358 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Rippled straw yielded only slightly less flax of a slightly inferior quality than non- 

 rippled straw, but the yield of seed was so small that it only just compensated for 

 the decrease in yield and quality of flax and for the extra labor. 



Continental methods of retting and scutching were tried on the Continent with 

 Irish flax, and the system of treatment practiced in Lokeren, Flanders, resulted in 

 the highest yield of scutched flax. The quality was better than that of flax scutched 

 at Courtrai after retting in the Lys. Flax steeped once in the Lys at Courtrai gave 

 hetter results than flax steeped twice. A report bya committee of inspection on the 

 culture and handling of flax in Belgium and Holland is presented. 



Perennial and Italian rye grass, D. Finlaysox and J. S. Remington (Aynsome 

 Agr. sin., Grange-over-Sands, Cent. Seed-Testing Lnh. Farmers' Bui. 6, pp. S, pi. l). — 

 Notes are given on these grasses and the purity and germination of the samples of 

 seed tested at the Central Seed Testing Laboratory are recorded. A number of 

 impurities common in the seed of rye grasses are illustrated. The average purity 

 of 56 samples of Italian rye grass seed was 93.4 per cent, the average germination, 

 88.5 per cent; and the average purity of 59 samples of perennial rye grass, 96.5 per 

 cent, and the average germination, 98 per cent. 



Plant food removed in the pruning of hop plants, Horecky ( Dent. Landw. 

 Presse, 31 (1904), Xo. 57, pp. 500, 501). — Hop plants were pruned April 20, and 

 analyses were made of roots taken up at this time, and of the new shoots removed 

 in pruning. The method of analyses is described and the results obtained, as given 

 below, are shown in tables: 



Analyses of ihi roots and young shoots of Saaz, AuscJia, <uul native hop plants. 



Dry matter 



Potash 



Phosphoric acid 



Calcium 



Magnesia 



Nitrogen 



Roots. 



Auseha. Native. 



i>. a. 



38. 430 

 . 990 

 . 329 

 .675 

 .219 

 7.666 



P.ct. 

 29.550 



.978 

 .351 

 .384 



. 171 

 7.641 



P.ct. 



30. 560 

 . 628 

 .351 

 .443 

 . 189 

 6. 159 



Shoots. 



Saaz. Auseha. 



/•. ct. 



17.760 

 .973 

 .396 

 .134 

 .063 

 6. 421 



P. ct. 



19.5111 

 .919 

 .471 

 .198 

 .134 

 6.385 



Native. 



P.ct. 



16. 460 

 .803 

 .259 

 . 27:. 

 .113 

 6. 358 



Report on experiments on the comparative merits of varieties of oats in 

 1900, R. P. Wright, A. N. M' Alpine, and J. W. Paterson ( West of Scotland Agr. 

 Col. Rpt. 1900, pp. 167-240, charts 0) .— The results of this work for 1899 have been 

 previously reported (E. S. R., 13, p. 131). This season Banner, Waverly, Tartar 

 King, and Newmarket were the most productive, yielding from 2,101 to 2,141 lbs. 

 of grain per acre. Sandy and Tarn Finlay led in the yield of straw. On rich soils 

 the varieties most productive in grain were most profitable, while on poor soils the 

 varieties most productive in straw gave the best results. Among the best grain- 

 producing varieties Banner and Waverly are considered the most highly productive 

 and the most generally valuable. In addition to the varieties mentioned Potato, 

 Hamilton, Longhoughton, and Golden Giant were grown, and each one of the varie- 

 ties is described and its previous record discussed at some length. 



Report on the botanical aspects of the oat variety investigations as shown 

 by the experiments made in frames set in the fields, A. N. M'Alpine ( West <>j 

 Scotland Agr. Col. Rpt. 1900, pp. 247-284)- — These investigations were made with the 

 varieties of oats entering into the experiments referred to in the above abstract. 

 The tests were carried out tin the same fields and under similar conditions, in frames 

 1 sq. ft. in size, and sown the same as the plats at the rate of 2| million seeds per 

 acre. The principal data obtained are given in the following tables: 



