FIELD CROPS. 



831 



are given. The soil on which these experiments were conducted is a 

 dark, heavy, sandy clay with an almost impervious subsoil. 



A test of 51 varieties, including early, medium early, and late sorts, 

 was made, and the results are given in a table. Each variety is briefly 

 described. 



The fertilizer test was made on soil where the previous year the same 

 test with sweet potatoes had been carried on. The largest yield of 

 potatoes was obtained from the application of 300 lbs. of boneblack 

 and 200 lbs. of potassium sulphate per acre. Nitrate of soda in every 

 instance lowered the yield below the average of 3 check plats. These 

 results are identical with those obtained the year before in the fertilizer 

 test with sweet potatoes. Applications of muriate and sulphate of 

 potash proved profitable, and boneblack was found to be the best single 

 fertilizer. 



Several methods of storing the tubers were tried with unsatisfactory 

 resu'ts. Treating the tubers with Bordeaux mixture or slaked lime, 

 immersing them in a 2 per cent sulphuric acid solution for 15 minutes 

 or an hour, and sprinkling them with lime and sulphur did not satis- 

 factorily prevent decay. Keeping the tubers in barrels in dry sand, 

 covering them 1 ft. deep with soil and giving ventilation, and spread- 

 ing them out under partial shade and covering them with moist hay 

 about 2 in. deep did not prove satisfactory methods of storing. The 

 best results were obtained by leaving the potatoes in the ground and 

 throwing soil over the rows by means of a plow. By the 1st of Sep- 

 tember 50 per cent of the tubers had decayed, and during the fall 

 rains many sprouted. Some sound tubers were taken from the rows 

 February 15. 



The composition of potatoes, J. A. Widtsoe ( Utah Sta. Rpt. 

 1896, pp. 22-25). — The dry matter and starch of a large number of varie- 

 ties of potatoes grown in 1894 and 1895 were determined. The results 

 are compared with those reported in Bulletin 5 of the station (E. S. R., 

 2, p. 064). The composition of the potatoes grown in 1894 and 1895 is 

 shown in the following table: 



Composition of potatoes. 



The ripening of sugar beets, J. A. Widtsoe ( Utah Sta. Rpt. 1896, 

 pp. 25-29). — From September 22 to November 13, 1896, the amount of 

 total solids and the sugar were determined daily in the juice of sugar 



