348 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



nitrate of potayli and rich in dry matter can 1)6 grown by leaving the plants when 

 thinning at intervals of 25 cm. in mws 40 cm. apart. This juethod it is stated pro- 

 duces beets of about 1 kg. in weight, and although giving a smaller total production, 

 yields a larger amount of dry matter and sugar and reduces the percentage of nitrate 

 of i)(>tash in the beets. 



Forage-beet culture at Grignon in 1900 and 1901, I'. P. Dehekain and C. 

 Dri'OXT {Compt. Bend. Acad. Sri. Paris, 134 {lOOJ), No. 17, pp. 953-9.58).— From the 

 results for the 2 seasons the authors conclude that the new varieties tested, namely, 

 Giant White and Giant Rose, having a high sugar content, are decidedly superior to 

 the ordinary older varieties of field beets, and that the Giant Rose is adapted to dry 

 soils and the Giant White to moist soils. Growing beets in rows 50 cm. apart, with 

 the plants at intervals of 20 cm. in the row, is considered most advantageous. With 

 this spacing 10 beets are grown per square meter. 



Culture tests with red clover, 0. BrRCH.ARD (Landw. Wclinbl. Schlesinig-ITolstcin, 

 52 {1903), No. So, pp. 611-613). — Tests with red clover seed obtained from different 

 European countries and Canada and from Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, and Maryland 

 are reported. The clover from .\merican seed stood the winter most satisfactorily 

 and gave the highest yields. 



Experiments with gypsum on clover and vetch, J. \Vithycombe {Oregon 

 Sta. Rpt. 1902, pp. 50, 51). — The yields of green clover from plats having received 

 different quantities of gypsum are reported without comment. An acre of fall-sown 

 vetch received 100 lbs. of land plaster April 17 and yielded 9,031 lbs. of hay July 11, 

 as compared with a yield of 7,394 lbs. of hay on an adjoining acre, which was used 

 as the check plat. The result showed a gain of 22 per cent in favor of the gypsum. 



Fertilizer, culture, and variety tests with corn and cotton, B. W. Kilgore, 

 R. W. Pou, and J. L. McKixnox {Bid. North Carullna Stal<' Hd. Agr., 23 {1902), No. 

 1, pp. 1-43, ph. 9). — A report of work on the department's test farms in 1901. The 

 work is described and the weather conditions for the season are re{)orted. The 

 results of the different experiments are tabulated in detail. 



The largest yield of corn was obtained from Weekly Improved at both test farms, 

 the yield being 29.5 bu. per acre atTarboro Farm and 18.95 bu. at Red Springs Farm. 

 Russell Big Boll was the most productive of the varieties of cotton tested on both 

 farms. No conclusions are drawn from the distance tests with either corn or cotton, 

 but the data are reserved for further use. 



The results in the fertilizer tests are tabulated in detail and the comments on the 

 results have reference to the requirements of the respective soils. With corn, as well 

 as with cotton, the fertilizer applications were more profitable in the wet season of 

 1901 than in the dry season of 1900. In the case of corn increasing the nitrogen, 

 phosphoric acid and potash in the normal application gave considerable profit, the 

 increase in yield being about equally in favor of nitrogen and phosphoric acid and 

 the increase in value of product about equally in favor of phosphoric acid and pot- 

 ash. With cotton increases in the quantity of nitrogen gave larger yields and larger 

 net i)rofits than a similar increase in either phosphoric acid or potash. The largest 

 yield and largest net profits were obtained on a plat which had received 423.6 lbs. of 

 cotton-seed meal per acre, or treble the quantity of nitrogen given in the normal 

 aj)plication. 



The nonproductive black soils occurring in the State and locally known as "pocosin" 

 soils are described and methods of treatment suggested. 



Detasseling corn, A. D. Shamel {Illinois Sta. Circ. 56, pjp. 4)- — This circular out- 

 lines a method of investigating the effect of detasseling corn. 



Number of barren stalks in Illinois cornfields, A. D. Shamel {llUnois Sta. 

 Circ. 57, iJp. 4)- — A circular giving directions for determining the percentage of 

 barren stalks in a cornfield. 



Flax experiments, 1901 {.Tovr. Dept. Agr. and Tech. Tnstr. Ireland, 2 {1902), 

 No. 4, pp. 636-653). — The results of fertilizer, variety, and scutching tests are tabu- 



