FIELD CROPS. 



565 



of s^eed 1)y means of the machine was found profitable. Notes on tlie culture of oats 

 are also i^iven. 



Paspalum dilatatum [Ihpt. Ai/r., Onlnd I'mnncc^, Ihd. 7, 190^', pp. 5).— Culture 

 tests with I'dxpdlum dllulatmn on different soils are reported and its value for India 

 discusse^l. The results of the experiments seemed to indicate that it is a fairly good 

 forage crop for cultivation with slight irrigation or with good moisture-retaining soils. 



Potato experiments in 1901, B. D. IIalsted {New Jersey Staf!. Rpt. 1901, j>p. 

 388, 389). — In connection with other work the effect on the yield of potatoes by 

 mulching with shavings was observed. The relative numbers fcjr the yield were 360 

 on nudched and 310 on unmulched soil, and the relative weights of the crop 91 lbs. 

 for nudched land and 67.3 lbs. for unmulched ground. 



Fertilizer experiments with rape {Deut. Landw. Fresse, 29 {1902), No. 95, pp. 

 768, 769, _/7.y.s. 4). — Rape was sown on sandy soil in August and harvested the follow- 

 ing .July. The normal ai)plicationsof the various fertilizing sul)stances used per hec- 

 tare were as follows: 120 kg. of nitrate of soda, 200 kg. of Thomas slag, 75 kg. of 40 

 per cent potash salt, and 400 kg. of carbonate of lime. Much the greater gain was 

 obtained from double these amounts of the different substances applied together. The 

 nitrate of soda was applied in Septemlier, March, and April, one-third of the total 

 quantity being given each time. 



On cane sugar and the process of its manufacture in Java, H. C. Prixsen- 

 GEEKLUis {Altrinchiim, Eng.: Office of "Sugar Cane," 1902, 2. ed. enl., pp. 106). 

 ■ Experiments with sugar cane, C. F. Eckart {Hawaiian \_Sugar Planters''] Sta. 

 lijit. 1902, pp. 3-24). — Culture and variety tests with sugar cane are reported. Plant- 

 ing tests as described in a previous report (E. S. R., 12, p. 1033) were continued, and 

 tables are given bearing on the weights of the cane, quality of juice, and yields of 

 sugar of the various plats at the close of the experiment. The varieties grown in 

 these tests, as in the previous ones, were Lahaina and Rose Bandjoo. The different 

 methods of planting, as determined by the average production of sugar for 1900 and 

 1902, ranked in the following order: (1) One eye per 12 in., (2) one continuous cane 

 in row, (3) one eye per 6 in., (4) two continuous canes in row, and (5) one eye per 

 18 in. 



In connection with the report on the variety tests, the difference in plant-food 

 re(|uirements of the different varieties is pointed out. Among new varieties White 

 Bauiboo and Demerara No. 74 were extremely promising. Otaheite and Salangore, 

 2 Louisiana varieties, did not give favorable returns. The results of the different 

 varieties for 1900 are given in the abstract of the report for that year, and the results 

 from the ratoons of 11 of these varieties harvested in 1902 are shown in the following 

 table: 



Resxd.ts from the ratoon crop of different varieties of sugar cane. 



Varieties. 



Cane per 

 acre. 



Pounds. 



Lahaina : 108, 029 



Yellow Caledonia ' 130, 970 



Vol 1( iw Bamboo I 148, 394 



Fiji Purple I 112,384 



BiK Ribbon < 133, 294 



Stri]HMl Sinijapore , 153,531 



Louisiana I'urple ' 130,680 



Louisiana Striped ; 149, bb6 



Louisiana Tibboo ISIird . . ' 187, 018 



Demerara No. 95 i 163, 005 



Demerara No. 117 1 171,336 



Cane juice. 



Density. 



19.98 

 18.38 

 16.11 

 18. 22 

 18. 38 

 19.45 

 18. 45 

 19. 18 

 18. 03 

 19. 52 

 18.57 



Sugar 

 content. 



Purity 

 coeffi- 

 cient. 



Per ccvt. 

 18.40 

 15.50 

 14.10 

 16.10 

 15.50 

 17.80 

 16.80 

 17.50 

 15.90 

 17.50 

 16.20 



92.09 

 84. 32 

 87. 52 

 88.36 

 84.33 

 91. 52 

 91.05 

 91.24 

 88.19 

 87.60 

 87.23 



Sugar per 

 acre. 



Pounds. 

 17, 706 

 17, 930 

 18, 238 

 16, 228 

 18, 275 

 24,350 

 19, 759 

 23, 585 

 27, 061 

 25, 184 

 24,946 



Available 



sugar 

 per acre. 



Pounds. 

 15, 393 

 15, 071 

 15, 478 

 13, 845 

 15,230 

 21,104 

 17,089 

 20, 419 

 23, 064 

 21,396 

 21,283 



Cane per ton of 

 available sugar. 



Plant I 



cane, 



1900. 



Tons. 

 7.7 



10.1 

 9.0 

 9.8 



11.1 

 7.8 

 8.9 

 8.3 

 8.5 

 7.6 



10.2 



Ratoons, 

 1902. 



7.0 

 8.6 

 9.6 

 8.1 

 8.7 

 7.2 

 7.6 

 7.3 

 8.5 

 7.6 

 8.0 



