FIELD CROPS. 973 



seed, selection of seed, size of one eye sets, nnmber of eyes in a set, 

 plaster and lime on fresh-cut sets, plantinjif eyes from different i)arts of 

 the tuber, dates of planting, exposure of tubers previous to planting, 

 application of fertilizers, and Ivural trench system. 



Sixty-eight varieties of Swede and 43 of fall tnrnijjs were tested. The 

 leading varieties among the former were Hartley Bronze Top, White 

 Swede, Kangaroo, and Buckbee Giant; among the latter Jersey Xavet. 

 Early American Puri)le Top, (Ireystone Improved, and Imperial (Ireen 

 Globe. Experiments were made in thinning plants in the drill and 

 distances between drills. The largest yields were from I'O-inch drills, 

 plants S in. apart for Swedes and 4 in. for fall turnips. 



Fortj'five varieties of carrots were tested in 1895 on hundredth- 

 acre plats. The leading varieties were Pearce Imi)rovcd Half-long, 

 Steel Brothers Short White, Guerande, and Mammoth Intermediate 

 Smooth. 



Thirteen varieties of sugar beets wcxe grown. 



Fifty five varieties of mangel-wurzels are reported upon. Evans 

 Improved Mammoth Saw Log and Improved Mammoth Long Bed nre 

 recommended. 



Fertilizer tests -with -wheat, H. J. Waters {Missouri Sta. Bui. 31, 

 pp. 9-19). — An account is given of experiments conducted on ''a mod- 

 erately rolling ui»land limestone clay loam of more than average fer- 

 tility" during 3 years with nitrate of soda (150, 300, 450. lbs.), nuiriate 

 of potash (150, 300, 450 lbs.), and dissolved boneblack (350, 700, 1,050 

 lbs.), singly, two by two, and all three together, and with bone meal 

 (400 and 800 lbs.), lime (50 bu.), and barnyard manure (20 loads, or 

 about G5,000 lbs.) used singly. The experiment was begun in 1893, and 

 no fertilizer has been ai)plied to the i^lat since that time. 



The results, which are tabulated in full for 1894, 1895, and 189G, ijidi- 

 cate that no benefit resulted from the use of lime. Theie was a total 

 gain for the 3 years on the plats receiving barnyard manure of 28.5 

 bn. of grain and 1,927 lbs, of straw per acre. With the smaller appli- 

 cation of the complete fertilizer there was a gain of 10. 9 bu. of grain 

 and 30(5 lbs. of straw. With the next larger application the gains were 

 23.1 bu. of grain and 1.435 lbs. of straw, and with the largest applica- 

 tion 35.9 bn. of grain and 2,090 lbs. of straw. Where 400 lbs. of raw 

 bone meal was substituted for dissolved boneblack in a mixture of 150 

 lbs. of nitrate of soda and 150 lbs. of muriate of ])(>tash the gains over 

 unmanured plats were 34.3 bu. of grain and 2,2(57 lbs. of straw. When 

 these amounts were doubled the gains were 39.8 bu. of grain and 3,370 

 lbs. of straw. Where bone meal was api)lied alone at the rate of 400 

 lbs. per acre the gains over unmanured plats during 3 years were 14.9 

 bu. and 750 lbs. of straw; with an application of 800 lbs. of bone meal 

 the gains were 38.9 bu. of grain and 2,.")(»0 lbs. of straw. The use of 

 the different ingredients singly or two by two was not i)rofltable. 



The causes of the exhaustion of soils an<l means of renovating them 

 are briefly discussed. 



