FIELD CROPS. 781 



sulphate of potash, kainit, wood ashes, marl, lime, and garbage refuse. About SI 

 ])er cent of the brands of fertilizers examined contained as much total plant food 

 as was claimed, but in only 65 per cent was the plant food distributed in the pro- 

 l)()rtions stated. The averages for all brandf-- of complete fertilizers examined during 

 U»01 are as follows: Total nitrogen 2.81 per cent, total phosphoric acid 10.48 per 

 cent, availa]:)le phosphoric acid 8.08 per cent, insolnl)le jihosplioric acid 2.40 percent, 

 potash 5.77 per cent, station valuation $21.19, selling i)ric(' $27.81. "It appears that 

 the Ml ami fact u re rs are delivering on the average somewhat less total plant footl than 

 in 1900, but at about the same price per ton." 



Commercial fertilizers, H. J. Wheeler et al. {Rhode Island Sta. Bid. 81, pp. 

 111-122). — This bulletin contains analyses of a portion of the fertilizers collected 

 during 1901. The fertilizers examined during this year were much inferior to those 

 of recent years as regards agreement with guarantee. A large proportion of these 

 deficiencies were in the phosphoric acid. 



FIELD CROPS. 



Range improvement in Arizona, D. Griffiths ( U. S. Dept. Agr., Bureau jf 

 J'laiit Indu.siri/ Bid. 4, PP- 31, pis. 6, figs. 5). — This bulletin contains a report on 

 experiments with grasses and forage plants in cooperation with the Arizona Station. 

 An outline is presented of experiments undertaken on a range reserve tract, a piece 

 of public land set aside by the President for the use of the Secretary of Agriculture. 

 A number of letters are reproduced. in which the present and past conditions of the 

 grazing lands of southern Arizona are briefly noted. The various species of forage 

 plants, comprising plantains, sahhushes and allied plants, native legumes, cacti, and 

 grasses, are discussed with regard to their value and their distribution. 



An estimate based on figures obtained from 18 different plats of the quantity of 

 feed furnished liy the plantains on the range reserve tract in the spring of 1901 

 shows an average yield of 992 lbs. of dry material per acre. On areas where the 

 creosote bush predominates the yields were smallest, varying from 16 to 2,466 pounds 

 per acre. The maximum yield on a single plat amounted to 3,087 lbs. The adapta- 

 bility of the plantains to grow on the sandy desert mesa is discussed, and an account 

 is given of the distril)ution of their seed and its germination. Of the different species, 

 Indian wheat { Plantago fastigiata) is considered the most important. 



The saltbushes and other plants of a like character treated in this connection are 

 the shad scale (Atriplcv canescens) , the most important of the group; the grease wood 

 [Sarcohtttiis rennkulatus), which grows in the moister alkaline regions, and winter 

 fat {Eiirntia tintnta), an almost externiinated species on the open range. Among the 

 native legumes the mesquite {Prosopis velutuia) has the greatest value. The screw 

 bean {J\ puhescens) is reported as being also common. Aslrdgalus nuttallU, a species 

 common to the moister mesa region, is mentioned as furnishing much palatable feed 

 under favorable conditions. 



(Jpuntiafidglda, <). sjnnosior, O. rersicolor, and O. arbu.'<cula, are given as the species 

 of cacti most fre(iuently used for forage in the vicinity of Tucson. A test of singeing 

 the spines from a si)ecimen of 0. sp'mosior j)rove(l that the plant without the spines 

 was palatable to stock. 



The different species of grasses occurring in the region are l)riefly noted. The 

 species found on the river bottoms are saccaton {Simroholns irngldii), salt gra,ss ( />/.s'- 

 tirldis spicata), drop seed {Sporobolus cryptandrus) , S. stri(in.'<, and Arizona millet 

 ' ' 'hfpfochloa composiUi). 



Black grama [Ildaria mu(ira), II. jamesei, curly mesquite (//. cenchroides), lilue 

 grama ( lioidehma ollgostachga), lowgrama. ( Bixihistacliijn), woolly foot (B. rrlo/ioda), 

 side oata grama (Z>. curtipeitdtda), and black heads {I'((pj)t>j>liornin icriglilli) are 



