432 EXPERIMENT STATION EECORD, 



" The sbarp rise in the potash curve dui'ing the period of greatest starch 

 formation, September 24 to October 1, is highly significant. Undoubtedly many 

 maize fields fail to give a satisfactory yield of grain because of a lack of avail- 

 able potash at this period. This lack may be due either to a deficiency of 

 available potash in the soil or to a lack of moisture to bring it to the plant. 

 It is therefore advisal>le to provide a reasonable supply of available potash If 

 we expect a full formation of starch in the maize. Without complete formation 

 of starch the maize is what is known as ' chaffy.' The same remarks apply 

 to the desirability of furnishing a suitable amount of available phosphoric acid. 



" It is to be noted that in this investigation the maize plant, when supplied 

 with a proper amount of water at regular intervals by irrigation, took up about 

 the same amount of phosphoric acid, about 35 per cent more nitrogen, and more 

 than twice as much potash as the authorities usually state that the crop 

 contains." 



A large colored chart showing the composition of the plant at five stages of 

 growth is included. 



Com culture, J. M. Kimbbough (Georgia Sta. Bid. 104 {1914), PP- 17-30, fig. 

 1). — The results of variety tests with 19 varieties of corn grown in 1913 show 

 an average yield of 36.35 bu. of shelled corn per acre as compared with a little 

 over 15 bu. as a state average in 1912. The best yielder was Weekley Im- 

 proved, averaging 51.79 bu. per acre. 



In a fertilizer test in which the formulas were made to carry equal amounts 

 of nitrogen, sulphate of ammonia at the rate of 99.4 lbs. per acre apparently 

 gave better returns than cotton-seed meal, nitrate of soda, or dried blood as 

 the average of a 4-year test, although nitrate of soda gave slightly the best yield 

 fof 1913, followed by sulphate of ammonia, nitrate of lime, dried blood, and 

 cotton-seed meal. In a comparison of cotton-seed meal (285.6 lbs.) and dried 

 blood (189.6 lbs.) the yields per acre were identical. 



Better results are shown to have been obtained by applying a complete ferti- 

 lizer at the time of the second cultivation of the corn than before planting. 

 Subsoiling by the use of dynamite was followed by a yield of 30.35 bu. per acre 

 as compared with 34.3 bu. on soil not dynamited. Applications of complete 

 fertilizers from 200 to 600 lbs. per acre in 100-lb. degrees gave gradually in- 

 creased yields of corn, but not suflacient to cover costs when more than 200 lbs. 

 was applied. 



Corn growing in Washington, G. Setverance (Wa.<ihington Sta. Popular Bui. 

 60 (1914), pp. 14, fig. 1).—A revision of Popular Bulletin 38 (B. S. R., 25, 

 p. 531). 



On cotton cultivation, J. M. Kimbrough and R. J. H. DeLoach (Oeorgia Sta. 

 Bui. 105 (1914), PP- 33-47, figs. 2).— In a test of 20 varieties it was found that 

 "the Cleveland Big Boll stands at the head of the list again, with a total yield 

 of 2,852 lbs. of seed cotton per acre." 



In fertilizer tests to study the relative efficiency of nitrogen in cotton-seed 

 meal, dried blood, nitrate of soda, sulphate of ammonia, and nitrate of lime in 

 a 9:3:3 formula for cotton, it was found that "on account of the falling off 

 in the yield of the sulphate of ammonia plats in 1913 the five years' average was 

 less with this source of ammonia than with nitrate of soda. The four years pre- 

 vious to this favored the use of sulphate of ammonia." A comparison between 

 cotton-seed meal and dried blood resulted slightly in favor of the latter in 

 yields of 1,754 and 1,852 lbs. seed cotton per acre, respectively. With muriate 

 of potash a yield of 1,679 lbs. was obtained as compared with 1,429 lbs. with 

 kainit. 



Dynamiting the land to a depth of 2i to 3 ft. apparently produced an increase 

 in yield of seed cotton over undynamited land of 126 lbs. i)er acre. 



