964 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



At the Southern California Substation the heaviest yield of green substance per 

 acre during 1903 was secured from Egyptian lupine, the yield being 45,012 lbs. per 

 acre. The lupines are subject to injury from maggots, and hence are not a sure 

 crop. In yield the lupines were followed by a variety of horse bean, with 44,528 11 is. 

 of green material per acre. This plant seems to be the most promising green manure 

 plant tested at the station. The field peas have also been found one of the most sat- 

 isfactory green manure crops for southern California. The vetches all made a good 

 growth. Of the genus Medicago, California Burr clover gave the best results this 

 year. Fenugreek was not as promising as in localities near the coast. Berseem, 

 probably due to late sowing, was a failure. As for the other stations, the results 

 obtained on each plat are shown in a table, and data from test-plat cultures on alkali 

 land are also recorded. 



The economic garden of the Central Station, A. V. Stubenkauch {California 

 Sta. Rpt. 1904, pp- 110-132, figs. 5). — A tabulated list is given of plants which may 

 be used for green manure and for forage, and of others suitable only for green manur- 

 ing or for forage. Nearly all of the plants tested were leguminous plants. The time 

 for fall planting ranged from October 20 to November 17, and the lengths of the 

 germination periods from 7 to 13 days, 10 or 11 days being about an average. The 

 lupines and clovers germinated in about 6 or 7 days; lentils, horse beans, Ochrus 

 pea, and most of the vetches in from 10 to 12 days, and some of the last-named 

 plants in 14 days. For California conditions the best plants for green manuring are 

 those which will produce the largest quantity of green substance per acre before the 

 plowing season. In this respect horse beans headed the list, with yields ranging from 

 a little less than 30,000 lbs. to more than 68,000 lbs. per acre. Next to the horse 

 beans stood 3 varieties of field peas, Pimm arvense liibendcum, P. arvense rental?, and 

 P. arvense punctatum, with yields of 45,405, 43,106, and 36,209 lbs. of green substance 

 per acre, respectively. The Ochrus pea yielded 43,681 lbs. per acre. This plant 

 produces a matted growth somewhat more difficult to plow under than the horse 

 beans. The results obtained with several other species of Lathyrus were also promis- 

 ing. Among other species of Vicia, common vetch ( V. sativa) stood first with a yield 

 of 51,152 lbs. per acre. Black-purple vetch ( V. atropurpurea) stood next, with 44,255 

 lbs., followed by several other species, all yielding over 35,000 lbs. per acre. The 

 best lupines were the small white lupines (I/upinus angustifolius diploleuca) and the 

 succulent lupine (L. affinis), each yielding 32,186 lbs. It is recommended that 

 lupine seed should be soaked for 20 minutes before planting in a solution of 1 pt. of 

 formalin to 50 gal. of water. Berseem sown October 30 produced 33,335 lbs. of green 

 material per acre, but was injured in February by a temperature of 21° F. The 

 sowing made in April was a failure. California Burr clover produced only 16,093 

 lbs. of green material. 



In addition to the plats with leguminous plants, 4 plats were sown with oats, 71 

 with barley, 2 with rye, 4 with durum wheat, and 10 with bread wheats. A list of 

 grasses added to the collection during the season is also given. 



Experiments in progress from 1900 to 1905 and extension of the different 

 lines of work, K. von Rumker (Mitt. Landw. Inst. Univ. Breslau, 2 (1904), No. 5, pp. 

 832-879, figs. 2) . — In connection with the first report on the experimental field of the 

 University of Breslau at Rosenthal the different experiments in progress, including 

 rotation, fertilizer, culture, and variety tests, together with plant-breeding work, 

 are described and the results thus far obtained briefly noted. 



The composition of a number of varieties of fodder beets is shown in tables and 

 the data indicate that the ash content varies with the variety and has apparently no 

 relation to the dry matter content. The protein content was also subject to fluctu- 

 ation, but bore some relation to the dry matter, inasmuch as it increased with the 

 same. The sugar content also increased with the dry matter, and the same was true 

 for crude fiber and nitrogen-free extract. 



