FIELD CROPS. 1069 



over 30 tons. Among the newer kinds the following produced the best yields in 

 1904: Criewen 29.9, Giant Eckendorf 28.1, and Rennie Golden Giant 24.6 tons. 

 Soaking mangel seed for 12 hours before planting gave an apparenl average increase 

 for 2 years of 2.8 tons per acre. In the average results for 5 years (liant White 

 Feeding stands first in yield of sugar beets with 25.32 tuns per acre. Kirsche Ideal, 

 another variety for feeding purposes, stood very high, with an average yield of 31.3 

 tons per acre for 3 years. An experiment in planting sugar beets at different dis- 

 tances between the rows, the plants standing al intervals of 7 in., showed a regular 

 decrease in tonnage as the distance between the rows increased from 12 to 28 in. 

 Similar results were obtained in rows 18 in. apart, with the distance between the 

 plants in the row increasing from 2 to 10 in. Thinning when the plants were 2 in. 

 high gave the best results. In 1903 the largest yield was obtained from seed soaked 

 12 hours, and in 1904 from seed soaked 24 hours. 



The average yields for 5 years of 20 varieties of carrots ranged from 18.65 to 31.16 

 tons, the leading varieties being Mastadon White Intermediate, Mammoth Interme- 

 diate Smooth White, and Steele Improved Short White, all yielding over 30 tons per 

 acre. The results of variety tests with swedes, turnips, parsnips, and kohl-rabi are 

 also reported. 



In the potato tests the following varieties grown for the past 5 years gave the 

 highest average yields of sound tubers: Empire State 2<> ( .t, Seedling No. 230 256, 

 Dempsey Seedling 252, Pearl of Savoy 251, White Elephant 251, American Wonder 

 247, Holborn Abundance 247, The Daisy 243, Rural New Yorker No. 2 243, and 

 Rural Blush 240 bu. The results for 2 years show that the late varieties were, in 

 general, freest from rot. The varieties having the least rot produced the largest 

 yields of sound potatoes. A comparison of early varieties for 3 years resulted in the 

 best yields at 9 weeks after planting from Early Andes, Early Dominion, Six Weeks, 

 Early Fortune, and Early Dawn. Planting different sized sets at different distances 

 apart in the rows gave the highest average yield for 3 years from 2-oz. sets 1 ft. 

 apart, and the lowest from 1-oz. sets 2 ft. apart in the row. One 2-oz. set in the 

 hill gave higher yields than 2 1-oz. or 4 ^-oz. sets. In 1H04 the yield decreased as 

 the size of tubers used for seed decreased. Planting in rows 26.4 in. apart with the 

 sets placed at intervals of 1 ft. gave an average yield for 4 years of 17!). 6 bu. per acre 

 as compared with 152.3 bu. for planting in squares 33 in. apart each way. 



Of 103 varieties of fodder and silage corn grown in 1904, the largest yields of ears 

 per acre were produced by the following kinds: Early Windsor Sweet 5.2 tons, 

 Kendal Early Giant Sweet 5.2, Ringleader Sweet 5, and Wisconsin Beauty Sweet 

 4.9 tons. These varieties are all suitable for fodder, hut not considered as valuable 

 for silage as some of the dent corns. Mammoth Cuban, Mastadon Dent, and Learn- 

 ing are considered valuable for both fodder and silage. Deep cultivation at first, 

 followed by cultivation gradually getting shallower as the season advanced, proved 

 most satisfactory and was closely followed in yield by shallow cultivation through- 

 out the season. Results with grasses and other forage crops are also given. 



Agricultural experiments, F. ('. Henniker (Rpt. Dept. Land Records and Agr. 

 Assam, 1904, />/'■ 14-16).— 01 12 varieties of potatoes Early Regent, Triumph, Har- 

 binger, Magnum Bonum, and Flowerball, in the order given, were the most produc- 

 tive and gave satisfactory yields. Patna proved most disease-resistant and, with the 

 other 5 varieties, is recommended for cultivation. Maize proved to lie the most use- 

 ful and economic forage crop and was also successfully made into silage. 



Annual report on the experimental farms m the Bombay Presidency, F. 

 Fletcher and J. P>. Knight (Ann. Rpt. Expt. Farms, Bombay Pres., 1904, pp. 

 82). — The work and results of culture, fertilizer, and variety tests with cotton, 

 wheat, rice, tobacco, grasses, leguminous crops, sweet potatoes, and yams on 9 

 experimental farms lot the yeai ending March 31, 1904, are briefly described. 



