124 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



are given of 8 wheats that thresh very easily, 7() th^lt thresh easily, 88 

 rather easily, 104 rather hard, 42 hard, and G very hard. 



The author concludes as follows : The hard or maccaroni wheats, of 

 which Medeah and Belotourka may be taken as types, are harder to 

 thresh than the soft wheats. The Poulard wheats, of which the Alge- 

 rian and Mummy may be taken as types, also thresh with greater 

 difficulty than the soft wheats. Weak straw and earliness or lateness 

 of ripening are of no value as an indication of ease in threshing. Yel- 

 vet-chaffed wheats, whether bearded or beardless, thresh harder than 

 the corresponding smooth-chaffed sorts. Wheats with crowded heads 

 are generally harder to thresh, other things being equal. Red-chaffed 

 wheats, with few exceptions, are easier to thresh than white-chaffed 

 sorts. Bearded Avheats, other things being equal, are easier to thresh 

 than beardless sorts. 



Crop conditions at Stend Agricultural School, Norway, 1886- 



1895, O. Sandberg [Landmandsvennen. 3 {1895), jpp. 138-140). — The 

 school is located at Stend, near Bergen, Xorway (latitude 60° 24' N., 

 longitude 5'^ 18' E.j. The following summary shows the dates of sow- 

 ing and harvesting barley and oats, amount of seed used, yields 

 obtained, etc.: 



Average data for barley and oat culture in iSTorway were as follows : 

 Date of sowing/oats May 5, barley May 6] germinating period, oats 12 

 days, barley 8 days; date of harvesting, oats September 4, barley 

 August 14; growing period, oats 119 days, barley 111 days; amount of 

 seed sown, oats 0.53 bu., barley 0.57 bu.; yield per acre, oats 52.8 bu., 

 barley 39,2 bu. — f. w. woll. 



On recent breeding of cultivated agricultural plants (Braunschw. landw. Ztii., 64 

 (1896), Xo. 34, 2>P- 1S9, 140). — The .author describea his experience in increasing the 

 productive capacity of wheat by improved methods of culture and by cross-fertili- 

 zation. In tlie latter case he used a square head variety as the staminate parent 

 for crossing with the ordinary varieties of German wheat. 



Alfalfa, flat pea, and sachaliue, O. Clute {Florida Sta. Bui. 3.5, j^p- 351-354). — 

 Alfalfa sown ou sandy land, well fertilized, jjroved a failure. Sowings of the flat 

 pea (Laihi/rits sylresfris) also failed. A planting of sachaline {Polygonum sack alinense) 

 grew vigorously. The foliage was readily eaten by stock. 



Beets at the experiment station at Capelle, F. Desprez {Jour. Agr. Prat., 60 

 {1896), II, No. 34, pp. :J74, 275). 



Caflaigre (Rumex hymenosepalus), O. Clute {Florida Sta. Bui. 35, pp. 349-351). — 

 An account of tlie planting and growth at the station of a few roots of canaigre. 

 The seed ripened in May. 



Prickly comfrey (Symphytum oflBcinale), O. Clute {Florida Sta. Bui. 35, pp. 

 345, 346). — A few roots were planted in the spring of 1895, and grew well; the 

 leaves were green all winter. The roots are fleshy and run deej) into the soil. The 

 plant does very well ou light lands. Stock learn to be fond of the leaves. 



Corn and the sorghums, F. D. Coburn {Ept. Kansas State Bd. Agr., March 31, 



1896, pp. 232). — This is a popular pamphlet treating of corn, its cultivation, hand- 

 ling, utilization, cost, and values, more especially from a Kansas standpoint; the' 

 sorghums, their cultivation and value for grain and forage, estimated by Kansas 

 growers and feeders, and a report of the twenty-lifth annual meeting of the Kansas 

 State Board of Agriculture. 



