10(H) EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



grasses or with better species from other regions. The plan of the 

 experiment is as follows : 



Pasture No. 1. — No treatment except to keep stock oft' until June 1, pasturing the 

 balance of the season. 



Pasture No. 2. — Cut with a disk harrow and kept stock off until June 1, pasturing 

 the balance of the season. 



Pastures Nos. 3 and 4 (40 acres each). — Grazed alternately, the stock being changed 

 from one pasture to another every L' weeks, thus allowing the grasses a short period 

 for recovery after each grazing. 



Pasture No. 5. — No treatment except pasturing until June 1 and keeping stock off 

 the balance of the season. 



Pasture No. 6. — Left as a check, without any treatment whatever except to keep 

 •tock off during the first season. 



Pasture No. 7. — Dragged with an ordinary straight-toothed harrow and stock kept 

 oft' during the first season. 



Pasture No. 8. — Disked and stock kept oft' during the first season. 



Although sufficient data is not available for definite statements, the 

 outlook for an increase in the quantity of grass on these overstocked 

 pastures is encouraging. During the succeeding seasons experiments 

 will be made as to the practicability of sowing alfilaree, burr clover, 

 Bokhara clover, alfalfa, sorghum, and other wild and cultivated grasses 

 and forage plants directly on the sod without further treatment than 

 to keep the stock off during at least the first year. 



It is the expectation to carry on these experiments for at least 3 years, 

 at the end of which time definite results are hoped to be secured which 

 will enable stockmen to decide the best method of restoring their 

 pastures. 



On the development of the plumule and radicle of rice seed 

 with various quantities of water in the germinating medium, T. 

 Yokoi (Imp. Univ. Col Ayr. \ Tokyo] Bid,, Vol. 3, No. 5, pp. 482-187, 

 pis. 2). — On account of the practice of covering rice fields with water 

 to facilitate germination, the author has made a study of the effect of 

 such treatment on the development of the plant. Rice was grown in 

 sand cultures to which various amounts of water were given, and the 

 effect on the development of the plumule and radicle was noted. 

 When allowed to germinate under water, the plumule develops 2 or 3 

 days before the radicle, while when the quantity of water contained in 

 the sand is considerably less than saturation, the radicle develops 

 before the plumule. When the percentage of water falls below 27, 

 germination is retarded, and with it the development of the seedling. 

 It was also observed that the radicle when surrounded with an abun- 

 dant supply of water bore few or no root hairs. These observations 

 have an important bearing on the development of plants, and it is sug- 

 gested that in irrigating rice fields after sowing, only sufficient water 

 for the saturation of the soil should be admitted until the seedlings 

 have established themselves by their rootlets. 



On absorption of carbohydrates by roots, J. Laurent ( Compt. 

 Rend. Acad. Sci. Paris, 127 (1898), No. 20, pp. 786, 787).— In a previous 

 note (E. S. R., 9, p. 724) the author has shown that the roots of maize 



