642 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



pp. 200-201}). — The lime nitrogen used in tliese tests contained 19.5 per cent of 

 nitrogen and the nitrate of soda 15.5 per cent. A summary of the results is 

 given in the following table : 



Increase ill yield and value of hops per hectare from the use of different quanti- 

 ties of lime nitrogen and nitrate of soda. 



Fertilizers applied. 



Lime nitroeren.- 

 Nitrate of soda 

 Lime nitrogen.. 

 Nitrate of soda 



Quantity 

 per hec- 

 tare. 



Kg. 



318 

 400 

 517 

 560 



Increase in 

 yield per 

 hectare. 



Kg. 

 151. 5 

 20O.O 

 200.0 

 257.5 



Value of 

 increased 

 yield per 

 liectare. 



Markfi. 

 212.1 

 280.0 

 280.0 

 360.5 



Cost of 



fertilizer 



per hectare. 



Marks. 

 95.5 



155.2 

 133.7 



Net profits 

 per hec- 

 tare. 



Marks. 

 116.6 

 184.5 

 124.8 

 226.8 



The hardness of the seed coats in Leguminosae, L. Hiltner and W. Kin- 

 ZEL (Zentbl. Agr. Chem., 36 (1907), No. 6, pp. 38i^8.i).— Observations on the 

 hardness of the seed coats in a number of leguminous crops are rei)orted. It 

 is stated that red clover seed generally contains from 5 to 10 per cent of kernels 

 having hard seed coats, but that in the year 1895 many samples were found 

 which contained as high as 60 per cent. This result is taken as indicating that 

 weather conditions at the time of ripening have a great influence on the tex- 

 ture of the seed coat. 



It was also found that hardness in the .^eed coat in some species may be 

 increased artificially by subjecting the seed for a considerable time to a dry 

 heat of 30 to 40° C. By drying the seeds of lupines, peas, vetch, beans, sain- 

 foin, and red clover for 8 days at a temperature of 35° the 'hardness of the 

 seed coat was consideraV)ly increased, as shown in subseiiuent germination 

 tests. Untreated samples swelled quite readily and germinated within a few 

 days, while the dried samples remained impervious to water for a long tinn; 

 and consequently germinated very slowly. The seed coats were also hardened 

 by drying the -seed over concentrated sulphuric acid. 



In a similar test seeds of peas and lupines were dried at a temperature of 

 105°. All the grains of an untreated .sample of lupine seed swelled in 3 hours, 

 while of those sub.iected to a heat of 105° C. for 4 hours 14 swelled after IS 

 hours, 5 more after 24 hours, and 49 more after 10 days. On the other hand, 

 the resistance to moisture in a sample of lupine seed with extremely hard 

 seed coats was very much reduced by heating. It is stated that this was 

 due to a breaking up of the seed coat after this had reached its maximum point 

 of contraction. 



In the laboratory it was observed that in a sample of vetch seed the number 

 of seeds with hardened seed coats had increased from 15 to 25 per cent after 

 standing in open glass jars for several weeks. It' was also found that the 

 hardness of the seed coats of clover may be I'educed by shaking in a glass 

 jar, and it is concluded that such seed when stored in large heaps may be 

 improved by frequent handling with the shovel. 



A sample of clover seed, which had been stored for 8 years, was separated into 

 the kernels which had remained unchanged, those which were light in color 

 but had slightly darkened, violet darkened grains, and those which had become 

 brown and more or less shriveled. Of the kernels of normal appearance 10.5 

 per cent germinated, 81.9 per cent remained hard, and 7.6 per cent decayed, 

 while in the other samples the percentage of germination ranged from 1.7 to 

 8.1 and the percentage of decayed seeds from 83.4 to 95.2. All the seeds which 



