FIELD CROPS. 1115 



l)I;ints, also tlio iwssihio infliKMico of the sodimn in chaniiinj; tlio ratio of other 

 iiiiiicral iiij^ri'dii'iits taken fi'oui sohitions hy si'owing plants. In short, it is 

 linped l)y these and other means to throw additional light upon the physiological 

 I unctions of sodium and the practical signiticance of sodiiun salts in agriculture. 



"A study has hcen liegun of the iuHuence of the api)lieation of varying propor- 

 tions of sodium antl potassium salts upon tiie organic constituents of certain 

 plants." 



Commercial fertilizei'S, .T. S. Hrim (Califoniia St<i. Hid. IS7. pp. 353-382). — 

 " 'IHiis rei)ort gives the results of fertill/.er ins|)(>ction woi'k for the first half of 

 tiie fiscal year l!K)()-7." Analyses of 1,S.'! samples are rei)orted and discussed. 

 The following deticiencies occurring in 24 samples were found: In availahle 

 plios])horic acid (total when availahle is not guaranteed) 7, total nitrogen Ki, 

 potash !), valuation (!. 



Fertilizer inspection, ('. D. Woods and J. M. Rartlett (Maine Hia. BiU. 

 I'lii. PI). a.i-Sii). — " This hulletin contaiiis the analyses of manufacturers' samjiles 

 of hrands of fertilizers licensed Ix'fore Fehruary 10, T.K)"." 



Inspection and analyses of commercial fertilizers on sale in the State, 

 W. V. Hand et al. (Missis.^ippi Sta. liiil. 97, pp. .77). — This hulletin summarizes 

 the results of inspection of fertilizers during the season of 1905-6, reporting 

 analyses and valuations of 4:>T samples, 33 of which were found to be below 

 guarantee in relative value. 



FIELD CEOPS. 



Report of work at McNeill Branch Station for 1905 | Field crops], R. B. 

 Ferris {Missii^sippl Sta. Bui. 9.'i, pp. l.'i-20, flys. .1). — The results of a corn 

 fertilizer test seem to indicate that on the unimproved soils of that region the 

 most economical fertilizer for corn is one containing 1 part of cotton-seed meal 

 to 2 parts of acid phosphate, applied at the rate of from 100 to 300 lbs. per acre. 

 During 4 years' work only a slight increase of crop was observed as apparently 

 due to the use of potash salts. Among the different varieties of corn grown 

 Cocke Prolific, for the second time, ranked first in yield with 44.6 bu. per acre. 

 In tillage experiments, deep preparation and deep cultivation gave 3(k7 hu., 

 dec]) preparation and shallow cultivation 37.6 bu., shallow preparation and deep 

 cultivation .35 bu., and shallow preparation and sliallow cultivation 36.4 bu. per 

 acre. The shallow cultivation consisted in stirring the soil about 3 in., and 

 deep cultivation in stirring it about 5 in. deep. 



The yields of different varieties of cotton ranged from 680 to 970 lbs. per 

 acre. The leading varieties, mentioned in the order of their productiveness, 

 w(>re Cooks. Kussell Big Boll, King No. 2, Lewis I'rize, and King No. 1, all 

 yielding 900 lbs. or more per acre. Drilling cotton in rows 3* ft. apart gave a 

 somewhat better yield than cotton planted in either 3 or 4 ft. rows. The average 

 of ;'. ](lats with the plants 9 in. apart in the drill was 1,026 lbs. of seed cotton 

 jier acre, of .'*> iilats with the cotton 1 ft. ajtart in the drill 914 lbs., of 4 plats 

 with the i)lants 2 ft. aitart in the drill 825 1I)S.. and of 4 ]ilats with the cotton 

 ;'. ft. apart in the drill 718 lbs. 



Oats sown in the fall of 1904 did not grow very tall, lint were muisually 

 hciivy-headed and yielded .3,7ti0 lbs. of well-cured hay per acre. 



S|)anish jieanuts planted as late as .Tune 24 produced about as well as those 

 piantinl 2 months earliei'. The following i-csults were sccui'ed in a fertilizer 

 test: No fertilizer, 1.472 lbs. of nuts jier acre; 50 lb.s. of nitrate of soda, 200 

 Ii)s. of acid phosphate, and 100 lbs. of kainit per acre, 1,760 lbs. of nuts; 200 lbs. 

 of acid phosphate and 100 lbs. of k;iinit. 1.792 lbs. of nuts; 200 lbs. of acid phos- 

 phate. 100 lbs. of kainit. and l.odd ll.s. of air-slaked lime. 2.016 lbs. of nuts; 

 2(M) lbs. of acid phosphate, 1,760 lbs. of nuts; and 100 lbs. of kainit, 1,680 lbs. of 



