FIELD CROPS, 633 



in other sections, tlie cost of producing tlie crop, and seed selection are dis- 

 cussed, and reconnnenda lions with reference to soils best .idapted to potato 

 growing, the importance of crop rotation, the use of commercial fertilizers, the 

 application of barnyard manure, the necessity of thorough cultivation, spraying 

 for the prevention of blight, potato machinery, marketing the crop, and main- 

 taining a supply of humus in the soil, are given. 



Observations on the sugar content of sugar-beet crops, R. Schulze and 

 LiPSCHiTz (FiUiling's Landw. Ztg., 58 {1909), No. 10. pp. 3-'i')-355).— The ob- 

 servations here rei»ortod indicate that the meteorological conditions of Septem- 

 ber and October do not alone control the quality of the beet but that the tem- 

 perature, sunshine, and precipitation in July are of greater consequence in this 

 regard. The data secured indicate ]»lainly that the temperature in July stands 

 in direct relation to the ripening ])rocess of the beet and that the temperatui-e 

 of the later months is not so prominent in this respect. 



The beet sugar industry (Ceufius and Statis. [Canada] Bui. 9, pp. Ho, figs. 

 3). — This bulletin is a report on an investigation of sugar-beet production in 

 Canada and the manufacture of beet sugar. The history of the industry is 

 reviewed, its present condition discussed, and sugar statistics for Canada and 

 other countries reported. 



Annual report of the bureau of sugar experiment stations for the year 

 1908-9, W. Maxwell {Ann. Rpt. Bur. Sugar Expt. Stas. [Queensland], 1909, 

 pp. 60). — Among the experimental results discussed in this report are the aver- 

 age yields from second rattoons of the 10 best varieties grown under four differ- 

 ent conditions — irrigation or nonirrigation and manuring or nonmanuring. In 

 1908, the irrigated plats with manures gave 14 cwt. more cane per acre than 

 the nnirrigated plats I'eceiving manures, while the irrigated plats without 

 manures gave a slightly lower result than the nnirrigated plats without manures, 

 the difference being 2 cwt. of cane per acre. The increase apparently due to 

 manures was for the irrigated plats 15.5 tons of cane and 2.4 tons of sugar 

 per acre, and for the nnirrigated plats 14.7 tons of cane and 2.1 tons of sugar 

 per acre. The leading varieties of cane in this experiment were New Guinea 

 24, 24A, and 24B, together with New Guinea 15 or Badila. 



The results of a subsoiling experiment showed that the total first and second 

 rattoon crops on the subsoiled and cultivated plats exceeded by 24 tons of cane 

 per acre the corresponding yield on the nonsubsoiled and uncultivated i)lats. 

 The results of distance experiments indicated that plants with 3 e.ves i)laced 

 G in. apart in the row or closer is the best way of planting in the row. A dis- 

 tance exceeding 5 ft. between the rows was found likely to result in a lower 

 yield of cane and sugar per acre than where the planting is closer. 



A new series of experiments with seedlings and varieties is outlined and 

 work along various lines and with crops other than sugar cane in the different 

 districts is described. 



Cane seedlings in Java, J. D. Kobus {Internat. Sugar Jour., 11 {1909), No. 

 128, pp. 373-379). — This paper, presented at the International Congress of 

 Applied Chemistry, London, 1001). reviews the work of growing young sugar- 

 cane plants from seed and summarizes the results along this line seciu'ed in 

 Java. It is stated that in eastern Java only seedling canes are now cultivated, 

 while in the western provinces where conditions are more favorable the old 

 Cheribon cane is still used to some extent. The increase in the Java sugar 

 production from 2.5 tons per acre in 1887 to over 4.5 tons in 1908 is considered 

 chiefly due to the cultivation of seedling canes. 



Sweet potato culture, F. GarcIa {New Mexico Sta. Buh 70, pp. .5-55, figs. 

 8). — Sweet iiotato plants, irrigated immediately after setting out and receiv- 

 ing from 5 to 8 additional irrigations, have matured good crops at the station. 



