ioi:») FIELD CHOPS. 737 



alternating corn planted In two rows .", ft. apart with two fallow rows 3 ft. 

 apart, but the results Becured from this distribution are not deemed compar- 

 able to those mentioned above. 



As an average for nil tests corn grown In rows spaced 3 ft. apart produced 

 21.88 hit. per acre as compared with 'jo.i bu. for that grown In rows spaced 

 6 ft. apart. Better stands are also said to have resulted from the closer 

 spacing. It is concluded thai the regular distribution of corn plants on the 

 land as secured with the 3 ft. spacing favors as large or larger grain yields 

 than the Irregular distribution following the ft. spacing, although the latter 

 may prove to be more profitable In that it is better suited to the Introduction 

 of intertilled legume crops, allows cheaper cultivation where the land Is weedy, 

 and under certain conditions provides for better preparation of the land for 

 small grains. Whether <>r not wide spacing is more profitable than regular 

 spacing Is said to depend upon local conditions in individual cases, the results 

 of these experiments demonstrating that the more widening of the rows will 

 not increase grain yields, and that the practice should not be followed except 

 in cases where other advantages obtain. 



Grain sorghum improvement. A. B. Conner and R. E. Kari»er (Texas Kta. 

 Hul. 986 {1918), ]>n- 5-12, flffS. 4)- — This bulletin describes in a popular manner 

 met bods whereby the farmer may develop Improved strains of Kafir corn, milo 

 maize, and feterlta. Directions are given for the selection of a foundation 

 stock and the procedure outlined for further improvement through mass selec- 

 tion, individual plaid, selection, or a combination of the two methods. In the 

 last-named system isolated plantings are made from the heaviest yielding heads 

 In the performance test and the remainder of the seed secured in the per- 

 formance test used for field planting. By continuing this process It is stated 

 that within four years a high-producing strain of grain sorghum will have been 

 secured, while, at the same time, Belected seed superior to the common field 

 run seed will have been available during the intervening years. 



Farm practice in growing sugar beets in three California districts, T. H. 

 Simmkrs, L. A. MooRHOUSE", R. S. Washbubn, and C. <>. Townsknd ( r. S. 

 Drpt. Agr. Bui 760 {1919), pp. 48, fffS. 87).— This bulletin deals with the farm 

 practices involved in producing sugar beets and the requirements of the crop 

 with respect to labor, srv{\. water, etc., on SI farms south of Los Angeles in Lofl 

 Angeles and Orange Counties, 45 at Oxnard in Ventura County, and 39 at 

 Salinas in Monterey County. The Salinas records apply to the 1916 crop only, 

 while the other records are for both the 1915 and 1010 crops. Actual costs are 

 presented b>r purposes of comparison only. 



The tillable area devoted to sugar beets amounted to 68 per cent In the Los 

 Angeles district. 34 per cent at Oxnard, and 52 per cent at Salinas. No 

 definite cropping system was followed, sugar beets being grown continuously 

 for as long as 10 years In some Instances. Beans and barley comprise the 

 other important crops of this region. All available farm manure is applied to 

 the beet land, but so little manure is produced that only a small portion of 

 the beets are manured each year. The average yields for the different dis- 

 tricts were, Los Angeles, 14.52 tons per acre; Oxnard, 9.53 tons; and Salinas, 

 15.50 tons. The average cost per acre was $07.11, $54.88, and $66.45. It is 

 stated that in general as the acreage Increased the cost per acre decreased, 

 while with an increase in yield the COS! per acre increased but the cost per 

 ton decreased. Labor constituted 50 per cent of the total cost of production 

 and the use of the land 35 per cent. The beet tops were fed on most of the 

 farms in the Los Angeles and Oxnard areas, while in the Salinas area f>6 

 per cent of the growers plowed them under. The value of this by-product |s 

 120653'— 19 4 



