FIELD CROPS. 733 



jrntwn in Kaiisas Cor L> or :'. .v»>iirs they apiiareutly turn to a sort having 

 black chaff, said tn lie interior in yichl and quality. 



A sample of tliis kind consisting of 'M) per cent of red and CI per cent of 

 hlack hulled kernels was separated into 1' lots of 2.;-5()!t lilack kernels and 1,480 

 red kernels. These 2 lots were compared with the original mixed lot. The 

 result showed that 138 plants of the i)lack variety bore 906 culms and 140 

 plants of the red variety 1,209 culms, showing that the red variety had a greater 

 stooling capacity in this instance than the Idack variety. In another similar 

 experiment conducted at the same time hut with the i)lants standing one in a 

 hill 4 by in. apart. T<'> per cent of a total stand was secured, the .''.,090 

 l)lants of the black strain jiroducing :i stand of 78 per cent and the 2.880 seeds 

 of the red variety a stand of 74 i»er cent. 



The habit of growth of the 2 varieties showed a marked difference, the red 

 sort spreading the leaves and young stems flat upon the ground while the 

 black .strain sent up erect stalks. The black oats came into full head .lune 

 22 and was ripe .July la, while the red oats was fully headed on .Tune 2(5 and 

 was ripe July 21, making a growing period of 9.") and 101 days for the black 

 and the red oats, i-espectively. A difference in habit in the heads of the 2 

 sorts was also observed, the panicles of the black oats being loose and spreading 

 while those of the red variety were much more compact. The spikelets were 

 as a rule more firndy attached in the red than in the black oats and the 

 chaff' of the red oats wrapped the grains more closely. The individual grains 

 with their ghnnes were generally shorter and plumper in the red than in the 

 black oats, but all possible variation and intergradation in form between the 

 2 tyi)es occurred. 



In the plaht nursery a statistical study showed that 143 plants of the red 

 oats produced r)72 heads and 8,980 spikelets weighing 309.80 gm., while the 

 same number of black oat plants produced 374 heads and 10,7G7 spikelets weigh- 

 ing 445. 7G6 gm." This result seems to indicate that the black variety is superior 

 to the red in every essential point except stooling capacity. 



The problem as to what the appearance of the black variety is due still 

 remains to be solved. 



The effect of the correct use of nitrate of soda in growing sugar beets, 

 II. Kkiem (Cciithl. ZiickcruKliis.. ].', (JUin), Xo. 15, p. ,?.a',).— The results of dif- 

 ferent experiments are reported and discussed with a view to showing that 

 imder proper conditions the use of nitrate of soda is not detrimental to the 

 quality of sugar beets. 



In an experiment conducted at Bonn on a sandy clay soil with a general 

 application of 4.50 kg. of IG per cent superphosphate and 200 kg. of 40 per cent 

 potash salt per hectare, and special applications of 320 kg. and 480 kg. of 

 nitrate of soda i)er hectare, there was an Increase in the sugar content of the 

 beet and in the total yield of sugar where the nitrate of soda was applied, but 

 the heavier aitplication did not give a profitable increase over the smaller 

 quantity used. 



The results of experiments carried on at Bernburg with the use of .300 kg. 

 of nitrate of soda per hectare show a marked increase in the total yield of sugar 

 as compared with the check plat, although the sugar content in the beet was 

 reduced from 17.84 to 17.64 per cent. The use of 400, 500, and 600 kg. of nitrate 

 of soda also showed slight rediictions in the sugar content of the beet as com- 

 pared with the check plat, and slight increases in the total yield of sugar as 

 compared with the use of .300 kg. per hectare. 



At Halle sugar beets were grown on sandy clay soil which had received a 

 green manuring witli peas and 40.000 kg. of barnyard manure per hectare, to- 



