V)42 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



introduction, distribution, dissemination, tlie laws governing its control, the methods 

 of eradicating it, and the uses to which it is adapted. Copies of statutes concerning 

 the control of Johnson grass in Texas are given verbatim, and among the several 

 means of eradication a cultural method of killing the grass patented by a Texas com- 

 pany is described. Chemical analyses of the grass at different stages of growth are 

 quoted from Texas Station Bulletin 20 (E. S. R., 3, p. 890), and the comparative 

 composition of timothy, redtop, Johnson grass, and red clover hays, being the aver- 

 age figures of a number of analyses, are given in tables. The author summarizes the 

 bulletin as follows: 



"Johnson grass is a tall, vigorous grass, closely related to the sorghums, with a verj- 

 strong system of long, jointed, underground stems, popularly known as roots. Each 

 joint of this underground stem is capable of "producing a new plant. 



"It is a native of the tropics of the Old "World, and was first introduced into this 

 country as a hay grass in South Carolina about 60 years ago. 



" It has spread rapidly throughout the entire South to the Pacific coast and thence 

 north to British Columl)ia. It thrives best in rich, moist, alluvial or irrigated soil, 

 ■where it is also most difficult to eradicate. 



"It is commonly spread by means of its seeds. They are widely scattered from 

 hay cut after the seed has matured, and are often planted with seed oats. The seeds 

 are unharmed by passing through the digestive tract of animals, and are thus widely 

 scattered in manure. 



"The grass should never be allowed to ripen its seeds in meadows, fields, or along 

 roads, fences, or railways. 



" It can be destroyed by hand labor — digging out the underground stems. 



"Under field conditions it is best killed by plowing fallow land during hot, dry 

 weather. The stems are thus exposed to the heat of tlie sun and soon killed. The 

 same result follows the action of severe frosts. 



" It can also be killed during the cultivation of a cotton crop by much extra hand 

 labor. 



"Various chemical substances have been tried but none has thus far proved suc- 

 cessful and economical. 



"Johnson grass makes a very good quality of hay when cut while just in flower, 

 and it may be profitably cultivated throughout the South for this purpose. ]\Iead- 

 ows should be broken up at least every third year to loosen the matted stems. It is 

 not necessary to resee<l meadows when thus treated. 



" Cowpeas may be sown in the grass when it is broken in the spring. When broken 

 in the fall, oats may be used with it. It affords good pasture during summer when 

 treated in the same way as meadows." 



Variations in the fertilizing- constituents contained in oats, A. Atterberg 

 {Jour. Landir., 49 [1901), No. ;2, pp. 97-172; K. Landt. Akad. Handl. Tklskr., 40 

 {1901) , No. 1, pp. 14-SO). — The work here reported was performed in the years 1885- 

 1893, and the results have in part been previously noted (E. S. R., 0, p. 407). The 

 investigations consist of 3 different lines of work, namely, (1) a chemical study of 

 well and jworly developed oat plants, taken from different fields, to determine the 

 variationsin fertilizing ingredients in the plants under ordinary conditions; (2) a study 

 of the composition of oat plants grown in sand cultures with special plant food solu- 

 tions, and (3) a consideration of the results with reference to the applicability of plant 

 analyses to practical agriculture. 



For the study of plants grown under ordinary conditions 86 samples grown on 

 different kinds of soils were obtained. Of some samples the different parts of the 

 plants were analyzed separately, but in most cases an analysis of the entire portion 

 of the plant above ground was made. No analysis was made of the roots. The 

 variations in the content of nitrogen, phosphoric acid, potash, lime, magnesia, 

 sulphur, and salicylic acid, as shown by the analyses of the samples, are presented in 



