238 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol.37 



The wheat field in April. — Top-dressing with fertilizers may often be 

 profitable. C. E. Thobne (Mo. Bui. Ohio Sta., 2 {1917), No. 4, pp. 110-112, fig. 

 1). — The wheat yields obtained at Wooister, Strongsville, Germantown, and 

 Carpenter from fertilized and unfertilized plats in 3- and 5-year rotations 

 and for good and bad seasons are tabulated. 



An average increase in yield of 40 per cent at Wooster and 50 per cent at 

 the substations was obtained in good seasons from applications of phosphorus 

 and potassium. In bad seasons the increase was from 109 to nearly 200 per 

 cent of the unfertilized yiekl. A further increase in the number of bushels 

 was realized from applications of nitrogen, but the percentage of the unfer- 

 tilized yields was smaller in good than in bad seasons. 



With nitrate of soda selling at 3 cts. a pound or less, wheat at .$1 per bushel 

 returned the cost of the nitrate in good seasons in all tests except at Strongs- 

 ville. In bad seasons, however, wheat failed to return the cost of the nitrate 

 at both Strongsville and Germantown. At the present price of nitrate (3.5 

 to 4 cts. per pound) wheat must bring more than $1 a bushel to justify its use. 

 The nitrate was in all cases preceded by a fall application of acid phosphate; 

 otherwise the crop increase has never paid the cost of the nitrate. 



For wheat fields not fertilized in the fall a top-dressing of approximately 

 2(K) lbs. of of acid phosphate and 50 lbs. of nitrate of soda in April is recom- 

 mended. Sulphate of ammonia may be substituted for nitrate of soda, although 

 its action is slower than that of the nitrate. 



The saving of irrigation water in wheat growing, A. and Gabkielle L. C. 

 HowAKD {Agr. Jour. India, 11 {1916), No. 1, pp. 14-30). — Wheat growing under 

 irrigation in the Quetta Valley, India, is discussed with .special reference to 

 the conservation of irrigation water. The fundamental principles of water 

 saving are formulated as follows: (1) Irrigation water should be spread over 

 the largest pos.sible area, as was demonstratetl by Widtsoe (E. S. R., .TJ, p. 784). 

 (2) Heavy waterings reduce the proportion of grain to total crop, causing an 

 increase in the length and weight of straw. (3) The growing period of wheat 

 is lengthened by heavy watering, thus delaying maturity, a very undesirable 

 condition in the Quetta Valley, owing to the rapid rise in temperature and hot, 

 dry, westerly winds. (4) When the water supply is limited the root develop- 

 ment of the wheat crop will be deeper, provided the seed bed has been properly 

 prepared. (5) Soil moisture must be preserved by the maintenance of a sur- 

 face mulch of dry soil, accomplished by shallow harrowing. 



Experiments on a somewhat extensive scale are reported in growing wheat 

 with the natural moisture only and with a single irrigation. The yield without 

 irrigation was approximately 28.8 bu. per acre. The single irrigation was 

 applied in September, prior to sowing in October, and showed an increase of 

 5.8 bu. per acre over the yield obtained from fields receiving 7 irrigations. In 

 addition to the increased yield, much earlier maturity was secured, together 

 with a full development of the chaff color, rarely seen in the native-grown 

 wheat. 



Third annual report of the State grain laboratory of Montana, A. Atkin- 

 son, B. W. Whitlock, and E. W. Jahnke {Montana Sta. But. US {1916), pp. 

 77-100, figs. 21).— The w^ork for the year ended September 30, 1916, is re- 

 ported, including purity and germination tests of 5,035 samples, a study of the 

 seed value of frosted wheat, and a study of the germinability of .seeds at dif- 

 ferent periods after harvesting. 



The weed seed content of samples of alfalfa, clover, timothy, and sweet clover 

 is reported as having greatly increased. 



The average field germination of frosted and unfrosted wheat was 75 and 78 

 per cent, respectively, while the average number of heads per row was 1,525 



