S34 EXPERIMENT STATION EECOED. 



tion of prickly pear in Australia. The methods consist in the introduction of the 

 cochineal insect, poisoning the plants with various chemicals, and establishing a 

 commercial use for the plant, such as a source of potash fertilizer, oil, indus- 

 trial alcohol, and fodder for stock. 



Some observations on Upper Burma paddy (grown under irrigation), 

 E. Thompstone (Agr. Jour. India, 10 {1915), No. 1, pp. 26-53, figs. 11).— This 

 article notes the improvement of rice by selection and crossing as to the number 

 of grains per plant, variation in weight of grain, and tillering. 



It is shown that as the tillers increase there is an increase in the weight of 

 grain, but this increase is not in direct proportion to the number of tillers pro- 

 duced by the plant. As the number of tillers increase the average yield per 

 tiller decreases. 



In cross-fertilization is was found that " whiteness and redness of glumes act 

 as a pair of simple Mendelian characters, the former being dominant. White- 

 ness and redness of grain also act as a pair of simple Mendelian characters, 

 redness being dominant." 



It is noted that " as the heads of paddy emerge from the sheath the flowers 

 mature from above downward, before or when very little spreading of the panicle 

 has taken place. The stamens emerge daily generally from the segment of the 

 head which has just come out of the sheath, and the head ripens the whole of 

 its flowers in three or four stages on successive mornings. The glumes open, 

 the stamens hang out, and the feathery stigmas protrude once only and for a 

 short time in the early morning, usually between 7 and 10 a. m. Dewy morn- 

 ings appear to be most favorable, and ' flowering ' will then be at its maximum 

 height about 8 to 9 a. m. As the dew gradually disappears the flowers will be 

 found to be opening rapidly but, as soon as the day begins to get very bright, 

 dry, and warm, no more glumes open and those already opened close up again, 

 the stamens by this time being dried and shriveled up. 



" The angle foi'med by the two edges of the glumfes when^the flowers are fully 

 open is about 25 to 30°, but the stamens have often emerged before the flower 

 is fully open. Pollination takes place before the glumes open, or at the moment 

 of opening, seldom afterwards. At the moment they emerge from the glumes 

 the anthers are found to be already open at the lower end, and with the aid of 

 a microscope pollen grains can generally be found on the stigmas." 



The transplanting of [rice], N. S. McGowan {A7in. Rpt. Agr. St as. Bihar and 

 Orissa, 1913-lJf, pp. 20-23). — This article gives the results in transplanting 1, 2, 

 4, and 6 seedlings to a hill under varying conditions. 



The data show that 4 seedlings per hill gave the largest yields in general, 

 whether planted in a wet or dry seed bed. Using 8 maunds (about 650 lbs.) of 

 seed per acre gave better results in the seed bed than 1, 4, or 16 maunds. 

 Transplanting 18 in. apart seemed preferable to 6, 9, or 12 in. With heavy 

 applications of barnyard manure (160 tons per acre) the single plant hill 

 equaled or exceeded the others (2, 4, and 6) in yield. 



Notes on the hydrocyanic acid content of sorghum, J. J. Willaman and 

 R. M. West (U. 8. Dept. Agr., Jour. Agr. Research, 4 {1915), No. 2, pp. 179-185, 

 figs. 2). — The following conclusions were drawn from tests at the Minnesota 

 Experiment Station with two varieties, feterita and Orange sorgo, grown on 

 different soils and under varying fertilizer treatments: 



" When sorghum is grown on poor, infertile soil, added nitrogen may slightly 

 increase the amount of hydrocyanic acid in the plant. With a fertile soil and 

 abundant nitrogen this effect may not be produced. During the first three or 

 four weeks of the plant's life the prussic acid is concentrated in the stalks. 

 Then it rapidly decreases and disappears there, but apparently persists in the 

 leaves in decreasing percentages until maturity. 



