36 EXPEKIMENT STATION RECORD. 



earliest having matured. It has been demonstrated that potatoes can be grown 

 at Fairbanks Station at a handsome profit. 



At the Rampart Station the production of seeds of Medicagn saliva, M. falcata, 

 Trifolium lupinastcr, and of turnips are noted, and the successful hybridiza- 

 tion of wheat, oats, and barley for improved varieties. Broimis inennis is men- 

 tioned as a valuable hay and pasture grass for the interior. 



Report of [field crops] work at Fairbanks Station, J. W. Neal (Alaska 

 Stas. Rpt. 1913, pp. 27-33, p?s. 3). — In this report a trial of cereals is mentioned 

 in which the Romanow spring wheat seemed the most successful of wheats. 

 A hybrid barley No. 4a-l from the Rampart Station is noted as a promising 

 barley. Sixty-Day oats are noted as a desirable variety for that section. It 

 is noted that late seedings of spring cereals made from 25 per cent to 40 per 

 cent more straw than early seedings. For winter cereals early seeding is 

 noted as being the most successful. A good growth of alfalfa and red clover 

 is noted. 



A test of 16 varieties of potatoes showed Gold Coin, Eureka, and Irish 

 Cobbler to be the heaviest yielders. Level cultivation gave a better yield than 

 ridging, presumably because of the protracted drought. 



Heport of [field crops] work at Rampart Station, G. W. Gassee (Alaska 

 Stas. Rpt. 1913, pp. 38-Jf6, pis. 3). — In this report a general survey of the work 

 is given in which are noted the clearing of new land at the cost of $134 per 

 acre, the beneficial effect of summer and winter fallow, the behavior of 14 

 varieties of alfalfa, and trials of red, alsike, white, and sweet clovers. The 

 earliest variety of barley matured in 71 days and the earliest oat variety in 81 

 days. Red Fife and Saskatchewan spring wheats and their hybrids proved to 

 be the best adapted to the climatic conditions, although they did not fully 

 mature all their kernels. 



Report of [field crops] work at Kodiak Station, M. D. Snodgrass (Alaska 

 Stas. Rpt. 1913, pp. 49-59, pis. 4)- — This report reviews the field work in 

 general, including the preparation of soil covered from 6 to 20 in. with vol- 

 canic ash and the jiroduction of oats, rye, grass, barley, spring vetch, rape, 

 turnips, ruta-bagas, and sand spurry. In tests of bluegrass, creeping bent grass, 

 rye grass, sheep fescue, meadow fescue, red fescue, redtop, timothy, and white, 

 red, and alsike clovers, " from the growth of the grasses for this first season 

 the creeping bent grass seemed to lead all other varieties, both on the ash plats 

 and on those manured and given a dressing of nitrate of lime. Closely following 

 this was the meadow fescue, redtop, and timothy. The stand was poor with 

 both the rye grass and the red fescue, but these two varieties stooled better 

 than the other grasses. All varieties showed the effect of a lack of nitrogen 

 in the ash." There was a marked benefit from nitrate of lime on oats on the 

 ash land, and some advantages from the use of superphosphate. 



Experiments in the production of crops on alkali land on the Huntley 

 reclamation project, Montana, D. Hansen (V. S. Dept. Agr. Bui. 135 (1914), 

 pp. 19, figs. 7). — In trials of several methods to reduce the salt (principally 

 sulphates of sodium, calcium, and magnesium) content of the soil so that agri- 

 cultural crops could be grown, the plowing under of lye as a green manure gave 

 prompt relief. During the first season the salt content in the first foot of soil 

 was reduced from I.IG to 0.32 per cent of the air-dried soil. Subsoiling in addi- 

 tion to turning under the rye reduced the salt content somewhat, but did not 

 influence the yield of succeeding crops. 



Experiments with crops under fall irrigation at the Scottsbluff reclama- 

 tion project experiment farm, F. Knokr (U. S. Dept. Agr. Bui. 133 (1914), 

 pp. 17, figs. 5). — This bulletin gives results of experiments at this farm at 



