FIELD CROPS. 437 



The use of formaliu and. Bordeaux mixture did not prevent decay of potatoes 

 in storage. 



Yields in fertilizer tests are given for tbe years 1908-1913, inclusive, but in- 

 dicate that variations due to seasonal conditions are often as great as those 

 due to fertilizer. " Stable manure alone apparently gave a heavy crop of vines 

 and a heavy crop of potatoes, while nitrate of soda alone gave a hea\'y crop of 

 vines, but a light crop of potatoes. The size and length of the vines, the size 

 and length of the leaf petioles, and the size of the leaves were much greater on 

 those plats receiving nitrogenous fertilizers." 



In a study of the cell structure of the vines from different plats it was found 

 that " cross sections of those vines grown on plats receiving heavy applications 

 of nitrogenous fertilizers showed about the same number of cells, but of much 

 larger size than the vines from plats receiving nonnitrogenous fertilizers. The 

 vascular ducts in the vines from the plats receiving nitrogenous fertilizers were 

 also larger than the vascular ducts in the vines from the other plats, but were 

 surrounded by much thinner layers of bast tissue and showed less resistance to 

 the edge of the microtome blade." Analyses of the vines seemed to indicate that 

 their food constituents are only slightly influenced by the kind of fertilizer ap- 

 plied, while analyses of iwtatoes from the crops of 1909-1913, inclusive, showed 

 considerable variation, but " not suflicient constancy in this variation to war- 

 rant any conclusions that the kind of fertilizers used has any marked effect 

 on the chemical composition of the potato." Tests of both raw and baked 

 potatoes for quality and texture for the entire six years showed that the plat 

 fertilized with acid phosphate and the check plat which received no fertilizers 

 gave potatoes of the best quality. 



In regard to skin surface the fertilized plats ranked in smoothness as fol- 

 lows : No fertilizer, acid phosphate alone, sulphate of potash alone, complete 

 fertilizer, nitrate of soda alone, and stable manure. In size of tubers the order 

 from large to small was as follows: Complete fertilizer, sulphate of potash, 

 acid phosphate, check plat, and nitrate of soda. With stable manure there 

 were a few extraordinarily large specimens but also a high percentage of very 

 small potatoes. 



Notes on the effect of the fertilizers on the mechanical condition of the soil 

 point to an improvement in friability except with nitrate of soda, especially 

 accompanying the application of acid phosphate and barnyard manure. Chemi- 

 cal analyses of the soil of the plats are given. 



It is noted that a study to correlate the bacterial nitrification, the chemical 

 composition, and the fertilizers applied with yield of potatoes on the different 

 plats showed little relation. " Plat 1 [barnyard manure] gave a high percent- 

 age of plant food, phosphorus, nitrogen, and potash, and a correspondingly 

 high yield of potatoes, but the other plats seem to have no constant variation." 



Several hundi-ed measurements of the size of the starch grains showed that they 

 vary slightly, in no constant way, the variation between counts of the same plat 

 often being as great as those from different plats." 



Analyses of sweet potato vine hny. alfalfa hay, cowpea vine hay, and timothy 

 hay are reported. The sweet potato vine hay contained 15.5 per cent water, 1.3 

 nitrogen, 1.7 fat, and 20.8 crude fiber, but it was found impossible to cure and 

 store the hay under ordLnaiy outdoor conditions. 



Tobacco seed beds, O. Olsen {Pennsylvania Sta. Bui. 130 (1914), PP- 151-166, 

 figs. 10). — This bulletin gives results with steam sterilized tobacco seed beds 

 (E. S. R., 24, p. 338; 25, p. 394), the following conclusions being drawn: 



" Steam sterilization of seed beds is decidedly beneficial, as it not only 

 effectually kills all weeds and insects when properly done, but also destroys 



