas. In starch content lirocken and \'ega 

 rank(»d first with 19.5 per cent, being followed by Deutscher Reichskanzler 

 with 18.5 per cent, and Saxonia with ]7.1 per cent. All the varieties mentioned 

 were quite resistant to disease except Diana and Saxonia. 



Observations for a sei'ies of years on Swedish farms have shown tli.it tlie 

 yields of Magnum Bonum during late years have been somewhat higher tlian 

 before, while the starch content and the palatability of the tubers have de- 

 creased. The disease resistance of the variety is essentially imchanged. 



The seed of 3 strains of Magnum Bonum potatoes, imported from Scotljind, 

 showed a higher productive capacity and a greater resistance to disease than 

 acclimated home-grown seed, but in starch content the tubers from the Scotch 

 seed stood lower than those from the home-grown seed. — r. w. woi.i.. 



Potato culture experiments, 1905, M. Weibull kt al. {Malniii. Lilnf^ K. 

 IlushaU. Hdllsk. Krrtlsskr., 1906, No. 1, pp. 120-169). — Cooperative experiments 

 were conducted at 25 different farms in southern Sweden. Of the varieties 



