FIELD CROPS. 433 



was grown after corn, but the lowest yields were produced after Kafir and sor- 

 ghum. In value of total products in 4 years the rotation of corn with potatoes 

 ranked first with $43.47 per acre; corn after Kafir corn, second, with .$34.40 per 

 acre; corn after sorghum, third, with .$31.15, and corn continuously, fourth, 

 with $31.07. 



A summary of the results of shrinkage experiments carried on for 3 seasons 

 shows a loss in weight of 3.26 per cent for the first 4 months after the corn 

 was placed in the crib, 5.16 per cent for the first 6 months, 6.80 per cent for the 

 first 8 months, 7.44 per cent for the first 10 months, and 8.62 per cent for the 

 first year. The average shrinkage of yellow corn was 11.21 per cent in 12 

 mouths, of white corn 8.48 per cent, and of mixed corn or samples of many vari- 

 eties only 6.18 per cent. It is considered that the average result of the shrinkage 

 trials indicates that corn cribbed fairly dry and in good condition should not 

 shrink over 5 per cent during the winter months. Attention is called to the 

 fact, however, that in these experiments great care was exercised to prevent 

 loss from other causes. 



The corn-breeding, work of the station is described. It was found that in some 

 tests there was a difference of more than 400 per cent in the yields from differ- 

 ent ear rows. In 1906, the Silvermine high-yielding-rows seed plat yielded 32 

 per cent more corn and 24.8 per cent more first-grade seed ears than the plat 

 planted with first-grade seed. The Hildreth high-yielding-rows seed plat 

 yielded 10..36 per cent more corn and 40 per cent more first-grade seed ears than 

 the plat planted with first-grade seed of this variety. It is pointed out that the 

 results of the breeding work show that the individuality of certain ears can be 

 utilized in the improvement of a particular breed or variety. The breeding 

 stock of Kansas Sunflower corn, after 4 years breeding by the station, traces 

 back to 2 original mother ears. 



Germination tests indicated that ears of corn may vary gi'eatly in vitality, 

 legardless of proper selection and preservation, and that it, therefore, is very 

 important that each ear of seed corn be subjected to a germination test in order 

 to remove those of low vitality. 



Protein in seed corn, C. L. Penny {Delaware tita. Rpt. 190.!i-1906, pp. 13- 

 33). — Samples of seed corn were analyzed for the purpose of selective propaga- 

 tion. The percentages relate to the air-dry state after the corn had been kept 

 over winter under the usual conditions. 



For 59 crops grown in 4 different years the average of protein was 9.19 per 

 cent, while the average for 50 crops grown from local seed was 9.14 per cent. 

 With the exception of a few samples of shelled corn received from the West, 

 which averaged 12.78 per cent protein, the highest percentage of protein was 

 found in a Delaware crop, this being 11.22 per cent as an average of 36 ears 

 chosen by the grower for physical perfection alone. The range in these ears 

 was from 9.75 to 13 per cent, the best being about one-third better than the 

 poorest. In another crop the range was from 6.25 to 12.69 per cent, the one 

 being twice as rich as the other. The smaller kernels at the end of the ear 

 were found to contain on an average 0.30 per cent less protein than the hirge 

 and full-formed kernels. The results of the different crops are recorded in 

 tables. 



The value of cotton improvement {Oklahoma Bta. Circ. 7, pp. .)). — A popu- 

 lar discussion on the subject, mainly devoted to ways and methods of increasing 

 the yield per acre. 



Lupines as an intercultural crop for green manuring with potatoes, 

 HiLTNER {Prakt. Bl. Pflanzcnhau a. Schiits., n. ser., 5 {1907), Ao. I>. pp. 63-66, 

 fig. 1). — This article describes the growing of yellow lupines between the rows 

 of i^otatoes for the purpose of soil improvement. 



