922 



of both protein and fat in the grain; it was moro (liffifult to s(»ft<Mi 

 the richer grain by soaking. Kegardiug the gerniinatinn of the seed no 

 ditierenee was observed. 



Suggestions for field experiments with fertilizers for field beets, 

 P. Wagner {Beui. htndu-. Prtsse, L'^.f:.^ p. 320). — In a lew introductory 

 remarks the author explains his position on the subject of field experi- 

 ments. The general opinion that he is opposed to field experiments 

 he pronounces an error. vSo far lr«mi 1)eHevin<i- them to be useless, he 

 believes they are absolutely essential in promoting our knowledge of the 

 principles of manuring, not for purposes of research, to be sure, but for 

 testing the ai)pli<ation in practice of tlie theories wliich have been sug- 

 gested by scientific in\estigations on a much more limited si ale. For 

 this reason he invites critical tests by practical farmers of the theories 

 he has advanced, and he declares that only by the cooi)eration of the 

 investigator and the farmer can imi>rovement be made in the i)ractice 

 of manuring crops. 



In spite of the many experiments made to compare the efiectsof like 

 quantities of nitrogen in the forms of nitrate of soda and of i«iimonium 

 suli)hat«', which have indicated the nitrate to be the more effect ive» 

 esju'cially in the case of l>eets and i>otatoes. and which have led to the 

 general discarding of ammonium salts foi' j»()tati»es and beets, tliissniic 

 rior effect of nitrate <»f soda has remained unaccounted for. 



Kecent experiments hy the author and Dr. R. Dorsih* have attrib- 

 uted a special value to the soda contained in Chile saltpeter, esiu'cially 

 for crops w hich require large amounts of potash. They found that when 

 calcium nitrate was useil in ]>laee of sodium nitrate, tliat is, when the 

 soda was rr'idaced by lime, the etlect of the nitrate was veiy materially 

 lessened, an<l (ui the contrary that the a<'tion of annn«>nium salts was 

 greatly increased by the addition of soda as common salt.t This favor 

 aide effect of soda is not attiibuted to any ability to set free large (juan- 

 tities of i»lant food contained in the soil, as has been suggested, but to 

 its ability to replace a part of the ])ota.sh re(]uired for a maximum erojt, 

 ijat is, for a crop sufiiciently laig<' to utilize* all the nitrogen supplied. 



This action of sodium is held t«» b»' of unusual practical importance, 

 as it throws light on ntany unex]dained facts well known in j)ractice. 

 Tlu' author therefore suggests a .series of field experiments to further 

 study the action u\' sodium ami to «letermine its importance in farm 

 ])ractice. He invites the cooperation of farmers in making these i>rac- 

 tical field trials. The jdau outlined is as follows: A piece of land as 

 nearly even as ])racticable, containing about (> acres, is to be divided 

 into 10 equal plats (one fourth hectart" each). There are io be 5 series 



* Piililislietl ill ForHchunyen anf dem (iehnt dir ]>ihi<iutiiix\ihri-; I. — D'u Sthkstvffdihi- 

 guiifi dcr J\iilliiii>rt<inzcii. Horliii, Paul I'arey. 



tExjii liiiitMits liL-aiiiig uii this qiu-stiou are uoteil in Lx]>friiiuiit Statiou Keconl, 

 Vol. HI, p. 554. 



