IPIELD CROPS. 531 



[Experiments at the Kaiser Wilhelni Institute for agriculture], Gerlach 

 (Mitt. Kaiser Wilhelms Inst. Lancko. Bramberg, 3 [19101, No. 1, pp. 5-30). — 

 Brief progress reports are given of work on irrigation, rate of sowing rye and 

 barley by the Demtschinsky methods, tests of various nitrogen-supplying fer- 

 tilizers, electro-culture, legume inoculation, and variety tests of rye, wheat, 

 barley, oats, potatoes, and mangels. Citations are given to numerous publica- 

 tions in which results of these tests are more fully stated. 



Irrigation experiments of the division of agricultural chemistry in 1909, 

 Gerlach (Mitt. Kaiser Wilhelms Inst. Land. Broviberg, 2 (1910), No. f/, pp. 

 ji5/f-.'f65). — These pages report the tests conducted in 1909 with mangels, rye, 

 alfalfa, oats, and potatoes. Tables state in full the results obtained. 



It appeared inadvisable to apply nitrate of soda to rye on a very light soil in 

 a dry year unless irrigation was resorted to. 



The water economy of dry-land crops, T. H. Kearney and H. L. Shantz 

 (U. 8. Dept. Agr. Yearhook 1911, pp. 351-362).— This article in treating of 

 water as a factor in plant growth discusses absorption, transpiration, and 

 water requirements; and in treating of the means by which plants succeed 

 under dry-land conditions describes the adaptations for enduring, evading, and 

 escaping di-ought. 



Some misconceptions concerning dry farming, E. C Chilcott (U. S.. Dept. 

 Agr. Yearbook 1911, pp. 247-256). — This article discusses precipitation; tem- 

 perature and length of season; effects of evaporation, hail, and hot winds; 

 diversity of soils; tillage, with si)ecial reference to summer fallowing, deep 

 plowing, and preparation of the seed bed ; and penetration of the roots into the 

 subsoil in their relation to dry farming. 



" The following misconceptions concerning dry farming may be mentioned as 

 among the most serious: (1) That any definite 'system' of dry farming has 

 been or is likely to be established that will be of general applicability to all or 

 any considerable part of the Great Plains area; (2) that any hard and fast 

 rules can be adopted to govern the methods of tillage or of time and depth of 

 plowing; (3) that deep tillage invariably and necessarily increases the water- 

 holding capacity of the soil or facilitates I'oot development; (4) that alternate 

 cropping and summer tillage can be relied upon as a safe basis for a permanent 

 agriculture or that it will invariably overcome the effects of severe and long- 

 continued droughts; and (5) that the farmer can be taught by given rules how 

 to operate a dry-land farm." 



Rotations in the corn b.elt, C. B. Smith (U. S. Dept. Agr. Yearbook 1911, 

 pp. 325-336). — This article discusses cost and profit in corn growing, and points 

 out the disadvantages of continuous corn culture and the advantages of grow- 

 ing corn in rotation. The rotations discussed are corn and oats; corn, oats, and 

 clover ; corn, corn, oats, and clover ; corn and clover ; corn, wheat, and clover 

 as a catch crop ; corn, oats, wheat, and clover ; corn, cowpeas or soy beans, 

 wheat, and clover; corn and alfalfa ; corn and rye; corn and barley; and a num- 

 ber of miscellaneous rotations. The principles governing the establishing of 

 rotations are touched upon and the use of leguminous crops and the applica- 

 tions of fertilizers in corn belt rotations are noted. 



Wheat and oats, J. L. RXtrgess (Bui. N. C. Dept. Agr. Sup., 32 (1911), No. 

 10^ pp. 2-'f, f(g^- 5). — Results of variety tests of wheat and oats at the Buncombe 

 nnd Iredell test farms accompany directions for producing these crops. Earlier 

 wheat and oat work at these farms has already been noted (E. S. R., 24, p. 142). 



Report on field trials with varieties of oats and wheat in 1909, T. Milburn 

 (Midland Agr. and Dairy Col. Bui. 7, 1909-10, pp. 65-7i ) .—Steadfast, Marvel, 

 and Sensation, 3 French wheat varieties, yielded on the average about 6 bu. 



