126 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



ijuaiitity III' water U< irimire tMiual <,a'niiinatioii. When the plants liad well started, 

 tlu" pots were (iiviiled into two series of 16 pots each. In the first series the water 

 (intent was held at 47.4 per cent of the water-holding capacity of the soil, and in the 

 second at 84. 1 per cent. When the plants Ijegan to head, 4 pots of the first series were 

 changed to the second and 4 ])ots of the second series to the first. The results 

 obtained are tabulated in detail. 



The tests with oats indicated that a high percentage of soil moisture during the 

 early period of growth increases the number of internodes, and during the period of 

 heading it increases the strength and the length of the culm. A high water content 

 of the soil when the plants were heading considerably lengthened the two upper 

 internodes and the rachis. The number of zigzags in the rachis, as well as the num- 

 ber of sjiikelets, was increased by a high percentage of soil moisture during early growth, 

 while the numlter of blossoms developed in the spikelets was relatively much greater 

 when the water content of the soil was high at the time of heading than when it was 

 low. The weight of the grains responded to the same influences to which the growth 

 of the head responded. The specific gravity of the grain was smallest in the cases 

 of highest soil moisture at heading time. The proportion of glumes in the grain 

 was largest in the series of high water content for the entire time of the experiments 

 and in the 4 pots in which the water content had been decreased when the plants 

 began to head. The nitrogen content of the grain decreased with the increase of 

 the proportion of glumes. The author draws the general conclusions that a high 

 percentage of soil moisture at the time of heading is highly important in increasing 

 the yields of straw and grain. 



The results with wheat were in many respects the same as with oats, but the effect 

 of the water content during the early period of growth on the number of internodes 

 was not so marked. It was also found that with wheat the length of the head 

 depended upon a high water content during the early vegetative period. Increasing 

 the amount of water in the soil at the time the wheat plants began to head did not 

 increase tlie number of spikelets, but it was very effective in increasing the number 

 of developed blossoms. The nitrogen content of the grains was influenced in the 

 same manner as in the experiments with oats, and t^ie specific weight of the grains 

 agreed with their nitrogen content. 



Tlie influence of the water content of the soil and the application of fer- 

 tilizers on the yield and composition of Italian rye grass and red clover, 

 C. VON Seeliiorst, N. Georgs, and F. Fahrenholtz {Jour. Landw., 48 {1900), No. 3, 

 pp. 265, 286).—T\\Q report on this investigation is prefaced by references to similar 

 work by other investigators. The results obtained by Pagnoul,"being to some extent 

 opposed to those obtained by the authors, are quite fully described. The method of 

 conducting the investigation is outlined and the results are tabulated and discussed. 



The experiments were made in pots containing each 11 kg. of soil. One-half the 

 entire number of pots received no fertilizer, while the rest of the clover pots received 

 1 gm. each of potash and phosphoric acid and 5 gm. of rich marl and the grass 

 pots 1 gm. of nitrogen in the form of nitrate of soda in addition to this application. 

 Four-tenths of a gram of clover seed and 0.6 gm. of grass seed were sown per pot. 

 In each test 4 pots were treated alike. The different quantities of water used grouped 

 the pots into 3 series, as shown in the table below: 



Table showhuj the wight at which pots were held during different periods by controlling 

 the water content of the soil. 



Period. 



May 8 to June 6 



June 6 to June 22 



June 22 to November 10 . 



First 

 series. 



Gravis. 

 13,400 

 14,400 

 14,800 



Second 

 series. 



Grams. 

 14, 400 

 15, 400 

 15,000 



Tiiird 

 series. 



Grams. 

 15,400 

 10,400 

 16,400 



