FIELD CROPS. 



535 



June. The author believes the high sugar content obtained was due 

 to the continuous and regular growth of the beets during the entire 

 season, aud that a regular distribution of temperature and rainfall is 

 more conducive to the production of an extremely high sugar content 

 than a larger amount of heat. 



The results of the fertilizer experiment showed that the application of 

 35.68 lbs. soluble phosphoric acid per acre did not increase the yield of 

 beets and had no effect on the sugar content. The results with nitrog- 

 enous fertilizers were as follows : No nitrogen, 15.625 tons of beets per 

 acre with a sugar content of 17 per cent; 178.42 lbs. potassium nitrate, 

 18.221 tons per acre with a sugar content of 17.1 per cent ; and 356.84 

 lbs. potassium nitrate, 19.318 tons per acre with a sugar content of 

 16.63 per cent. The results did not show that the top-dressing had any 

 influence on the sugar content of the beets. 



Fertilizer experiments and variety tests with barley (pp. 94-119). — The 

 field contained 11.18 acres. A test was made of 2 varieties of Hanna 

 barley* (Original and Benkendorfer) and 4 varieties of Chevalier (Trotha 

 Saale, Heine Improved Chevalier, Heine Golden Melon, aud Eichard- 

 son Chevalier). The Benkendorfer Hanna barley is the original Hanna 

 grown at Benkendorf for a number of years. The original Hanna pro- 

 duced the largest yield of grain, 64.52 bu., being 4.44 bu. per acre more 

 than the average yield of the Chevalier varieties; while the Benken- 

 dorfer Hanna yielded only 1.02 bu. per acre more. The Chevalier 

 varieties were about equally productive. The average yield of straw 

 of the Chevalier varieties was 4,644 lbs. per acre and of the Hanna 

 varieties 3,637 lbs. Taking the yield of grain and straw into considera- 

 tion, the author believes Heine Improved Chevalier barley one of the 

 best standard varieties. It is thought the Hanna varieties, like most 

 varieties producing small amounts of straw, possess the advantage of 

 requiring smaller amounts of moisture and plant food, and will be 

 adapted to soils on which the profitable culture of the heavier straw- 

 producing varieties is doubtful. These varieties are also 5 or 6 days 

 earlier in maturing than the Chevalier. The following table shows 

 some points of comparison between the two kinds of barley: 



Comparison of the crops of Hanna and Chevalier varieties of barley. 



Protein 

 content. 



Weight of 

 1,000 ker- 

 nels. 



Weight 



per 

 bushel. 



Mealy 

 grains. 



Hanna barley (average of 2 varieties) 



Chevalier barley (average of 4 varieties) 



Per cent. 

 7.71 

 8.01 



Grams. 

 44.0 

 42.2 



Pounds. 

 49. 209 

 49. 010 



Per cent. 

 59 

 52 



The fertilizer tests were made with applications of 535.26 lbs. kainit, 

 89.21 and 178.42 lbs. nitrate of soda, and 26.76 lbs. nitrogen in the form 

 of crude Peruvian guano per acre. The object was to observe the 

 effect of potash and nitrogen. On some plats the nitrogenous fertilizers 



