644 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Culture tests -with new varieties of potatoes (Tidskr. Landtman , 18 (1S97), No. 

 12, pp. 204-209). — Trials with 36 varieties of potatoes containing from 14.1 to 24.6 

 per cent of starch, and yielding 9,820 to 26,420 kg. of tubers per hectare, and 2,268 to 

 6,003 kg. of starch. 



Potash fertilizers for root crops and barley, II. Nathorst (Tidskr. Landtman, 

 18 (1897), No. 6, pp. 01-95). 



Sugar beet culture, S. Forsberg (Tidskr. Landtman, 18 (1897), No. 9, pp. 153-157). 



The influence of the distance between plants on the yield and sugar con- 

 tent of sugar beets, F. Desprez (Jour.Agr. Prat., 2 (1897), No. 48, pp. 816-819).— A 

 number of plats were planted with beets at the rate of 16.6, 12.5, 10, and 8.3 plants 

 per square meter. The largest amount of sugar per hectare was obtained from the 

 closest planting. 



The state of cane sugar manufacture in Formosa, N. Yamasaki (Imp. Univ. Col. 

 Agr. [Tokyo] Bid., vol. 3, No. 3, pp. 275-280). — A description of the industry as it is 

 carried on in the island. 



Silage making according to the Rahmstedt method (Landtmannen, 8 (1897), 

 No. 38, pp. 540-542). 



Tobacco from the seed bed to the packing case: The result of three years' 

 experience in southern California with plain practical directions for the 

 grower on the Pacific Coast, Arizona, and New Mexico, W. T. Sim (Los Angeles: 

 Stoll, Thayer $ Co., 1897, pp. 26). 



Report of the assistant in dairy husbandry, C. B. Lane (New Jersey Stas. Ilpt. 

 1S96, pp. T7 1-181, pi. I). — This is a brief description of the college farm ; the yield aud 

 cost of rye, wheat, crimson clover, oats and peas, corn, cowpeas, soybeans, and barley 

 and peas grown as silage crops; a description and record of the dairy herd; meth- 

 ods of seeding crimson clover; and a description of an experimental silo. 



Marsh culture, and the manufacture of peat litter and peat fuel in Sweden, 

 Denmark, and Germany, H. U. Sverjjrup (Aarsber. Offent. Foranst. Landbr. Fremme, 

 196, pp. 342-391). 



HORTICULTURE. 



Some problems in experimental horticulture, W. M. Munson 

 {Vermont Hort. Soc. A'pt. 1896, pp. 32-40). — The author believes that, 

 while it is the first duty of an experiment station to adapt its work to 

 the specific needs of the region in which it is located, the working out 

 of fundamental principles should not be ignored. A certain amount 

 of variety testing, for instance, is of value, but it should not be made 

 the chief work of the station. One of the most important lines of work, 

 the author believes, is plant breeding, and in this work a very impor- 

 tant thing is to determine the causes of variation in plants and how 

 generally variations are transmitted to offspring. In crossing and 

 hybridizing the aim should be to study the laws governing hybrids as 

 well as to produce new types of immediate value. The pedigree should 

 be given more weight in plant breeding than it has yet been given. As 

 corollaries to plant breeding, acclimatization, domestication, etc., are 

 discussed. 



Among the practical problems of experimental horticulture, the 

 author suggests the treatment of orchard and small fruits with refer- 

 ence to culture, pruning, food, winter protection, etc.; the merits of 

 various stocks for grafting certain varieties; the origin and develop- 

 ment of new varieties of fruits and vegetables; the questions relating 





