FIELD CROPS. 



237 



Weight and (termination of large and -small seeds. 



"Not only was the percentage of germination in favor of the large 

 seeds . . . but the time required to get a fairly good stand was also 

 much less." 



Experiments with field roots, silage, and forage crops, C. A. 

 Zavitz {Ontario Ayr. Col. and Expt. Farm Rpt. 1897, pp. 186-213).— 

 This work consisted of variety tests, distance experiments, and selec- 

 tion of seed with a number of different crops. All results are tabulated. 

 Work in this line has been formerly reported (E. S. E., 9, pp. 440, 443). 



Swedish turnips. — In a test of 79 varieties planted 10 in. apart in rows 

 26| in. apart, Improved Long Island and Dreer Improved Purple Top 

 produced the heaviest roots. Improved Long Island, Laidlaw Im- 

 proved, and Dreer Improved Purple Top produced the largest yields of 

 roots (29.25, 28.25, and 27.85 tons per acre, respectively.) Of 29 varieties 

 tested for 9 years Hartley Bronze Top heads the list in productiveness 

 with an average yield of 21.11 tons of roots per acre. From the results 

 of experiments conducted for 6 years in succession the general conclu- 

 sion is drawn that as the distance between plants in the row increased 

 from 8 to 20 in., the average yield decreased, but the average weight 

 per root increased. The average yield of plants 4 and 8 in. apart was 

 17.26 and 17.58 tons of root per acre, respectively. The average results 

 for years showed that drills 20 in. apart gave a better yield than drills 

 20 and 32 in. apart. 



Fall turnips.— On the average of 7 years 7 experiments Jersey Navet, 

 Graystone Improved Purple Top Mammoth, and Early American Purple 

 Top, in the order given, produced the heaviest roots. Thinning the 

 plants to 4 in. apart in rows 26f in. apart gave a better average result 

 for 6 years than thinning to 8, 12, 16, or 20 in. apart. A test of different 

 distances between drills with plants 10 in. apart in the drill proved 20 in. 

 to be preferable to 26 or 32 in. 



Manyel-wurzels. — This season 62 varieties were tested. Among 27 

 varieties grown for 7 years Evans Improved Mammoth Sawlog pro- 

 duced the largest average yield, 25.17 tons per acre, followed by Simmer 

 Improved Mammoth Long Red with 25.11 tons and Steel Long Red 

 Selected with 24.24 tons per acre. Four inches between roots in drills 

 26fin. apart and 20 in. between drills with 10 in. between plants in the 

 drill proved to be the preferable distances. The average weight of the 



