1120 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



I<L\periments by other investigatoi's on tbe food requirpinents of the seed sugar 

 beet indicate tbat a yield of 8,000 Iv^. of seed per hectare removes from the soil 

 198.7 kg. of nitrogen, 219 kg. of potash, and 32.G kg. of phosphoric acid, while 

 those by the author indicate that l,f!00 kg. of beet seed takes from the s:)il 

 88.9 kg. of nitrogen, G7.8 kg. of potash, ir>.() kg. of phosphoric acid, 2.1.5 kg. of 

 lime, and 14.5 kg. of magnesia. It is stated tbat tbe production of 1,000 kg. of 

 beet seed reipiires about the quantity of plant food necessary to produce 10,000 

 kg. of beets. The rate of consuming plant food was found to be quite uniform 

 during tbe entire vegetative period. The rate of growth of the plants was quite 

 closely correlated with the rate of plant food consumption. Only in tbe early 

 stages of growth tbe quantity of ])lant food consumed was a little out of propor- 

 tion to tbe growth made by the plant. Tbe i)eriod of i)lant food consumption 

 extended over 158 days. 



It was further observed that the seed beet planted at the projier time ceases 

 to take xip food about 1 month earlier than the beet grown for sugar. Tbe 

 necessity of a good supply of plant food is greatest in tbe later period of growth 

 of tbe seed beet as compared with tbe medium stage of development in tbe 

 sugar beet. The period of i»lant food consimiption in the seed beet is about 20 

 days shorter than it is in the first year of tbe sugar beet, but the quantity of 

 nitrogen consumed is practically tbe same. The quantities of potash and phos- 

 phoric acid required for the seed beet are much greater than those demanded 

 by tbe sugar beet, l)ut the sugar beet iises tbe greater quantities of lime and 

 magnesia. 



Field corn in Arizona, V. A. Clark (Arlzojia l^ta. Uid. .j'l, pp. 122-131, fjg.f. 

 2). — A number of varieties of corn tested are listed with reference to their 

 resistance to a dry and hot climate and their tendency to attacks of smut and 

 tbe corn earworm. The nonfilling of the ears is commonly attributed to 

 tbe drying out of the pollen or silks. The filling of the ear in the varieties 

 tested ranged from perfect filling, as in White Mexican Flint and a few other 

 varieties, to tbe setting of practically no kernels at all, as in tbe King of Illinois. 

 Tbe most productive varieties were Chester Count.v Mammoth, Large Yellow 

 Dent, Queen ef tbe I'rairie, Griswold Bronze, Mexican White Flint, King 

 riiilip, Kellogg, and Blue Squaw. Mexican White Flint is considered tbe best 

 variety for the region, although Kellogg and Blue Scpiaw, both fiint varieties, 

 also succeeded when it was so dry and hot that "dent varieties failed. These 

 2 varieties are only moderately productive. High-bred strains of corn from tbe 

 east proved to be more susceptible to attacks of worms and smut, and were 

 more liable not to fertilize than less specialized and less highly selected varieties 

 from the same region. 



Brief notes are given of the varieties gi'own, which include Yellow Dent, 

 White Dent, early Northern flints, and Western flint corns. 



The advantage of planting heavy cotton seed, II. J. Webber and E. B. 

 BovKiN (T. ,s'. Dcjit. .[(jr.; Fanners' liirl. 2.S.7, pp. 16. flys. 6). — This bulletin 

 presents Ihe results of experiments in the separation of cotton seed, and dis- 

 cusses tbe advantage resulting from this practice, the importance of using heavj^ 

 seed, tbe preparation of tbe seed, and tbe method of separation. I'.otb the Sea 

 Island and Ifpland cotton are described. 



After separating tbe seed into 4 grades, heavy, medium, light, and very light, 

 ,500 seeds from (>ach grade were found to weigh as follows: Heavy SIJ gm., 

 medium 77^ gm., light 742 J?ui., and the very light 02J gm. A lot of seed was 

 separated into heavy, medium, and light grades, and equal (piantities of tbe 

 three grades weighed 25i lbs., 22f lbs., and 20| lbs., resjiectively. 



Of seed separated into 4 grades, beavj% medium, light, and very light, 350 

 seeds from each grade were planted in jiraetically imre sand on March 2, 190G. 



