1910] FIELD CROPS. 429 



Experiments on the treatment of growing crops with overhead electric dis- 

 charges, J. IIicnduic (Boot. ■lour. Apr.. I (1918), No. 2, pp. 168 til, fig. l; ahu. in 

 Nature [London], tot (1918), No. 2547, p. \95). The application of a high 

 tension electric discbarge to onts, barley, hay, potatoes, turnips, and swedes 

 grown In rotation in experiments conducted In Kincardineshire, Scotland, during 

 the period 1913 to 1917, Inclusive, is said to have failed to produce sufficient 

 Increases In the yield of the crops to repay the cost of the treatment 



The electroculture of crops, I. Jokckn'skn and W. Siii.ks (Bci. Proff. [London], 

 12 (1918) No. 48 pp. 809-621; Boi. Amir. Bup., 85 (1918), No. 22U, pp. SGG-StJS).— 

 The authors present a hrief review of the more prominent experimental work 

 dealing with overhead electrical discharge in relation to crop production, be- 

 ginning with experiments made by Nollet in 1747. They conclude that what- 

 ever advances have been made in electroculture in the past have come from 

 the physicist, but that, although a knowledge of physical methods is essential 

 for intelligent research, the problems involved are essentially problems of plant 

 physiology. 



[Report of work with field crops in Montana] (Montana Bta. Rpt. 1917, pp. 

 227-229, 287, 2! l 0-2! t 2, 258 95 \).— This describes the continuation of work similar 

 to that previously noted (B. S. R., 38, p. 333), including observations on small 

 grain variety tests, selection work with oats, tests of annual forage crops for 

 dry lands, fertilizer experiments with small grains and legumes, and observa- 

 tions on soil moisture under different cropping systems, all by L. F. Gieseker, 

 weed control with arsenicals, by D. B. Swingle, observations on the amount of 

 plant food removed annually by different crops, by B, Burke, and variety tests, 

 selection work, and cultural experiments with potatoes, by O. B. Whipple. 



Marquis spring wheat seeded late in the fall has produced an average yield 

 of 41.3 bu. per acre. A field selection of Kharkov also seeded in the fall has 

 outylelded all other Turkey Red and Kharkov strains, producing an average 

 of 49.3 bu. 



Observations of 29 different correlations made on oats introduced from New 

 York each year and on oats grown continuously at the station are said to 

 Indicate that the same relationships hold under the climatic and soil conditions 

 prevailing in Montana for introduced oats as for acclimated sorts. 



Mammoth Russian sunflower, producing 39.8 tons of green forage per acre 

 when seeded at the rate of GO lbs. per acre in 8 in. rows, Is described as a promis- 

 ing soiling and silage crop. Under field conditions seeding in 30 or 36 in. rows 

 is recommended. Yields of 23 tons per acre have been obtained under irriga- 

 tion with the crop seeded at the rate of 1G lbs. per acre in 28 in. rows. Analyses 

 of the dry material showed it to contain 0.203 per cent of phosphorus and 1.9G 

 per cent of nitrogen. A tabular statement is presented showing the relative 

 amounts of plant food removed annually by different crops, from which it is 

 concluded that sunflowers remove more nitrogen from the soil than any of the 

 grain or root crops. 



Acid phosphate applied at different rates to small grains and legumes at 

 Bozeman, Huntley, and Judith Basin tailed to produce any marked increase in 

 yield. An 8-ton application of manure to dry land rotation crops failed to 

 give a sufficient increase in yields to cover the cost of application at Bozeman 

 and Judith Basin, while the small grains responded to the treatment at Huntley. 



Observations of soil moistures to a depth of 10 ft. on 27 differently cropped 

 plats on the Fort Ellis farm for the past eight years have led to the following 

 conclusions : 



The season is deemed to be a greater factor in governing crop yields than 

 cultural methods. Small grains yielded best on those plats in which the sea- 



