440 EXPERIMENT STATION EECOKD. 



cities of plant food talcen from the soil by the crop are shown and tlie cost of 

 suntlower production, together with the yields of seed and oil, are discussed. 



Fertilizer experiments with tobacco, J. Beiirens (Ber. Landic. Vers. Aiist. 

 Augiistenb., 1005, pp. 3.'f-.'/l). — A comparison w-as made of martellin and other 

 potash salts as fertilizers for tobacco. No increase in the yield. of leaf which 

 might have been attributed to the use of the fertilizers was secured. The 

 different forms of potash also were almost without influence upon the (luality 

 in this test with the exception of the sulphate, which seemed to have reduced 

 the quality slightly. High topping of plants seemed to favor the quality of the 

 leaf. 



In a second fertilizer experiment the influence of different fertilizer treatment 

 was studied. Tobacco receiving no potash in the fertilizer showed the lowest 

 potash content, but did not rank lowest in burning quality. The leaf with a 

 high potash content ranked lower in burning quality than the produce which 

 contained less potash. 



These results are interpreted as meaning tliat the potash content is not alone, 

 nor even predominant, in controlling the burning (luality. The tobacco grown 

 on the check plat which received no fertilizer treatment stood lowest in ash, but 

 not in potash. The highest ash content was secured on a plat receiving ])otasli, 

 phosphoric acid, and nitrogen, followed by the i)lats i-eceiving potash and nitro- 

 gen, and potash, phosphoric acid, nitrogen, and lime. The burning quality of 

 the leaf did not seem to increase with the content of potassium carbonate. 



Species of tobacco, their phylogeny, quality, and uses, O. Comes (Xaplcs: 

 190.5, pp. 231, figs. 68; abs. in Bot. Ceiithl, 102 {1906), ^o. 36, pp. 268-270).— 

 The great variability in the different species of tobacco due to various causes is 

 discussed, their history, geography, and statistics are given, and the importance 

 of new phylogeny of every species and strain, in coiuiection with the improve- 

 ment of the crop, is pointed out. It is stated that individuals originating from 

 the same plant are early in maturing when grown from the grains which ripen 

 earliest on the mother plant, while the individuals from the later maturing seed 

 are likely to be late in maturing. 



The form Xicotiaiiu tahacum liacaiieiisis introduced into a strain by breeding 

 gives aroma to the product, while the form Rrasiliensis increases leaf produc- 

 tion. 



Characters determining the quality of wheat, A. Cserhati {Ztschr. Laiidw. 

 Ycrsiiclisir. Ostcrr.. 9 (1906), .Yo. 10, itp. 899-912). — The results of experiments 

 with different varieties of wheat are reported and data with reference to the 

 weight per hectoliter, weight per thousand kernels, mealiness or softness, and 

 protein and gluten content in their relation to quality are tabulated. It is con- 

 cluded that the quality of 'wheat can not be determined by means of the different 

 characters which were studied, and that the only definite way of judging 

 wheats is by their milling products. 



It is stated that the weight per hectoliter is a valualile factor only when the 

 wheats compared are of the same variety and were grown in the same locality. 

 It is known that the same wheat varieties grown under the same environment 

 yield more flour when their weight per hectoliter is high, but when the wheats 

 are not of the same variety or have been grown in different regions no reliance 

 can be placed upon this character in judging the flour content. 



The weight per thousand kernels, which is referred to as the absolute weight, 

 was found to vary considerably. A normally developed wheat has an absolute 

 weight of 2.") to .^.''t gm. Foreign varieties grown in these experiments, which 

 produced flour of an inferior quality, were higlicr in absolute weight than the 

 Hungarian sorts. The domestic varieties as a rule weighed less than 40 gm.. 

 while the foreign wheats in nearly all cases weighed over 40 gm. per hundred 



