1038 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



A contribution to the question of how kainit affects the potato 

 when applied to the preceding crop, O. Lemmermann (Landw. Vers. 

 Stat., 51 (1898), No. 2-3, pp. 159-184). — A number of cooperative experi- 

 ments were made with different amounts of kainit applied to tbe cereal 

 crop which preceded a crop of potatoes. In every case 9 plats each 5 

 ares in size were used. In addition to uniform green manuring: and an 

 application of 1,000 kg. of lime per hectare, 3 received 1,000 kg. kainit 

 per hectare, 3 received 2,000 kg., and 3 received no kainit. The fertil- 

 izers were applied in the fall of 1891. A cereal crop was. grown the fol- 

 lowing season, and in 189G a crop of potatoes. The results from the 

 kainit applications on the cereal crop indicate that on soils containing 

 0.2351 per cent of potash a potash fertilizer for wheat and rye is recom- 

 mendable, and that on soils containing 0.2424: per cent of potash an 

 addition of potash is unnecessary for oats. 



In general the application of kainit in these experiments acted bene- 

 ficially, but the results from different amounts on the various soils were 

 not parallel. In all cases except one, plats receiving kainit produced 

 better yields than plats to which no kainit had been applied. The yield 

 from the larger applications was greater in a number of cases than the 

 yield from the smaller applications, but the increase was not in propor- 

 tion to the amount applied. In a fewinstauces the application of 2,000 

 kg. per hectare proved too heavy, and the yields were smaller than those 

 obtained on plats which had received one-half that amount or no kainit. 

 The action of kainit in these tests did not show any marked regularity, 

 and the author considers further experiments necessary before definite 

 conclusions can be drawn. 



Researches on the quantities of fertilizing materials necessary 

 in the intensive culture of the potato, A. Girard (Ann. ISci. Agron., 

 1897, II, No. 2, pp. 261-280). — Observations were made of the amount 

 of plant food removed from the soil by the different parts of the potato 

 plant. Eight different varieties were studied. It is concluded that 

 the maximum yields of tubers of these varieties removed on an average 

 110.80 kg. of nitrogen, 25.31 kg. of phosphoric acid, and 183.35 kg. of 

 potash per hectare. 



On the consumption of water in rice fields, I. Inagaki (Imp. 

 Univ. Col. A(jr. [Tokyo] Bui, Vol. 3, No. 5, pp. 107-414, pi. 1).— This 

 article gives a record of measurements at intervals of two or three 

 days of transpiration from rice plants growing in pots. The experi- 

 ments covered the period from January 18 to October 20. The pots 

 were covered with an apparatus which maintained the water in the pot 

 at a constant level, measuring the water so used and at the same time 

 recording the evaporation from the surface of the pots as well as the 

 excess of water which the plants received due to wind, rain, or dimi- 

 nution of atmospheric pressure. From the data obtained in these 

 experiments it is estimated that the rice crop transpires 1.539 liters of 

 water per hectare per second. In experiments in the field it was found 



