FIELD CROPS. 131 



lbs. The average sugar content was : in the juice 15.70 per cent ; in the 

 beet root 14.09 per cent. — f. w. woll. 



Progress of the several experimental farms in 1896, W. M. 

 Hayes, T. A. Hoverstadt, W. W. Pendergast, and A. Boss (Min- 

 nesota Sta. Bui. 50, pp. 305-341). — The work comprised variety and seed 

 tests and rotation experiments. The results are tabulated. Many- 

 varieties of the different grains were collected and tried, but only the 

 best were retained for further comparison. Previous work in this line 

 was reported in Bulletin 40 of the station (E. S. P., 8, p. 222). 



Among the 13 varieties of beans grown in 1895 and 1890, "Choice 

 Medium " produced the largest average crop, 19.0 bu. per acre. 



The 11 best out of 30 varieties of barley produced yields ranging 

 from 38.1 to 01.0 bu. per acre. French Chevalier produced the highest 

 average yield for 4 crops — 43.3 bu. per acre. 



The yields of 10 best out of 81 varieties of corn are tabulated. Cos- 

 grove and Smut ISTose yielded G3 bu. per acre, the highest average for 

 1895 and 1890. The methods of developing corn and planting it for 

 fodder are given. 



White Wonder, Archangel, White Russian, and Black Russian gave 

 the best 4 average yields among 18 best out of 75 varieties of oats. 



A number of varieties of wheat are described and the table gives the 

 result obtained from the 8 best out of 200 collected varieties. The 

 average of 7 yields ranged from 19.8 to 23.7 bu. per acre. Results of 

 the crossbred varieties are given in the table. The experiments with 

 smallest, largest, and hardest kernels for seed emphasizes the impor- 

 tance of selecting seed wheat of a high quality and heavy weight. 



Experiments with peas, mangel-wurzels, sugar beets, rutabagas, 

 turnips, and carrots are described. The cost of raising sugar beets per 

 ton was $3.25 on weedy land and $2.09 on land free from weeds. Rota- 

 tion experiments were begun in 1894, and so far potatoes — followed by 

 mangel-wurzels, corn or field peas, wheat, and flax in the order given — 

 best prepared the land for the succeeding crop. 



Forage crops and wheat, A. A. Crozier (Michigan Sta. Bui. 141 ', 

 pp. 115-145, Jigs. 4). — Experiments were made with several forage crops 

 and a number of domestic and foreign varieties of wheat. 



A plat of alfalfa yielded nearly 5 tons of hay per acre for the season 

 from 4 cuttings. The first cutting was made May 23 and the last Sep- 

 tember 28. The methods of growing the crop are described. Half-acre 

 plats of dent corn, Kafir corn, and sorghum produced 15,354, 17,180, 

 and 19,338 lbs. of green fodder, respectively. Crimson clover sown with 

 oats and cut for green feed October 23 and November 12 yielded 5,134 

 lbs. on a half-acre plat, and a plat sown without a nurse crop yielded 

 1,870 lbs. when cut on June 24. Three varieties of Korean millet were 

 sown at the station and this season 4 new varieties were added. Short 

 descriptions are given of each variety. Sachaline is not considered a 

 practical fodder crop. The flat pea (Lathyrus silvestris) produced 



