FIELD CROPS. 753 



culture tests with cotton, sugar cane, and various cereal and forage crops. The 

 results obtained are tabulated in detail and the yields with i-acli crop briefly noted. 



Field trials at the Agricultural College of Norway, 1901, B. R. Laksen 

 {Ber. Norges Lanfii-. Hoiskoles ]'irks., 1901-2, pp. 255-2'JS). —Tlufi report contains 

 detailed accounts of variety testa of winter rye, hay crops, potatoes, and roots, and 

 of comparative trials of different kinds, quantities, and mixtures of barnyard manure 

 on grass land. Attention is also called to the main practical results of experiments 

 in crop production and methods of cultivation conducted l>y the author since the 

 establishment of the dejiartment in 1889. — f. w. woll. 



Cooperative fertilizer experiments in Sweden, 1901, P. Bolin (A'. Lmidt. 

 Akad. Ilandl. TkMr., 41 {1902), No. 3, pp. 137-279).— Tha report of fertilizer experi- 

 ments with cereals and root crops, conducted under the direction of the Swedish 

 Agricultural Academy during 1901, is presented. The experiments, comprising 243 

 different series with a total of 6,556 plats, were conducted by 199 farmers located in 

 15 different counties. Owing to an exceedingly dry season, the results were not all 

 conclusive, but some general deductions are made from the successful trials. Nitrogen 

 was generally applied in the form of nitrate of soda and in some cases in the form of 

 poudrette, fish guano, and barnyard manure. It is believed that the luxuriant 

 growth induced by nitrogen fertilization counteracts to a certain extent the retard- 

 ing influence of drought. For this purpose, however, the nitrogen must be sufficiently 

 soluble to be utilized by crops even if the amount of moisture in the soil is very 

 small. The results show that nitrate of soda was quite effective in this respect. For 

 spring grains harrowing in the nitrate of soda innnediately before or after sowing 

 was found a much safer method than to use it for a top-dressing, in which case the 

 action of the fertilizer is largely dependent on the precipitation. For winter grains 

 the top-dressing with nitrate of soda is likely to give good results if applied in the 

 early si:)ring, when the surface of the soil is still moist. 



The phosphatic fertilizers applied were 20 per cent superpliosphate, Thomas phos- 

 ])hate, and steamed bone meal. In general, the superphosphate applied at the rate 

 of 200 kg. per hectare, furnishing 37 kg. of water-soluble phosphoric acid, produced 

 better results with spring grains than 400 kg. of Thomas phosphate with 60 kg. of 

 citrate-soluble phosphoric acid. The opposite effect was observed in a limited num- 

 ber of experiments conducted with winter grains. The residual effects oi Thomas 

 })hosphate seemed to be more marked than those of superjihosphate. The author 

 recommends Thomas phosphate for soils low in lime and containing consideral)le 

 iron oxid. In most cases the effect of bone meal was considerably decreased on hu- 

 mus soils when lime was applied at the same time. Bone meal generally produced 

 somewhat poorer results than Thomas phosphate, and was in almost every instance 

 the more expensive fertilizer. Detailed descriptions of the different experiments as 

 to the fertilizers applied, yields, and quality of the crops grown are given. — f. w. 



WOLL. 



Fertilizer tests with kainit and Thomas slag, V. von Knirim {Selsk. Khoz. i 

 Lyesov., 206 {1902), Aug., pp. 401-420, S<pl.; pp. G 46-67 8; 207 {1902), Oct., pp. 215- 

 228) . — Tests with kainit and Thomas slag as fertilizers for rye, oats, barley, pota- 

 toes, clover, and grass were conducted by agricultural students under the direction of 

 the author. From the results it is concluded that potash and Thomas slag are espe- 

 cially recommendable for clover fields and meadows; and that for spring cereals and 

 potatoes they should be applied with superphosphate, and for winter cereals with 

 superphosphate and bone meal. In the locality where these experiments were made 

 the yields of clover, potatoes, and grasses are more easily increased than the yields 

 of the cereals. — p. fireman. 



Rotation experiments, A. L. Yakovlyev {Izr. Mosccyw SelsJc. Khoz. Tn.'<(. [Ann. 

 Inst. Agron. Afoscoiil, 8 {1902), No. 3, pp. 22.5-244).- "^he Norfolk, 3-course, and 18- 

 course systems of crop rotation are under comparison. The 3-course and the Nor- 



