250 experiment station record. 



and the fourth received the combined applications <>f the second and third. The 

 potash plats gave the largest average yields of seed and of longnber. The phos- 

 phoric acid plats also showed an increase in yield, hut where the 2 fertilizers wen- 

 applied together the increase was unimportant. The 2 methods of harvesting gave 

 practically equal financial returns. 



Flax wax, (<. IIoffmeister (Ber. Dent. Cliem. Gesell, 36 (1903), No. 6, pp. 1047- 

 1054). — A study of the composition and properties of this constituent of Max, which, 

 it is believed, has an important influence on the character of the fiber. 



Commercial fertilizers for lupines on new land, A. Carlier (Ing. Agr. Gem- 

 bloux, 14 (1904), No. 8, pp. 338-345). — Yellow lupines were grown on poor pine 

 lands for the purpose of improving the same and bringing them under cultivation. 

 Commercial fertilizers were applied in different quantities and combinations and the 

 results for 1902 and 1903 are given in tables with brief comments. 



All potash fertilizers were readily effective in increasing the yield. The natural 

 phosphate given alone remained inactive, but when applied with kainit the yields 

 were about equal to those obtained from the use of basic slag. Inoculation < if the 

 soil acted unfavorably in nearly all cases. The best results were obtained where the 

 potassic and phosphatie fertilizers were applied together. Superphosphate proved 

 very detrimental and its use made it impossible to grow lupines on the soil for several 

 years afterwards. 



Report of experiments on the effects produced on thirteen different oats, 

 or mixture of oats, by top-dressings of nitrate of soda, E. P. Wright ( West <<f 

 Scotland Agr. Col. Rpl. 1901, pp. 79-8£). — Seed of each kind of oats w'as sown on 2 

 adjacent plats, one of which received a top-dressing of nitrate of soda at the rate of 1 

 cwt. and the other at the rate of 2 cwt. per acre. On the average the 2 cwt. of nitrate 

 of soda produced an increase of about 150 lbs. of grain and 3 cwt. of straw as compared 

 with the use of 1 cwt. The application of 1 cwt., however, was proportionately much 

 more effective. 



In another experiment charlock and ranch weeds in the oat crop were sprayed 

 with solutions of nitrate of soda of varying strengths at the rate of 50 gal. per acre. 

 The quantity of nitrate of soda thus applied per acre was 50 lbs. in a 10 per cent 

 solution, 100 lbs. in a 20 per cent solution, 150 lbs. in a 30 per cent solution, and 200 

 lbs. in a 40 per cent solution. The extra quantities of nitrate of soda applied from 

 50 to 100 lbs. produced a very profitable increase in yield. The 100 lbs. dressing 

 produced 360 lbs. of grain and 1.5 cwt. of straw more than the 50 lbs. dressing, and 

 the 150 lbs. dressing yielded 760 lbs. of grain and 5.5 cwt. of straw more than the 100 

 lbs. dressing; but the limit of profitable employ was apparently reached with the 150 

 lbs. of nitrate per acre. It is pointed out that this increase in yield may also be 

 largely due to checking the growth of the weeds by this treatment, and that the 

 results in general may point to a possible advantage in applying nitrate of soda in 

 solution to crops by spraying rather than in the form of a dry salt. 



Report on the results of an experiment showing- the effects of air and soil 

 space on the productiveness of oats, R. P. Wright (West of Scotland Ayr. Col. 

 Rpt. 1901, pp. 75-77). — The author upon noticing that oat plants growing on the 

 outer edges of plats are better developed than those growing in the center, conducted 

 a series of experiments to ascertain the advantage gained by plants having the greater 

 access to air and light. Accordingly, 5 plats of Banner oats were divided each into 

 3 oblong sections. The middle section of each plat was entirely inclosed by oat 

 plants except at the 2 ends, while the 2 outer sections had not only bare ground at the 

 ends, but were also adjacent to bare space on one of their sides. 



The yields of grain and straw were in favor of the outside sections. The effect of 

 light as influenced by the position of the plats is discussed. The results in general are 

 considered as showing the great value to plants of abundant air, light, and ample 

 soil space. 



