671 



worked out by themselves. Cooperation between different States and 

 diflercnt stations would be very desirable, for the work should be 

 a|)phed to as many soil formations as jjossible. 



In an article on i)age 672 of this number of the llecord, Professor 

 Atwater calls attention to the dcliciency of protein in our ai!;ricultural 

 products, and shows how this tends to increase the already too great 

 proportions of fat and of carbohydrates in the food whic;h we eat. 

 As regards the crops grown in this country, two im]uovements are 

 suggested: One consists in the diversification of our agriculture by 

 substituting for a part of the corn now grown other croi)S which are 

 relatively rich in nitrogen; chief among these are clover, cowpeas, 

 and other leguminous plants. This will not only produce a better 

 balanced ration for live stock, but also help to increase the productiveness 

 of our worn-out sods and kee^) up the fertility of our newer lands. 



But special emphasis is laid on another phase of our agricultural 

 l)roductiou. By a comparison of analyses of grasses grown in the 

 United States with those of the same species grown in Europe, it is 

 indicated that the former do not contain as much nitrogen as the latter. 

 There is also evidence that our grain crops have a relatively small 

 nitrogen content. This would show a tendency in the development of our 

 cereals and forage plants which is greatly to be dex)lored, especially in 

 view of the fact that corn, our greatest crop, is poor in nitrogen at best. 

 The conditions which may have produced this decrease in the nitrogen 

 content of our crops are not well understood, but it is more than prob- 

 able that it is due in large part to careless methods of cultivation, to 

 improper rotation of crops, to the injudicious api^lication of fertilizers, 

 and i)erhaps esi^ecially to the insufficient use of green manures. With a 

 view to finding out the facts regarding the degeneracy of our grains and 

 grasses and to obtaining better varieties than those now grown, it is 

 suggested to import European varieties especially rich in nitrogen, and 

 make experiments with them at stations in different parts of the coun- 

 try. It will be desirable not only to test the adaptability of the Euro- 

 pean varieties to the conditions x>i"evailing in this country, but also to 

 find out how our own standard varieties can be improved by selection 

 and cross-fertilization. Culture and fertilizer exx)eriments should be 

 made in connection with the work on varieties. Many more analyses 

 of our jtroducts are also needed to determine how far those already 

 made truly represent the comi^osition of our crops in different localities 

 and under different climatic and culture conditions. 



To encourage work in this line this Department proposes to import 

 the seed of grasses now grown in Germany and to distribute it to such 

 of the stations as are prepared to undertake the investigation of this 

 interesting and important problem. 



