444 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



size of the seed, the largest yield being obtained from the largest seed. 

 Experiments led to the conclusion that more depended upon the size 

 of the sets than upon the number of eyes. Sprinkling freshly cut pota- 

 tatoes with plaster and lime increased the yield. 



Among 29 varieties of Swedish turnips grown for 6 years Hartley 

 Bronze Top heads the list with an average yield of 20.69 tons per acre. 

 Seventy-four varieties were grown this season. Eight inches between 

 plants and 20 in. between drills were found to be the best distances, 

 and 1 in. the best depth of planting. Among the field turnips Jersey 

 Navet was the most productive. The white variety of field turnips 

 gave larger yields than the yellow varieties. Eed Top White Globe 

 produced the largest yield per acre, 35.65 tons. 



The results of experiments on mangel- wurzels, carrots, sugar beets, 

 and parsnips are reported. 



On the influence of vegetable mold on the nitrogenous content 

 of oats, H. W. Wiley ( Jour. Amer. Chem. Soc, 19 {1897), No. 8, pp. 

 605-614). — For 3 years oats were grown in pots on vegetable soils from 

 Florida containing when air-dry over 80 per cent of organic matter and 

 less than 10 per cent of sand and other mineral ingredients. The soils 

 were found to be deficient in potash and phosphoric acid, containing 

 about 0.05 per cent of these ingredients, the potash being found in even 

 smaller quantities than the phosphoric acid. 



The soils responded more readily to phosphatic fertilizer than to any 

 other, and finely ground Florida phosphate was easily available to the 

 growing plants. "The soil from the best muck land was found to be 

 entirely free from nitrifying ferments, and cultures seeded with it 

 showed no nitrification after 40 days. Tbe practical absence of nitric 

 acid in the air-dry sample is therefore not surprising. On the other 

 hand, the molds which produce ammonia in an acid soil appeared to be 

 fairly active." 



The average percentage of nitrogen in the grain and straw of the 

 plants grown in 1894- was 2.02. A very high content of nitrogen was 

 found in all parts of the crop. On the unfertilized soils the nitrogen 

 content of the plants was greater than that of the plants grown on fer- 

 tilized soils. It was found that phosphatic fertilizers were very effective 

 in diminishing the nitrogen content of the crop. The crops from 7 pots 

 which had been fertilized with phosphatic fertilizer only had an average 

 nitrogen content of 1.48 per cent in the grain and straw. In connection 

 with nitrogenous fertilizers the phosphatic fertilizers were less effective 

 in the reduction of the nitrogen content. From the results obtained 

 the author concludes that these soils require a phosphatic fertilizer 

 only, and that the 3 forms used in the experiments (Florida phosphate, 

 slag phosphate, and superphosphate) are equally effective. The author 

 states that " these vegetable soils permit of the easy absorption of the 

 finely ground phosphates without previous treatment with sulphuric 

 acid." 



In 1895 the experiments were repeated with 12 pots tilled with fresh 



