208 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



The common white Indian mallow attords strong- glossy white fibers. 



"Undoubtedly Asclepias incurnala promises better results thau auy of tbe iudige- 

 uous species of bast til)ers iu the United .States that we have considered. If it will 

 thrive upon waste lands, where no other crops will grow, it has to that extent an 

 advantage over hemp, considering the strength of the fiber as fully equal to hemp. 

 • . . As to the value of the fiber in manufacture, I can make no positive statements 

 furtlier than that samples of l)inding twine examined were found to be strong and 

 gooil. As the fiber resembles hemp, there is little doubt that it could be employed 

 iu all uses to which hemp may be applied." 



The author thinks favorably of Colorado River hemp, on account of 

 its gTowing- over vast areas without cultivation and producing a large 

 yield. The fiber of common burdock was found to be very inferior. 



Potatoes, L. R, Taft and R. J. Coryell {Michigan 8ta. Bui. 108, 

 pj). 29-38). — litotes on the culture of potatoes and a test of 174 varieties. 

 For southern Michigan eitlier early planting in April or late planting 

 in June is recommended, since potatoes planted in either of these 

 months are more apt to escape injury from drought than when planting 

 occurs at intermediate dates. For late planting the late varieties are 

 preferred. 



Summit was the most productive variety grown. The author's list 

 of well-tried varieties known to be reliable is as follows: Very early — 

 Early Six Weeks, Market Gardener Early, and June Eating; early — 

 Early Oxford, Lee Favorite, McFadden Earliest, Queen, and Paris 

 Rose; medium — Chautauqua, Early Pearl, Fillbasket, Freeman, Kott 

 Victor, Queen of Paris, Signal, Supplanter, Rural Blush, and Thor- 

 burn; late — American Wonder, Dakota Red, Halo of Dakota, Presi- 

 dent Lincoln, Rural Kew Yorker No. 2, and Summit. The more prom- 

 ising- new varieties were Columbian Rose, Early May, Stoneroad 

 Main Crop Nos. 1 and 2, Early Norther, Vaughan White Prize, World's 

 Fair, and Wolverine Beauty. 



Fertilizer tests -with potatoes, L. R. Taft and R. J. Coryell 

 {Michigan *SY«. Bui. lOs.^ pp. -/.>, 46). — Tabulated data giving yields of 

 3 varieties difterently fertilized for 1891, 1S02, and 1893. When the fer- 

 tilizer was applied above the potatoes tbe yield was generally small, 

 which fact the authors attribute to the lack of sufficient moisture to 

 dissolve it. 



The effect of season and of fertilizers on the yield and com- 

 position of rye, M. Fischer {Ber. physiol. Lab. lanilw. Inst. Univ. 

 Halle, 10, p. 34; ahs. in Cenfbl. agr. Chem., 23 {1894), No. 6, pp. 368-372).— 

 The author's experiments covered 5 years, from 1886 to 1890, inclusive. 

 Each plat received annually the same fertilizer, consisting- of either 

 stable manure or phosphates, potash salts and nitrogenous fertilizers 

 alone or combined. One plat remained unmanured throughout. From 

 analyses of the crops raised it appears that the nitrogen-free extract and 

 the fat were influenced by the weather to a greater extent than by the 

 character of the manuring. Warm, sunny weather, with considerable 

 moisture during tbe development of the grain, favored the formation of 



