FIELD CEOPS. 333 



Growing- and curing hops, W. W. Stockberger {U. S. Dept. Agr., Farmcrft' 

 Bui. S04, pp. 39, fig.'^. 20). — This bulletin considers the conditions essential to 

 boj) growing, and the propagation, planting, cultivating, pruning, harvesting, 

 curing, baling, and marketing of the crop. 



Trials of oats, J. Speir (Trans. Highland and Agr. Soc. /S'co/., 5. ser., 19 

 y IfiUl), pp. 177. 17S). — The 3 varieties tested in 1905 gave the following yields: 

 Potato, 54^^ bu., Universal, 59^% bu., and Wide Awake, 74f^ bu. per acre. The 

 different varieties are briefly described. 



Experiments in crossing potatoes, J. II. Wilson (Trans. Highland and Agr. 

 Soc. »S'cof.. 5 ser.. 19 (1907). pp. 7'i-92. pgs. 16). — Discussions are presented on 

 i-ertain botanical features of the potato, the deterioration of varieties, variation, 

 fruiting, and the lu-oduction of seedling potatoes, together with notes on graft- 

 ing and crossing. 



The author secured crosses of British Queen and Myatt Kidney. New Zealand 

 Ked variety and M.vatt Kidney, and Maincrop and New Zealand Red variety, 

 the last-named in each case being the pollen parent. Solanmu commersoni was 

 crossed with the ordinary potato, but the resulting fruits were seedless. 



Sugar beets, V. K. Chesnut (Montana Sta. Rpt. 1906, pp. 13')-138). — Co- 

 operative cultui'e tests with sugar beets were made in the Gallatin Valley and 

 analyses of 80 samples show ed an average sugar content in the juice of 1G.9 per 

 cent, a purity of 84.05 per cent, and an average weight per beet of 29.G oz. 



Comparative results from European and American beet seed showed that the 

 l)eets from American seed ranked among the first in sugar content and purity. 



Seedling canes and manurial experiments at Barbados, 1904-6, J. P. 

 d'Albuquerque and J. K. Bovei.i, [Imp. Dcpt. Agr. West Indies. Puinphlct J-J, 

 1907, pp. 133). — The seedling and other canes grown in these experiments were 

 grown on 13 estates situated in typical localities on the island. 11 of the plats 

 being on black soils and 2 on red soils. On the black soils, as plant canes. D. 

 95 gave the best results, yielding 9,21(5 lbs. of saccharose per acre, as against 

 fi,8T<j lbs. from White Transparent. D. 95 was followed by B. 1529, B. 147, 

 D. 1438, B. 376, and B. 208 in the order named. On the red soils, as plants 

 and rattoons. B. 156G led in yield with 9.811 lbs. of saccharose per acre, as 

 compared with 6.199 lbs. for White Transparent. B. 376. D. 95, B. 208. and B. 

 1529 also gave good results. 



For the years 1900 to 1906. B. 1529. B. 147. and B. 208 gave the highest 

 returns as plants on the black soils, the increase representing .$17.64, $5.37, 

 and ,$4.29 per acre, respectively, as compared with White Transparent. As 

 plants and rattoons taken together, B. 208 averaged 5.339 lbs. of saccharose 

 per acre, as against 5,029 lbs. from White Transparent. On the red soils, as 

 plant canes, B. 1566, B. 1529, and B. 208 gave the best results. As plants and 

 rattoons taken together, B. 1566 and B. 376 gave increased values per acre 

 of $22.52 and $10.86, respectively, as compared with White Transparent. 



The results of the fertilizer experiments indicate, in general, that larger 

 yields are obtained b.v supplementing an ordinary application of barnyard ma- 

 nure with commercial fertilizers than by applying manure alone, and also that 

 an application of nitrogen both to plant canes and rattoons gives a profitable 

 increase in yield. The results with potassic and phosphatic fertilizers were 

 not in accordance with previous years, the application of superphosphate giving 

 a slightly increased yield, while the i)otash fertilizers did not prove profitable. 



The estimation of cane crops, C. H. Ham-akers (Internat. Sugar Jour., 9 

 (1907), Xo. 102. pp. 287-291).— \ cane field of about 2.5 acres, cut up into 100 

 rectangles by intersecting irrigation canals, was used for the experimental es- 

 timation of its yield. Each of the re<'tangles was 24 ft. long and contained 

 15. rows of cane. In each of these the diameter of 10 adjacent cane stalks was 



