493 



from the former was consideral)]y less than from tlie latter. The author 

 Avould explain this excessive loss of nitrates from the le}j;uminous 

 cultures by inability of these plauts to take up the nitrates from the 

 soil in the same decree as other j)lants. With reference to the hciii]), 

 the indications were that this plant was only able to appropriate the 

 nitrates when organic nitrogenous matter was present, i. e. when the 

 barnyard manure extract was applied with the nitrate. In its absence 

 the plants seemed unable to prevent the wasliing out of considerable 

 quantities of nitrates. 



Fallow cultures. — To prevent the loss of nitrojicn from the soil by 

 drainage after harvest, it was proposed to sow rajtidly growing crops 

 on fields where beets, corn, hemp, oats, and peas had been raised, and 

 later to plow these second crops under. Although the season was dry 

 and the crops winterkilled, prematurely terminating the experiment, 

 the advantage of the aftergrowth was very apparent. In November, 

 before the frost, the drainage water Avashed out on an average U.G 

 X)ounds of nitrogen as nitrates from the bare and 0.36 pounds from the 

 cultivated soil per acre. The case was similar where perennials (rye 

 grass and clover) were raised. 



The food value of brush-wood, A. Stutzer (Deut. landw. Presse, 

 1891, p. 943). — Attention was called last year by Kamenn and von Jena, 

 in a pamphlet published by them, to the fact that the brushwood or 

 the younger twigs from trimming out the tops of trees {Holzreisig), pos- 

 sessed a value for feeding purposes, and might be used to supplement 

 the food supply when crops were po©r. In order to prepare the 

 material for feeding it was to be crushed and broken up, 1 per cent of 

 malt added, hot distillery swill or something of the kind poured over it, 

 and then allowed to w^ork for 1 to 3 days. 



The material used by the author for analysis was obtained by treat- 

 ing twigs gathered in winter in the above manner. The analyses fol- 

 low" of fodder matle from beach, pine, alder, and common locust : 



Water 



Crude protein 



Amides and digestible albuminoids 



TTiidigestible protein 



Coefficient of digestibility of crude protein 



Beach. 



Per cent. 



10. 12 

 4.50 

 1.25 

 3.25 



27.80 



Pine. 



Per cent. 

 7.51 

 5.19 

 2.13 

 3.06 

 40.90 



Alder. 



Per cent. 

 6.87 

 7.12 

 3.56 

 3.56 

 50.00 



Locust. 



Per cent. 

 6.98 

 7.94 

 5.00 

 2.88 

 63.80 



The locust not only contains the largest percentage of protein, but the 

 protein is the most digestible. 



Studies of the changes in potato tubers in keeping, E. Wollny 



{Forsvh. auf. d. Geh. d. acjr. Physik, 14, pp. ;JS0-W;.').—lt is a familiar 

 tact that potatoes suffer a loss in weight by keeping, on tlie one 

 hand by the evaporation of water aud on the other hand through the 



