FIELD CROPS. 769 



grown from selected seed, the stand being very even and the plants typical in all 

 respects. The seed from these 2 acres is again to be distributed. 



Fertilizer experiments were conducted during the season on two farms. The land 

 on one of the farms had been heavily fertilized with barnyard manure for several 

 years, and here there was a gain of only 320 lbs., or 28.5 per cent, in the yield of leaf 

 from the use of 150 lbs. each of nitrate of soda, sulphate of potash, and acid bone, as 

 compared with 10 tons of barnyard manure per acre. < >n the second farm commer- 

 cial fertilizers showed a distinct gain in every case over the barnyard manure, the 

 greatest increase, amounting to 437 lbs., or nearly 46 per cent, being obtained on a 

 plat receiving 200 lbs. of dried blood per acre. 



These results are not considered as conclusive, but are believed to indicate that 

 commercial fertilizers can be used with profit in tobacco culture on some soils. The 

 experiments also served to point out the lack of certain plant food elements, the 

 results of the second farm show [ng plainly the great benefit derived from supplying 

 nitrogen to that particular soil. 



Experiments are also in progress with hairy vetch as a cover crop for maintaining 

 the fertility of tobacco lands. The vetch was sown the last week of July at the time 

 of the last cultivation, and made a good growth. The experimental work in grow- 

 ing Sumatra tobacco under cover in Wisconsin is briefly noted, but the final results 

 are to be published later. 



Opportunities for the production of cigar-leaf tobacco in East Texas and 

 Alabama, 31. Whitney (U. S. Dept. Agr., Bureau of Sails ('in-. i.' u pp. 4). — This 

 circular reports briefly surveys of soils in Texas and other southern States, and a 

 study of the relations of the quality of the leaf to the soil producing it. 



It was found that upon a reddish or grayish sandy loam with a red clay subsoil, 

 designated as Orangeburg sandy loam, a leaf much finer in aroma than the leaf 

 grown on other soil types in the area was produced. This type of soil was found in 

 different counties of Texas and in Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Mis- 

 sissippi, and Louisiana. In L903 and 1904 experimental crops of tobacco were grown 

 on the Orangeburg soils in several localities of Texas and in Alabama and South 

 Carolina with promising results. 



Report on turnip experiments, 1903-4, J. Hendrick and R. B. Greig {Aber- 

 deen and North of Scotland Col. Agr. Bui. 1, pp. 47). — The experiments conducted on 

 5 farms included fertilizer tests, chemical and mechanical analyses of soils, and a 

 comparison of varieties with reference to their yielding capacity and composition. 



The average results on 4 farms showed that phosphoric acid was of predominating 

 importance, but that the value of potash for turnips was not so clearly indicated. 

 Basic slag, bone meal, and ground mineral phosphate were less effective than super- 

 phosphate, decreasing in value in the order mentioned. Commercial fertilizers given 

 in addition to an application of 15 tons of barnyard manure per acre did not prove 

 profitable, and neither did the use of 20 tons of manure alone, as compared with 15 

 tons, pay for itself in the first year. 



The application of ground lime gave an average decrease of 6 cwt. per acre. On 

 one of the farms poor in available lime the use of the ground lime increased the crop 

 by nearly 50 cwt. per acre. It is stated that in order to benefit turnips lime must 

 be thoroughly worked into the soil several months before drilling the seed. The 

 largest profits in the entire series of experiments were obtained from an application 

 consisting of \\ cwt. of nitrate of soda, 4] cwt. of superphosphate, and § cwt. of 

 sulphate of potash per acre; and the same application without the nitrate of soda 

 gave returns almost as good. 



Five varieties of yellow turnips contained on an average 8.77 per cent of solids and 

 4.05 per cent of sugar, and 7 varieties of swedes, 10.26 per cent solids and 5.12 per- 

 cent sugar. Among these 12 varieties Sittyton Purple Top stood first in the produc- 

 tion of dry matter, with a yield of 2 tons 3 cwt. 30 lbs. per acre. 



