FIELD CROPS. 



1037 



ductive. Two varieties of rye, Lochow and Baimet, and 1 variety of 

 oats, La Precoce d'ete" Cbrestensen, are recommended. A dressing of 

 400 kg-, per hectare of superphosphate produced a larger increase in 

 the yield of oats than a dressing of 200 kg. per hectare of nitrate of 

 soda, and when these applications were applied together the results 

 were not as satisfactory as when they were applied separately. The 

 use of Alinit seemed to have no effect on the yield of oats. 



Eight varieties of sugar beets were grown, all of which showed a 

 high sugar content and coefficient of purity and a good yield. The fol- 

 lowing varieties are mentioned as producing beets of good form: Bim- 

 pau a Schlanstedt, Keilbolz amelioree, Selection Dumont-Brabant, and 

 Baumeier Kleinwauzleben. Nitrate of soda and sulphate of ammonia 

 were applied before the sugar beets were planted. The nitrate of soda 

 increased the yield at the expense of sugar content and purity, while 

 the sulphate of ammonia had no detrimental effect on the sugar con- 

 tent and purity, but produced a smaller increase in yield. Muriate of 

 potash was found more effective than kainit. 



The results of testing gypsum as a fertilizer for clover showed that 

 the application should not be made as a top-dressing. 



Tests were made of fertilizing and cultivating the sod of two-year- 

 old meadows. Peruvian guano was applied at the rate of 350 kg. per 

 hectare on February 21 and cultivation with a harrow was given to the 

 depth of G cm. The fertilizer applied alone gave the best results, fol- 

 lowed in their order by the use of the fertilizer together with cultiva- 

 tion, and cultivation alone. 



Test of fertilizers on -wheat, D. O. Nourse ( Virginia Sta. Bui. 77, 

 pp. 53-61). — This is in continuation of work formerly reported, and the 

 plan of the experiment has been described in a previous abstract 

 (E. S. B., 9, p. 747). The results for the present year and the average 

 results for 3 years are given in tables. The financial results of the 

 different applications are discussed. The average results for the 3 

 years show that when applied alone potash was practically without 

 effect, nitrogen increased the yield, but not enough to pay for the appli- 

 cation, and phosphoric acid more than doubled the yield of grain and 

 straw. The following table gives the results obtained when the ferti- 

 lizers were applied together, each in amounts sufficient to supply either 

 all the phosphoric acid or one-half of the potash or nitrogen removed 

 in a crop of wheat of 25 bu. per acre. 



Iiestilt-s of fertilizer tests with wheat. 



