FIELD CROPS. 431 



Crested dogtail was present in small quantities in the first and second seasons, 

 but iuci'eased considerably by the third. Cattle, however, did not relish the 

 herbage on the plats where it was included. Late-flowering red clover pro- 

 duced more hay than any other kind, but tended to suppress the grasses. On 

 land where white clover did not grow naturally wild white clover was much 

 superior to ordinary white." 



Fodder grasses of Java, III-IX, C. A. Backer (Tcysmannia, 24 (1913), 

 Nos. 5, pp. 314-320, pis. S; 6, pp. 366^77, pis. 2; 7, pp. 423-437, pis. 2; 8-9, pp. 

 495-511, pis. 5; 10, pp. 633-644, pl- 1; 11-12, pp. 721-729, pis. 2; 25 {1914), No. 

 2, pp. 81-88, pis. 3). — In these articles, containing previous work (E. S. R., 30, 

 p. 525), are described Paspalum scrohiciilatum, P. longifoUum, P. conjugatum, 

 P. platycaulon, P. distichum, P. sanguinale, P. royleamun, P. minutiflorum, P. 

 brevifolium, EHochloa ramosa, Isachne australis, I. aJbens, I. Icunthiana, I. 

 pangcrangensis, and I. firmula, and their value as fodder plants for Java are 

 discussed, including chemical analyses in some cases. 



The chemical composition of South African maize and other cereals, C. F. 

 JuRiTz {Agr. Jour. Union So. Africa, 6 {1913), Nos. 2, pp. 189-197; 3, pp. 

 495-501, fig. 1; 5, pp. 806-811). — The chemical composition is reported of nu- 

 merous varieties of oats, wheat, barley, and maize grown in several Provinces 

 in South Africa, with a special discussion of the content of phosphoric acid. 



Influence of suppressing' the inflorescence on the sugar content of cane and 

 maize, Decock (Bui. Agr. Alg6rie, Tunisic, Maroc, 20 {1914), No. 4i PP- 1^3- 

 127). — Results are given which show no change or only a slight decrease in 

 sugar content when maize plants were detasseled, while by heading cane the 

 sugar content was in some cases increased nearly 3 per cent. 



Composition of maize at various stages of its growth, W. J. Jones, jr., 

 and H. A. Huston {Indiana Sta. Bui. 175 {1914), pp. 599-630, pl. 1, figs. 12). ~ 

 This bulletin gives results of chemical analj'ses of maize made at seven stages 

 of growth. 



These results showed that " every ingredient continues to increase uniformly 

 until October 1, and with the exception of potash until October 8. . . . The dry 

 matter, crude fiber, fat, nitrogen-free extract, and starch in the stalks, blades, 

 and husks remain practically constant while they increase rapidly in the ear. 

 The potash increases regularly in the ear, but is depressed in the vegetative 

 parts from August 28 to September 24. This may be due to washing out of 

 potash from the leaves, since there were repeated rains during this period, or it 

 may have been due entirely to transfer to the ear. The potash in the whole 

 plant continued to increase till October 1. On October 2, 4, and 7 heavy rains 

 occurred, which probably account for the marked reduction of potash in both 

 stalks and ears between October 1 and 8. 



" The total ash increased regularly in both stalks and ears. After the ear 

 begins to form the nitrogen decreases quite regularly in the stalk, from 53.5 lbs. 

 per acre on August 28 to 31.8 lbs. per acre on October 8, although the nitrogen 

 in the whole plant was rapidly increasing. The amount of amid nitrogen in 

 the ears is too small to be satisfactorily illustrated by curves. But one of the 

 most striking facts shown by the analyses is that the nitrogen in the ear, even 

 in its earliest stages, is practically all in the form of real albuminoids, the 

 amount of amid nitrogen in the ears never exceeding 1.5 lbs. per acre. 



" The amount of amid nitrogen in the vegetative parts of the plants decreased 

 from 10.7 lbs. per acre on August 28 to 4.5 lbs. on October 8. No starch was 

 found in the preliminary period, and even at the time when the formation of 

 the ear began, August 28, there were only 335.3 lbs. of actual starch per 

 acre. . . . 



