FIELD CROPS. 357 



Quantity of cotton ginned in the United States ( U. S. Dept. Com. and Labor, 

 Bureau of the < \ nsus Bui. 10, pp. 56, maps 14 ).— This bulletin is a reporl of the cotton 

 crop grown in 1903, accompanied by comparative statistics of the crops for the years 

 1899 to 1902, inclusive. The statistics presented cover the quantity of cotton ginned 

 from the growth of each year as distinguished from the quantity marketed from 

 September 1 to August 31. In addition the bulletin gives the quantity of cotton 

 reclaimed by thrashing cotton boll?, the vitality of which was destroyed; an estimate 

 of the quantity destroyed by the boll weevil and of its influence on the cotton pro- 

 duction of the infested district of Texas: and the distribution by States of the quan- 

 tity of linter cotton saved by the cotton-seed oil mills by resinning the seed of the 

 crop of 1903. 



Cowpeas and soy beans, D. O. Xocrse (Virginia s/a. linl. 149, pp. 93-99). — 

 Brief notes are given on the growth at the station of 20 varieties of soy beans and 10 

 varieties of cowpeas. The varieties were planted May 18 and 19, and a description 

 is given of their condition on September 1 1 and 12. Promising results were obtained 

 from varieties introduced by this Department and designated as Department of Agri- 

 culture Nos. 8422, 8423, 8424, 8497, 9400, 941o, and 941H, the yields of green product 

 ranging from 11,200 to 18,200 lbs. per acre. Among the cowpsas, Southern, Won- 

 derful, Iron, and Clay, yielding 19,950, 16,400, 15,050, and 14,000 lbs. of green sub- 

 stance per acre, respectively, were the most productive varieties. 



Flax experiments, 1903 {Jour. Dept. Agr. <n><J Tech. Instr. Ireland, 4 \ 1904), Xo. 

 4, pp. 616-638). — With one exception in the variety tests, these experiments were 

 carried on along the same lines as those of 1902, which have already been described 

 (E. S. R., 15, p~ 667). 



In cooperative fertilizer experiments the flax yellowed to some extent on all plats 

 excepting on those which had received potassic fertilizers. The plats fertilized with 

 muriate of potash and kainit had the best appearance. The general results with 6 

 cwt. of kainit per acre show an increase in the yield of straw and of scutched flax. 

 Muriate of potash at the rate of 1.25 cwt. per acre apparently increased the yield of 

 straw and flax, produced a higher percentage of fiber of a slightly better quality, and 

 gave a profit of 17s. Id. per acre as compared with the unmanured plats. 



Plats receiving a mixture of kainit and superphosphate at the rate of 3 cwt. each 

 per acre gave an increase of retted straw and of scutched flax and a decrease in the 

 proportion of scutched flax to straw as compared with the check plat, but the increase 

 in the yield did not defray the cost of the fertilizers. With the addition of 0.5 cwt. 

 of sulphate of ammonia, this mixture increased the yields of straw and flax and the 

 proportion of flax to straw, improved the quality of the flax, and produced a gain in 

 financial results. Five cwt. of rape meal per acre produced good effects, but was 

 unprofitable. Basic slag at the same rate was also applied ata loss. From the results 

 obtained for 3 years it is concluded that the use of a potassic fertilizer, such as muriate 

 of potash or kainit, may be expected to give profitable returns, and that of the 2 fer- 

 tilizers the muriate is preferable. 



In the variety tests of this year English-saved seed w r as substituted for Riga Per- 

 nau Crown seed. Two strains of Dutch seed, Belfast Brand and Riga Child, gave 

 the best results, the Belfast Brand giving slightly better returns than the Riga Child. 



Scutching trials with the Irish and the Belgian Courtrai system are again reported, 

 and it is believed "that with practice on a modified Belgian mill Irish workmen 

 would show better results from the use of such a mill than areobtained from an Irish 

 mill." The results of scutching Belgian retted straw by a Belgian mill and by Irish 

 mills gave about the same results as in the previous year, but the difference between 

 the net returns from the straw scutched on the Belgian mill at Courtrai, as compared 

 with those from the Irish mills, was not so great. 



