. FIELD CROPS. 437 



iiioro ooonoinical is its nso mIoiio; hut nltoiition is nillod to tlio fiict thnt l)oyon(l 

 full bloom tlio ])ro]K)rtioii of <t\u1(* liber iiicrensos rapidly, with a (•orrosi)()iKlin.i; 

 docreaso in total dijiostiblo luitriciits. Alfalfa hay from tho first, socoiid. and 

 third crop had apparcntlx- about (he same comiiosition if cut at the same sta^e 

 of ;^rowth. 



Some reasons for failure with alfalfa, "P. L. Iaon ( Cornell Count! i/iiian. 

 ■'i (l!)()(!). \o. /, PI), .i-l). fif/K. 3). — Ex[)eriments were conducted to deternnne 

 llie causes of failure in alfalfa culture, and the i)ractical suiisfstions derived 

 from tile results were that at least a moderately, fertile soil is needed for this 

 crop, that the use of i)hosphate as a fertilizer is valuable in this connection, 

 and that inoculation is futile unless the soil is in a condition to favor the growth 

 of the bacteria. 



Adulteration of alfalfa seed, I'.. T. (Calloway (U. *S. Dcpt. Af/r., Office Sec. 

 ('ire. .^11. pp. 2). — This circular reports on the examination of 352 samples of 

 alfalfa seed obtained in the open market. Of these KJO contained dodder seed. 

 !i were adulterated with seed of yellow trefoil, and 9 with bur clover. The 

 (juantity of yellow trefoil found in the adulterated samples ranged from 3.75 

 per cent to 47.05 iier cent, and that of bur clover from 1.12 to 20.28 per cent. The 

 (jnaiitity of total .idulterants found varied from 7.<i5 per cent to .53.28 per cent. 



Tables for the determination of the protein content of barley, E. Glimm 

 (Broiiiher;/ and Leipsic: E. HechVsche, 1907, pp. 212, flf/x. //). — Tables are given 

 for the ready calculation of the i)rotein content of the dry matter of barley 

 after the analytii-al i-esults jiave been obtained. These tables are applicable 

 in all cases where the water content ranges from 10 to 17.90 per cent. 



P.rief directions for the determination of nitrogen are also given. 



Culture tests with brewing barley, J. Behrens (Ber. LamJw. Vers. Anst. 

 Aiif/iistcnh.. lUii.'). i>p. (Ui-in. <)0-l(l9). — Cooperative culture tests showed that 

 connnon local varieties of barley failed to equal in (piality and producing ca- 

 pacity the introduced varieties with which they were compared. This is be- 

 lieved to b(> due rather to improper seed selection than to a defect in the 

 varieties. Chevalier barley was so unsatisfactory in both ciuality and yielding 

 power that the variety is not recommended for general cultivation. The best 

 results in quality and quantity for 3 years were secured with Goldthorpe, Ilanna 

 barley standing next. 



Continuous corn culture, G. E. Adams and H. J. Wheeler (Rhode Island 

 sta. Hid. 11.]. pp. <}'.)-] I )). — In the spring of 1894 the station decided to devote 

 an acre of land to the continuous culture of corn. 



The soil was partly a silt loam and partly a light sandy loam. The first 2 

 years only chemical fertilizers were used, the maintenance of soil hunnis being 

 placed ui)on the corn stubble remaining u])on the field. The following 2 years 

 li.ilf uf tile ai-ea was sown with crimson clover at the time of the last cultiva- 

 tion (if corn and half to rye, in order to compare the merits. of a legununous and 

 nonlegununims crop as a means of maintaining soil humus. P>eginning with 

 189S. after the experiment had l)een in i)rogress 4 years, the first quarter of the 

 acre jilat was sown to crimson clover and the third quarter to winter rye at the 

 time of the last cidtivation of the corn, while the second and fourth (juarter 

 acre received no cover crop. In 1899 the land was limed to insure the success 

 of clover. The history of the land is given and the fertiliziM' treatment and the 

 results secured in each year are recorded. 



A sunnnary <of the results during the 12 years the experiment has been con- 

 diiited shows that the gain from using clover as a cover crop, after deducting 

 tile cost III" the seed, was .$.50,124, or an average of $4.19 iu>r acre annually, as 

 compared with $4.28, or an average of $0.3(5 an acre amiually from using rye. 



