FIELD CROPS. 737 



of 14 days. In the retting tanks the temperature of the water was 

 kept at 100° during - the day and raised to 110° in the evening and 

 allowed to fall from 5° to 15° during the night. These ranges of tem- 

 perature produced the best results and the retting was usually completed 

 in 110 hours. A higher temperature did not hasten the process and an 

 average temperature of 20° lower prolonged it to about 145 hours. At 

 150° no retting took place. 



A report on the culture of hemp in Europe ( U. 8. Dept. Agr., Office 

 of Fiber Investigations Ept. 11, pp. 2'J,figs. 6). — This includes a special 

 consular report on the growth of hemp iu Italy. The author reviews 

 the hemp industry in this country and in France, discusses the kind of 

 hemp grown in different countries, and gives directions for the various 

 operations which enter into the culture of hemp and its preparation for 

 market. Notes are given on the cultivation, drying, and cleaning of 

 hemp iu Italy. 



The consular report discusses Italian hemp culture, describes the 

 heinp plant, reports its chemical composition as determined by several 

 authorities, and gives full directions for its culture and preparation. A 

 plan of crop rotation is given in which the farm is divided into 18 fields 

 and each year 6 fields grow alfalfa, 6 wheat, and G hemp. Notes are 

 given on the construction of retting pools. 



The influence of soil moisture and fertility on the develop- 

 ment of the oat plant, M. Tucker and C. von Seelhorst {Jour. 

 Landw., 46 (1898), No. 1, pp. 53-63). — These investigations on the 

 development of the different parts of the oat plant were carried on as 

 pot experiments. The pots were 33 cm. high and 24 cm. in diameter, 

 and thus gave considerable space for root development. Each pot 

 contained 17,130 gm. of dry soil and 712 plants were grown. The pots 

 were divided into 3 series, according to the amount of moisture in the 

 soil. At the beginning of the experiment, March 29, the amount of 

 water furnished the soil was as follows: First series, 14.35 per cent; 

 second series, 15.41 per cent; third series, 16.44 per cent, being 41.6, 

 45.2, and 48.8 per cent, respectively, of the water-holding capacity of the 

 soil. May 18 the moisture was increased to 47.4 per cent of saturation 

 in the second series and 53.2' per cent in the third, and on June 4, when 

 the plants were heading, it was further increased in tbese series to 51.7 

 and 63.7 per cent of saturation, respectively. About 1 week later the 

 water content in these series was increased to 56.1 and 70.6 per cent of 

 saturation, respectively. Potash was applied in the form of potassium 

 carbonate, phosphoric acid in the form of monocalcic phosphate, and 

 nitrogen in the form of sodium nitrate in amounts shown in the table, 

 which also summarizes the results. 



