528 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



ous pure-line selections from commercial varieties of oats and hybrids secured 

 in crossing some of these pure-line selections, under the various climatic and 

 soil conditions found at McLean, 111., the Iowa, Nev^^ York Cornell, Pennsyl- 

 vania, Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Minnesota experiment 

 stations, and the Arlington, Va., Experimental Farm. 



The system of numbering and methods of testing and of making the selec- 

 tions are described. From these results it seems that hybrids resulting from 

 the use of varieties Welcome, Sixty-Day, Probsteier, Burt, Danish Island, 

 Asia Minor Rustproof, and Silvermine have proved among the most valuable, 

 but none of the hybrids yielded persistently higher than the pure-line selections 

 at any location. 



It is noted that at Cornell Station, and similarly at other places, " the 

 variation in results and in the relative yields of the different strains from 

 year to year has been considerable. This is well shown by the yields of the 

 best ten hybrids and selections for each year. In certain years the earlier 

 strains represented by the Burt and Sixty-Day types are the best yielders, 

 while in other years the later types represented by the Silvermine or Welcome 

 yield best. This place variation operates to make one-year varietal tests in- 

 conclusive, [as] imusual conditions affecting the results may arise in any 

 season." 



Nitrogenous fertilizers with spring oats, J. B. Martin (Vie Agr. et Rurale, 

 3 (1914), ^o. 21, pp. 575-577). — More satisfactory results are reported in several 

 experiments by the use of 160 kg. nitrate of soda, one-half applied at seeding 

 time and one-half 15 days later, than with 120 kg. sulphate of ammonia, 60 kg. 

 sulphate of ammonia and 80 kg. nitrate of soda, or 160 kg. nitrate of soda in 

 one application. 



Influence of nitrates on the germinative period of oats, F. Plate (Atti R. 

 Accad. Lincei, Rend. CI. Sci. Fis., Mat. r Xat., 5. scr., 23 (19U), I, Nos. 3, pp. 

 161-164; 7, pp. 506-512) .—These articles continue previous work (E. S. R., 31, 

 p. 231), in which the nitrates of many cations were used, in water solutions of 

 varying concentrations, to fertilize the germinating seeds. The influence of these 

 cations is discussed and results given in terms of weight of entire seedlings, 

 length of radicle, and length of culm. 



Aluminum seemed to act favorably on the young plants, tin and lead with 

 an increase of dilution, while cerium and thorium caused the plants to die. 



Chromium and manganese had a similar and depressing effect on the growth. 

 Nitrate of uranium killed all of the plants. Iron, cobalt, and nickel nitrates 

 gave negative results. The development correlation of other nitrates is given 

 as follows: Rb> Sr> K> Ca> Na> Li> Mg> [Mn> Cr] > Zn> Al 



Information on peanuts, A. C. Tonnelier (Bol. Min. Agr. [Buenos Aires'\, 

 16 (1913), No. 5-6, pp. 636-641, fig. D- — This paper continues work previously 

 noted (E. S. R., 31, p. 231), and notes further the advantage of shelling the 

 peanuts before planting as a means of reducing the cost of seeding without a 

 proportional reduction in yield. Chemical analyses are included. 



Varieties of potatoes, A. C. ToNNELrEB (Variedades de Papas. Buenos Aires: 

 Min. Agr., 1913, pp. 147, figs. 155). — This article gives cultural notes and meth- 

 ods used for several hundred varieties of potatoes studied experimentally at 

 C6rdoba from 1910-1912. 



Potato growing in New York State (N. Y. Dept. Agr. Bui. 57 (1914), pp. 

 1051-1173, figs. 43). — This bulletin consists of 18 papers by different authors, 

 touching upon the history, cultural methods, breeding methods, diseases and 

 insect enemies, marketing, and food value of the potato. 



Crosses between summer rape and turnip, E. Baub (Jahresber. Vei: Angew. 

 Bot., 11 (1913), pi. 1, pp. 117, 118).— It is noted that the Fi generation of this 



