830 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol.40 



The classification of indigenous Indian canes, C. A. Bakbeb (Agr. Jour. 

 India, 11 (1016), No. 4, pp. 371-376).— This is a brief preliminary note of work 

 described in detail above. 



Growing sugar cane for sirup, P. A. Yodeb (U. S. Dept. Agr., Farmers' Bui. 

 1034 (1919), pp. 35, figs. 15). — Directions are given for growing and harvesting 

 sugar cane In those regions where sirup is produced essentially as a small farm 

 enterprise. Insect and disease pests affecting the crop are briefly described. 

 Information is also presented relative to the equipment and labor required for 

 cane production and sirup making. Notes on marketing the sirup and on 

 the utilization of the by-products are Included. 



A more detailed account of the subject has been noted (E. S. R., 36, p. 835). 



The inheritance of the length of the flowering and ripening periods in 

 wheat, W. P. Thompson {Proa, and Trans. Roy. Soc. Canada, 3. ser., 12 (1918), 

 Sect. IV-V, pp. 69-87). — Crosses made between many wheat varieties differing 

 widely in regard to the length of the ripening and heading periods are described. 

 The crosses involved parents differing only slightly over the whole range of 

 variation as well as those showing successively greater differences. The varie- 

 ties used included Prelude, Bobs, Marquis, Preston, Red Fife, Alaska, Kubank, 

 and Club in the order of ripening in 1917. All parental stock had been grown 

 in pure lines for several years. The data presented in this paper for the 

 parental varieties and F* progeny refer to the season of 1917 and for the Fi 

 plants to the season of 1916. 



Summarizing, the author states that the Fi plants matured with the late 

 parent, this appearing to be a case not of dominance but of postponement of the 

 hereditary maturation period due to vigor of crossing. The V- plants formed 

 regular curves of probability with intermediate means, in most cases the vari- 

 ation extending from below the mean of the lower parent to above the mean 

 of the higher parent. Where parents differed only slightly the parental ex- 

 tremes were sometimes exceeded, while with wide differences the parental ex- 

 tremes were not always reached though the parental means were usually ex- 

 ceeded. 



"Interpreting Hie results on the basis of the multiple determiner hypothesis 

 of blending, the sum of the differences between each successive pair of parents 

 seems to be much greater than it should be on the evidence of direct crosses. 

 This hypothesis therefore fails to explain satisfactorily the results as a 

 whole, though it may explain satisfactorily the results of each individual cross. 

 Karliness can he combined with other desirable qualities by Mendelian methods. 

 though it is necessary to raise very large numbers of plants because the great 

 majority are intermediate." 



Investigations on the content of sugar and dry matter of several winter 

 wheat varieties, A. Akeuman, H. Johansson, and B. Platon {Sveriget (7m/- 

 desfbr. Tidshr., 28 (1918), No. 5, pp. 216-22.' f , figs. 2).— Samples of four dif- 

 ferent varieties of winter wheat, Swedish Common, Sol Wheat II, Wllbelmina, 

 and Small Tystofte II, were taken on eight different dates from November L2, 

 1917, to February ir>. 191S, Inclusive. The percentage of dry matter in the 

 fresh material and the percentage of reducing substances, designated as sugar 

 in the dry matter, were determined to ascertain a possible relationship between 

 winter wheat resistance and the content of reducing substances. The results 

 of the determinations, presented in tables, indicated that in the hardier varie- 

 ties the sugar content was higher as a rule than in the varieties having lower 

 winter resistant qualities. 



Swedish Common, the hardiest variety In the group, was in every determina- 

 tion the highest in reduciug substances, while Sol Wheat II stood next and 

 Small Tystofte II, the least resistant of the three, was last. Wilhelmiua, which 



