flELD CROPS. 227 



ing cereals, legumes, root crops, and forage crops, and states the yields for vary- 

 ing periods of years for different classes of crops. 



"Work in the nurseries and distribution of plants, F. Bibkinshaw (Imp. 

 Dept. Agr. West Indies, Rpt. Agr. Dept. St. Vincent, 1913-14, pp. 2-10). — This 

 briefly notes progress in manurial experiments with cotton, arrowroot, and 

 cassava, breeding and selection experiments with cotton, and cultural trials 

 of peanuts, sugar cane, and sweet potatoes. 



[Field experiments], A. G. Biet (Ann. Rpt. Agr. Expts. Assam, 1914, PP- 

 7-27). — ^This reports work continued from previous years at the Jorhat Experi- 

 ment Station, covering variety tests of sugar cane and manurial tests with 

 applications of air-slaked lime, ground limestone, wood ashes, and flour phos- 

 phate, and green manuring with cowpeas to rice and barley. The use of lime 

 is noted as being essential for successful crops on the soils tested, and ground 

 limestone showed a quick action that made it of value. 



[Field experiments], B. C. Basu (Ann. Rpt. Agr. Expts. Assam, 1914, pp. 

 32-49). — This reports work for the year at the Upper Shillong Station. 



In potato experiments cut seed showed an increased yield of from 3 to 4 per 

 cent over whole seed tubers. In a test of seed rate it was found that 12 

 maunds (9S4 lbs.) per acre gave more satisfactory results than either 14 or 16 

 maunds. The yields ranged from 236 to 253 maunds per acre. 



Rotation experiments, manurial experiments on peaty soils, and trials of new 

 fodder and other plants are briefly noted as new work. 



Growing forage crops for hogs, R. R. Snapp (West Virginia Sta. Circ. 19 

 (1915), pp. 4)- — fhis offers suggestions for the production and use of forage 

 suited to West Virginia conditions and gives a table showing time of seeding 

 and use of forage crops covering a 12-month period. 



Native pasture grasses of the United States, D. Geiffiths, G. L. Bidweix, 

 and C. E. Goodeich (U. S. Dept. Agr. Bui. 201 (1915), pp. 52, pis. 9).— This 

 bulletin briefly comments upon the conditions which seem to make investigation 

 of range forage plants a necessity, and discusses and describes 135 native 

 grasses of the continental United States. 



Chemical analyses, both original and compiled, as available, show the per- 

 centage of moisture, ash, ether extract, crude fiber, nitrogen-free extract, protein, 

 and pentosans for each species, and it is noted that a sample of each has been 

 preserved as a herbarium specimen. 



Pasture problems: The response of individual species under manures, 

 R. G. Stapledon (Jour. Agr. Set. [England], 6 (1914), No. 4, pp. 499-511).— 

 This article examines in detail the behavior of a few tji^ical species of grasses 

 under the action of manures and gives results of a study of the action of these 

 species in relation to the types of grass land on which definite experiments have 

 been carried out. 



" The effect of manurial treatments has been gauged on meadows by com- 

 paring the weight of the produce from the several plats, on pastures by com- 

 paring the live weight increase of stock, or by comparing the milk yield of 

 cattle fed upon the plats. Analyses have been made at several stations to show 

 the action of manures on the botanical composition of the herbage on plats 

 variously treated." 



The types of soils that were considered were calcareous soils over Great 

 Oolite, residual clay over Oolite, good second-class pastures on Ordovician 

 shales, and heath. Tabulated data are given regarding Agrostis stolonifera, A. 

 vulgaris, Festuca ovina, Dactylis glomerata, Lolium perenne, Bromus erectus, 

 and Trifolium repens. 



In concluding it is noted that the factors which are always operative and 

 which will tend to exaggerate or diminish the action of the manures are the 



