394 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



contained less starch by 0.5 per cent or less than those raised with sul- 

 phate of potash; that muriate may be used where yield alone is sought; 

 that the unfavorable effect of the muriate on the quality of the tubers 

 may probably be lessened by applying it to the land early, even the 

 fall before ; and that for growing seed potatoes or those of extra quality 

 the sulphate should be used. 



Observations on the agricultural chemistry of sugar cane, T. L. 

 Phipson {Barbados Bat. Sta. Misc. Bui. 7, pp. 1-9), — This is a po^Hilar 

 article treating of the demands that plants in general, and particularly 

 sugar cane, make on the soil. Analyses are given of 13 samj^les of soil 

 from the West Indies and 1 from Queensland. With reference to lime 

 in soils for growing cane the author says: 



" Wheu the liuautity of lime has diminished so much by prolonged culture as to 

 be present to the extent of only 0.1 per cent, and then only one-third that of the 

 magnesia present (knowing that in the origin the lime was not only equal to but 

 higher than the magnesia), we may rest assured that the crojis of cane ou this soil 

 will fall off year by year, and that the most careful system of manuring will be 

 necessary to place it again in its former lucrative condition. 



"Such a state of things actually exists over a very considerable portion of British 

 Guiana and Barbados." 



Stable manure is considered the best of all for cane. The mixing of 

 acid superphosphates with Peruvian guano and cane ash is recommended 

 for cane soils. The application of sulphate of ammonia is advised only 

 when accompanied by a relatively larger quantity of other manures. 

 The author says : 



"There are, indeed, 3 special agricultural difficulties in the direct path of the 

 cane grower in the West Indies. The first is that Jie is dealing almost everywhere 

 with a stiff claj^ soil, difficult to work even were labor more plentiful than it is ; the 

 second is a remarkable deficiency of lime in many districts; and the third is the 

 very imperfect nature of the manures hitherto imported, and the implicit faith 

 placed in the restoration of the begass ashes." 



Report of the results obtained with sugar cane on the experi- 

 mental fields at Dodd's Reformatory, 1895, J. P. D'Ai^Euc^UERcii e 

 {Barbados: 18!H), pp. 13). — The fertilizer experiments were arranged 

 to show the eflt'ects ou the sugar cane of applications of nitrogen, phos- 

 phoric acid, and potash in different forms and proportions and at differ- 

 ent times. The element tested was in each case combined with the 

 other two, so that a complete fertilizer was used. Applications were 

 made in January and July. The cane was planted in December on 26 

 plats about one-twentieth of an acre in size and was harvested in April. 

 Tabulated data are given for each group of tests. For nitrogen the 

 highest yield was obtained with the application of 15 lbs. per acre in 

 January and 25 lbs. in July, in the form of ammonium sulphate, and the 

 juice was distinctly richer than in cane from the dried-blood plats. For 

 phosphoric acid 100 lbs. in the form of basic slag gave best results. 

 For potash 100 lbs. gave the highest yield. Applying potash, part 

 early and part late, gave better results than when all was applied early. 



