FIELD CROPS. 29 



In a test of iinjiroving old grass land an api)lication of 4 cwt. of superphosphate of 

 lime and 2 cwt. of nitrate of soda proved most etficaeious. On abandoned grass land 

 iin heavy clay soil the only 2>rofitable fertilizer for a term of 3 years was basic slag. 

 Potash, with which this soil is well supplied, was detrimental when used alone or 

 with other manures. The use of barnyard manure was very unx^rofitable. It was 

 found that the use of V)asic slag rendered the use of lime unnecessary. 



Field experiments at Ploti Agricultural Experiment Station, A. G. Kara- 

 liETOv (67.)'. Rap. An. Sta. Expt. Agron. Ploty, 1900, pp. 1-73). — In addition to exper- 

 imrnts noted elsewhere (page 17) the following are rei^orted: Experiments with 

 winter wheat and rye in a 9-course rotation showed that early sowing gave larger 

 yields, while thin sowing in some instances improved the (piality. Land plowed in 

 the fall or in April produced a larger crop of grain than land {flowed in May. Deep 

 plowing was most effective as compared with shallow plowing, and the results were 

 most marked with winter rye. In corn culture experiments jilowing 10.5 in. deep 

 l)resented no advantages over plowing 7 in. deep. Plowing at these depths for sugar 

 and fodder beets resulted in an advantage of shallow plowing for late planting and of 

 deep plowing for early planting. In the case of potatoes deep plowing generally 

 increased the yield. In one test grasses, sainfoin, and alfalfa were grown alone and 

 with corn and sunflowers. The grasses when grown alone gave the largest yields of 

 hay. The next largest yield was obtained when the grasses were grown with corn. 

 Sainfoin gave good yields even in di-y seasons. The results with sunflowers, saffron, 

 and flax showed that deep plowing as well as early sowing are to be recommended 

 for these crops. 



Comparative experiments with barnyard manure and commercial fertilizers for 

 winter wheat, beets, barley, lentils, and oats resulted in increased yields in all cases 

 with the barnyard manure, the largest increase being obtained with winter wheat and 

 beets. Barnyard manure applied with superphosphate considerably increased the 

 yields of grain, roots, and lentils, and also improved the quality of the last-mentioned 

 crop. Kitrate of soda had a depressing influence on lentils, barley, and oats. The 

 application of phosphoric acid gave the best general results on this soil. 



A number of other experiments, mainly variety tests, are described. 



Arid fanning- or farming without irrigation, J. A. Widtsoe and L. A. Merrill 

 ( Vtali SUi. Bui. 73, pp. G7-ll(>, Jigs. 0, chart 1). — This bulletin discusses at some length 

 the subject of farming in arid regions, with special reference to Utah conditions. The 

 soil and climatic conditions of Utah, referring especially to the rainfall and relative 

 humidity of the State, are considered, and different localities adapted to arid farming 

 are pointed out. The various crops that can be grown in this connection are 

 enumerated and the best methods of plowing, planting, fallowing, and harvesting in 

 arid regions are described. 



The moisture content of different kinds of soils at varying depths was determined 

 and is reported in tables. The results of a number of tests reported show that fall 

 pkiwing was more effective in the conservation of moisture than spring plowing. 



In a jiot experiment conducted to determine the quantity of water used by various 

 plants to produce a pound of dry matter under Utah conditions, it was found that 

 the quantity of water applied was equal to a rainfall of 22.4, 35.8, 16.3, and 29.2 in. 

 for wheat, corn, peas, and sugar beets, respectively. Comparative yields of corn 

 grown Avith and without irrigation from 1898 to 1901, inclusive, are also given. 



Lucern, B. Dyer {Trans. Highland and Agr. Sac. Scotland, 5. ser., 14 {1902), pp. 

 63-76). — This article considers the use of fertilizers in alfalfa culture, and presents 

 notes on some other leguminous crops with reference to the same subject. The 

 results obtained in fertilizer experiments with alfalfa at Rothamsted (E. S. R., 7, p. 

 385) and Woburn (E. S. R., 13, p. 133) are reviewed. The author's work along this 

 same line, now in progress for 5 consecutive years, has shown that moderate quanti- 

 ties of nitrate of soda as a fertilizer for alfalfa are profitable. Taking the average 



