t'lELD CROPS. 287 



crude fiber, increased regularly with the age of the plants. The content of pen- 

 tosans in Astragalus was 11.05, 14.01, 15.20, and 17.47 per cent in samples taken on 

 the 4 different dates respectively. The pentosan content for the entire period varied 

 from 8.07 to 12.10 percent in Lathyrus, from 13.93 to 16.79 percent in Medicago, 

 from 11.15 to 16.88 ]>er cent in Melilotus, from 12.12 to 18.78 percent in Orobus, 

 from 11.80 to 13.86 per cent in Trifolium, and from 11.02 to 15.81 per cent in Vicia. In 

 the 2 cases where a cutting showed a lower content of these substances than that 

 immediately preceding, the differences amounted to less than 0.1 per cent The 

 most rapid increase in the content of pentosans was found in case of Astragalus, with 

 almost 3 percent in 14 days, while the greatest increase during the whole period 

 occurred in Orol)us, with 6.66 per cent, and the smallest in Astragalus, with 2.13 per 

 cent. 



As a general rule, with the advance of the growing period a decrease was found in 

 ash materials, nitrogenous constituents, amids, all)uminoids, and digestible and 

 indigestible albuminoid nitrogen, while an increase occurred in crude fiber and pen- 

 tosans. In the ether extract and nitrogen-free extract no definite regular changes 

 were observed. As the age of the plants increased the coefficient of digestibility of 

 the i)rotein decreased — in Astragalus from 88.9 to 82 per cent, in Lathyrus from 72.4 

 to 57.7 per cent, in Medicago from 90.2 to 81 per cent, in Melilotus from 90.3 to 

 84.8 percent, in Orobus from 89.5 to 72.5 percent, in Trifolium from 87.1 to 78.1 

 per cent, and in Vicia from 88.7 to 79.2 per cent. The author calls attention to the 

 fact that in many cases the relative rank of these plants, as determined by their 

 contents of digestible crude protein, digesti])le albuminoids, or by the digestion 

 coefficients for the nitrogen compounds, changed radically only within 14 days, and 

 further dwells upon the importance of accompanying all analyses of forage plants 

 with exact information as to the time of cutting and the stage of development of 

 the crop at the time of cutting. — f. w. woll. 



Barley, L. (Irandeait [Jour. Ayr. Prat., v. .<i('r., 3 {1902), No. 7, pp. 213-315). — 

 The conditions required for the successful culture of barley are described. The plant 

 food removed from tlie soil in crops of 2-rowed and 6-rowed varieties is shown in a 

 table. 



Fertilizers for barley, L. Grandeau {Jour. Agr. Prat., n. ser., 3 {1902), No. 9, 

 pp. 276-27S). — The author reviews the i-esults of fertilizer experiments and variety 

 tests with barley. Chevalier Richardson and Hanna barley yielded 20 per cent more 

 than the Champagne variety. 



Observations on the culture of beets, Bertiiault and BRETKiNiEKE {Ann. 

 Agron., 28 {1902), No. 1, pp. 30-.5/J).— Tim results of experiments with beets in 1899, 

 1900, and 1901 are reported. A comparison of 4 varieties in 1899 resulted in the 

 best yields for the varieties ordinarily grown for the manufacture of alcohol, and 

 commonly called distillery beets. In total amount of dry matter produced the fodder- 

 beet variety Jaune Ovoi'de de Barres stood lowest, with a yield of 4,271 kg. per 

 hectare, and the variety Brabant a collet vert stood highest — 6,165 kg. Planting in 

 ilrills 40 v\n. ai)art with 35 cm. between plants in the drill gave Ijest results. It was 

 noticed that close planting had raised the sugar content of the fodder-beet variety, still 

 it contained nearly 5 per cent less sugar than either intermediaire Desprez or Brabant 

 u collet vert. The authors conclude that even in a dry season and on an inferior soil 

 the varieties used for distillery jmrposes are to be preferred to the fodder-beet vari- 

 eties, and that close planting should be practiced. The different varieties did not 

 give similar results when grown at varying distances. The variety Jaune Ovoi'de de 

 Barres gave the smallest yield with the closest planting, while Brabant a collet vert 

 gave the smallest yield with the widest planting. The question of distance was fur- 

 ther investigated in 1900 with the result that 40 cm. between rows, from 35 to 40 cm. 

 l>etween plants in the row, gave the best returns in the largest number of cases. These 



