438 EXPERIMENT STATION EECOKD. 



Cotton culture in its relation to climate near the limits of the cotton belt, 

 W. R. EcKARDT (Iiiaiifj. Diss., I'fiii: Joia. 1906, pp. 11-i). — The reUition of the 

 different climatic factors to the culture of cotton in the northern and southern 

 hemispheres is discussed. 



Special attention is i,Mven to cotton cnltnre in the United States and the 

 climatic conditions of this country are compared with those of Europe. In his 

 discussion on cotton growing in the southern hemisphere the author points out 

 the favorable climatic conditions in the German-African colonies for the 

 culture of this crop. 



A new type of red clover, C. J. Brand ( C. »V. Depi. Agr.. Bur. Plant Indus. 

 Bill. 95, pp. '/•». pU. S, fif/s. 2). — This bulletin describes the jierformance and 

 characteristics (if a strain of red clover ol)tained from Orel, in the P.lack Earth 

 region of Russia. Cooperative experiments have been carried on with this 

 strain and with other red clover secured from various sources in this country 

 and Europe, in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Indiana, 

 Ohio, and the Province of Ontario, Canada, and the results are here discussed. 



The average inirity of seed used in the experiments was 98.13 per cent. The 

 seed showing the highest percentage of purity, was secured from Oregon, which 

 was 99.68 per cent pure, while the feed grown in New York contained the 

 highest percentage of impurities, 7.4G per cent, or 92.54 per cent of pure seed. 

 The average germination of all samples was 87.07 i)er cent, the range being 

 from 58.2 per cent for seed fi'om Courland, Russia, to 99.12 i)er cent for seed 

 from eastern Ohio. A detailed description of the experiments carried on in 

 each State is given. 



A description of the new Russian tyiie is given and its advantageous char- 

 acters discussed. The designation Tiifoliiiin, pratciise foliosum is proposed. It is 

 stated that this variety is distinguished by the dustlessness of its hay, due to the 

 almost complete absence of hariness ; by its heavy yield for the first crop; by 

 its leafiness and the persistency of the basal leaves, on which character the 

 proposed varietal name is based; by the succulence of its stems: by the greater 

 palatability as compared with hay from domestic seed ; and by a later period 

 of maturity, the harvest of this new type coming from 10 days to 2 weeks later 

 than that of our ordinary red clover. 



Reports received during .190G conlirm tlie observations made during the 

 previous year. Reports during the present year on the growth of this variety, 

 also referred to as Russian clover No. 16, on a Nebraska farm show that the 

 plant has a tendency to become perennial. Of the different kinds of seed sown 

 in 1904 the Russian clover No. 16 was the only strain that had a full stand from 

 the first seeding. 



Seed of red clover and its impurities, E. F.rowx and F. II. IIillman (('. S. 

 Dcpt. Af/r., Funiicrs' Bui. 260, pp. 2'/, p'</s. J.'M. — This bulletin describes red 

 clover seed and also gives descriptions of the more common impurities in the 

 American and European grown article. 



The exti-emes of good and bad seed are shown by the analyses of two samples, 

 one of which, imported at 5i cts. per pound, contained about 18i per cent of seed 

 that would grow, though most of this was to iiiferior that it would not produce 

 vigorous plants, while the other sample contained more than 95 per cent of seed 

 that would grow and was practically free from weed seed. It is pointed out 

 that in order to sow the same amount of good seed it would require 5^ lbs. of the 

 poor sample to 1 lb. o'f the other, and that every time 150 weed seeds were sown 

 with the good sample, 733,567 weed seeds would be sown with the poor one. 



It is stated that the average seed grown in this country contains about 300,000 

 seeds to the pound, seed i)roduced in England about 222.000, that produced in 

 Chili about 190,000, and that very poor seed often contains as many as 490,000 

 seeds to the pound. 



