426 EXPERIMENT STATION EECOED. 



pp. 7-U ) ■ — This report gives among otlier things the production of the principal 

 field crops grown in these regions, together with the quantities of sugar and 

 spirits uiauufnctured there. 



Fibers, W. R. Dunstan (Colon. Rpts., Misc. [Gt. Brit.], No. 58, pp. lJi2). — 

 Under textile fibers this report treats of animal fibers, flax, ramie, jute, and 

 fibers of other similar plants. Under cordage fibers, fiber plants of the genera 

 Sausevieria, Musa, Agave, Furcrsea, Phormium, Yucca, Hibiscus, etc., are 

 discussed. Under miscellaneous fibers, silk cottons, paper making materials, 

 raffia, and other fiber producing plants of that type are included. 



Fertilizer and seeding experiments with root crops, C. F. Clark and E. R. 

 Minns (Xcw York Cornell Sta. Bui. 267, pp. Jil5--'fS9, fig. 1). — Commercial 

 seed in these tests gave as good results as home grown seed, and seeding with 

 a hand drill produced a better stand and consequently a larger yield than 

 seeding with a grain drill. The use of 12 lbs. of mangel seed and 2 lbs. of 

 ruta-baga seed per acre gave the best results as compareil with other quantities. 



The results of two years indicate that lime is not beneficial to mangels on 

 the clay loam soil of the university farm. The largest yields were secured with 

 the use of a complete fertilizer application, while the use of nitrogen and 

 phosphorus combined proved the most economical. The relative efiiciency of 

 the carriers of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium used singly was in the 

 following order: Acid phosphate, nitrate of soda, and muriate of potash. The 

 highest percentage of foliage was produced by nitrate of soda, followed by 

 muriate of potash and acid phosphate in the order given. Nitrate of soda was 

 apparently more efficient than dried blood as a nitrogen carrier. 



Perennial leguminous crops in the southwestern part of the steppe region, 

 A. BuiCHiKHiN (Zap. Imix. Obshch. Sclsk. Khoz. Yuzh. Ross., 77 {1901). Nos. 

 11, pp. 21-71; 12, pp. 20-66; ahs. in Zhur. Opuitn. Agron. [Kms-.s. Jour. E.vpt. 

 Lan(lw.~i, 9 (1908), No. 6, pp. 786, 787). — Observations at the Ploti Experiment 

 Station have shown that growing alfalfa, clover, and sainfoin under summer 

 cereals does not increase the yields of the cereal crops because perennial 

 leguminous plants draw too much moisture from the soil. 



The wild alfalfas and clovers of Siberia, with a perspective view of the 

 alfalfas of the world, N. E. Hansen (U. 8^ Dept. Agr., Bur. Plant Indus. Bui. 

 150, pp. 31, map 1). — This bulletin contains brief reviews of 3 trips to Siberia 

 made by the author since 1897 together with descriptions of 7 species or varie- 

 ties of alfalfa, and notes on the clovers of eastern European Russia and Siberia. 

 The three Siberian alfalfas described are Medicago falcata, M. platycarpa, and 

 M. ruthenica. In addition to these species M. .s■a^/l■«, M. media, M. gJutino.sa and 

 M. arborca are described. The clovers noted are Trifolium medium, T. montan uni, 

 T. lupinaster, and T. suavcolens. A discussion on the acclimatization of i)]ants 

 to endure a greater degree of cold, and the acclimatization of perennial plants 

 concludes the bulletin. 



Report of progress in variety tests of barley, C. Willis and J. V. Bopp 

 (South Dakota Sta. Bui. 113, pp. 501-522, fig. 1). — Variety trials with barley, 

 in cooperation with the Bureau of Plant Industry of this Department, are in 

 progress and this bulletin is a report upon this work. 



In 190S, 87 varieties were gi-own at the station. The yields of the varieties 

 for different years are given in tables.- The varieties leading in average yield 

 and their production per acre are as follows: Kitzing 189, 45.13 bu. for 4 years; 

 Odessa 182, 43.91 bu. for 5 years ; Swan Neck 187. 43.50 bu. for 5 years ; Cheva- 

 lier 10584, 41.21 bu. for 5 years; Chevalier 35, 40.94 bu. for 6 years; Hanua 24, 

 40.66 bu. for 5 years; and Minnesota 6, 40.54 bu. for 5 years. 



Directions for barley culture are given, the importance of pure seed and the 

 value of barley for different uses are pointed out, and meteorological data with 



