FIELD CROPS. 139 



The economical manuring of the turnip crop, A, P. Aitken 



{Trans. Highland and Ayl. Soe. Scotland, 1894, lyp. 435-447). — Thi? 

 experiment was conducted ou a number of Scottish farms iu 1803. 

 Equal values of the different combinations of fertilizers were applied 

 to each plat. Superphosphate was more effective than Thomas slag, 

 and the latter gave better results than fine-ground bone. A combi- 

 nation of superphosphate and slag was more effective than any single 

 phosphatic fertilizer. jSTo advantage resulted from the use of more than 

 1 cwt. of nitrate of soda i)er atre. In 1893, in which the first two 

 months of the growing season were very dry and the remainder of the 

 season very wet, sulphate of ammonia proved superior to nitrate of 

 soda. The author recommends for turnips a mixture of these two nitrog- 

 enous fertilizers in combination with a mixed phosj)hatic fertilizer. 



The ripening of wheat, K. Passerini {Staz. Sper. Agr. ItaL, 26 

 {1S94), Xo. ;J, pp. 138-150). —The author conducted this investigation in 

 1893 on two varieties of wheat. Daily determinations of the weight 

 of 100 grains, and of the organic matter, water, and ash contained in 

 the same, were made from June 9 to July 8, inclusive. 



The weight of 100 grains increased quite regularly until June 21-22, at 

 which time the grains had assumed the color denoting ripeness. After 

 this time there was a gradual diminution in the weight of the seed. 

 The dry matter in the grain reached its maximum weight 2 to 1 days after 

 the seed reached the maximum weight, then it decreased slightly. 



The composition of the grain at different dates showed that a notable 

 decrease in the percentage of water followed close upon a rise of sev- 

 eral degrees in the temperature of the air. 



With one variety the best date for cutting was found to be June 

 19-23, at which time the heads .showed no trace of green color, while 

 the seed were still turgid and moist. This yield was decreased by 7 i^er 

 cent when tlie harvesting was done June 30 to July 7. With the other 

 variety the loss from harvesting late was 14 per cent. The conclusion 

 drawn is that wheat should be barvested when the ears are yellow, but 

 before the straw has lost the green color. 



Rational selection of wheat for seed, H. L. Bolley {Worth 

 Dakota Sta. Bui. 13, pp. 4-2(i, figs. 8). — A general discussion of wheat- 

 growing in North Dakota and of selection of seed wheat. The per- 

 centage of germination and the yield of wheat from normal seed and 

 from seed frosted, winter bleached, immature, and heated in the bin 

 are tabulated. The yield from normal seed was much larger than that 

 from seed injured in any Avay. For examj)le, in one instance the crop 

 from seed frosted before maturity, was to the crop from normal seed, 

 as 113:194.9. Normal seed and injured seed gave practically the same 

 weights for the same volume of grain. Smutted wheat, however, 

 weighed slightly less for a given volume than sound wheat. The author 

 recommends the selection, by means of a fanning mill, of large j,^rains for 

 seed. 



