730 EXPERIMENT STATION" RECORD. 



Stand in the drill row was nearly perfect, thus indicating that the chances of 

 securing a perfect stand are about 5 per cent better by planting in drills. A 

 large number of stalks per hill (6, 7, or 8) impaired the growth, as shown by 

 the short plants and low ears in these hills. The percentage of marketable ears 

 decreased as the number of stalks per hill increased. The maximum yield per 

 acre was reached with four stalks per hill, with three stalks per hill yielding 

 only a fraction of a bushel less, followed by five stalks per hill. Six stalks per 

 hill yielded higher than two stalks. 



The percentage of marketable ears harvested from corn planted 2, 3, 4, 5, and 

 6 stalks per hill were 81.4, 66.37, 54.45, 38.75, and 30.37, respectively, while that 

 of corn planted 18 in. apart in drills 44 in. apart was 82.07. 



Single-stalk cotton culture at San Antonio, R. M. IMeade (U. S. Dept. Agr. 

 Bui. 279 (1915), pp. 20, pis. 6, figs. 3). — This bulletin gives results of trials in 

 1914 of the single-stalk cotton culture method (E. S. R., 32, p. 434) in compari- 

 son with the usual wide-spacing method. Data show the average number of 

 vegetative branches on plants in wide-spaced and in single-stalk rows, the daily 

 flower census of single-stalk and wide-spaced plants, the number of bolls matured 

 on wide-spaced and single-stalk rows, the ratio of 3, 4, and 5 locked bolls, and 

 the yields by the two methods of culture. " The single-stalk and wide-spaced 

 systems of culture were compared in alternate single rows and alternate 4-row 

 blocks in rows 4 ft. apart and again in alternating rows 3, 4, 5, and 6 ft. apart. 

 In one instance plants were thinned early, late, and very late to 6, 9, 12, 18, and 

 24 in. apart. The stand was satisfactory in all cases. . . . 



" More flowers were produced daily on the single-stalk rows than on the 

 adjoining wide-spaced rows. At the end of 40 days single-stalk rows alternating 

 with wide-spaced rows had produced 84 per cent more flowers than the latter. 

 In alternating blocks single-stalk rows had produced 78 per cent more flowers 

 than wide-spaced rows in the adjoining block. 



•' Single-stalk rows produced an average of 5.5 bolls per plant and wide-spaced 

 rows 8.6 bolls per plant. The difference in the number of bolls per plant was 

 much more than offset by the greater number of plants in the single-stalk rows, 

 so that the single-stalk rows set from 50 to 150 per cent more bolls in the same 

 row space. A larger percentage of 4-locked bolls was produced in single- 

 stalk rows and in rows close together than in wide-spaced I'ows where the plants 

 were set either close together or far apart. The bolls in the single-stalk rows 

 were slightly smaller than those in the wide-spaced rows. Nineteen 4-locked 

 bolls from single-stalk rows were required to equal the weight of 18 4-locked 

 bolls from wide-spaced plants. The ratio of weight for 5-locked bolls is 11 : 10 

 for single-stalk and wide-spaced rows, respectively. 



" Tlie plants in single-stalk rows were taller than those in wide-spaced rows. 

 The single-stalk rows were spreading at the top, while the wide-spaced rows 

 were broader near the ground. In all cases single-stalk rows yielded more than 

 the adjoining wide-spaced rows, regardless of the distance between the rows. 

 An examination of the fiber in the field showed that there was no perceptible 

 difference in the quality or quantity of lint produced in single-stalk and in wide- 

 spaced rows. 



" Plants thinned to a few inches apart in the row had fewer vegetative 

 branches than plants spaced farther apart, the thinning having been done at the 

 same time in each case. Late-thinned plants had fewer vegetative branches 

 than plants thinned earlier to the same distance. Early thinning and late 

 thinning gave higher yields than very late thinning." 



Improvement of cotton in the Bombay Presidency (except Sind), K. D. 

 KuLKAENi and G. L. Kottuk (Dept. Agr. Bombay Bui. 10 {1915), pp. ^3).— This 

 bulletin gives lists and descriptions of some 300 varieties of native and 300 



