644 EXPERIMENT STATION BECOBD. [Tel. «T 



etc. ; drying by the sun's heat or by means of chemicals ; and the absorption of 

 water. The one factor which exerted no definite influence was size of kernd^. 



The author concludes t3iat in view of the complex nature of these correlations 

 it is practically useless to attempt a determination of the quality or moisture 

 content of rice by means of volume weight. 



Rhodes grrass, P. H. Rolfs {FloHda Sta. Bui. 1S8 {1911), pp. 182-190, fig. 1).— 

 The value of Rhodes grass for hay and pasture in central and southern Florida 

 has been demonstrated by field tests at the station since 1909, and its use is 

 recommended on well-tilled, moist lands in regions where the winter tempera- 

 tures do not go below 23° or 22° F. 



Sugar beet culture, R. L. Stewabt {Neto Mexico Sta. Bui. 107 (1911), pp. SO, 

 figs. 7). — The production of sugar beets in New Mexico is discussed in detail. 

 The results of rather extensive experiments begun in 1916 are reported as 

 planned to study the best cultural methods and the effect of low humidity and 

 high temperature upon the yield and sugar content of the beets and the purity 

 of the juice. 



The experimental work was conducted on light sandy, silt loam, and moder- 

 ately heavy adobe soils. Plantings were made on all sandy and adobe soils 

 in December, January, and February, and on the silt loam beginning with 

 March 15 and at 15-day intervals for the remainder of the season. Irrigation 

 consisted of flooding after planting, furrowing after planting, or planting in 

 a moist seed bed. The best stands were secured from plantings made May 1, 

 while little difference was noted in the stands under different methods of irriga- 

 tion. 



Analyses of samples from the different plats gave eb average of 13.1 per 

 cent sugar and 79.1 per cent purity. The maximum sugar content was 20.3 

 per cent and the maximum purity 94.2 per cent. 



The results of the first year's test indicate that beets grown on heavy soil 

 are lower in sugar content and in purity than those grown on light soils. 



The tillering of winter wheat, A. E. Gbanth.mi (Delaware Sta. Bui. Ill 

 (1917), pp. S-119, figs. 18). — An extensive study of tillering of winter wheat is 

 reported in an effort to determine to what extent certain factors affected the 

 rate of tillering and, through tillering, the yield of grain. The studies in- 

 cluded an investigation of (1) the effects of environmental factors on tillering, 

 such as time, rate, and depth of seeding and fertilization, (2) of the relation of 

 heredity to tillering, including the relation of variety to tillering, and the In- 

 heritance of tillering, and (3) a study of the number of tillers in relation to 

 length of culm, length of spike, yield per plant, yield per spike, and quality of 

 grain. Considerable tabulated data are presented, discussed In detail, and may 

 be briefly summarized as follows: 



The time of seeding directly Influenced tillering, early seeding being accom- 

 panied by a higher rate of tillering than late seeding. The yield per spike of 

 high-tillering plants usually exceeded that of low-tillering plants. 



Rate of seeding influenced tillering in that the thicker the seeding the fewer 

 the tillers per plant. Close seeding resulted in earlier maturity and shorter 

 spikes. A high seeding rate lessened the number of tillers, the length of culm 

 and spike, and the yield of grain In smooth wheats to a greater extent than in 

 bearded wheats. 



Nitrogen and phosphoric acid appeared to stimulate tillering, while potash had 

 little or no effect. Wheat was observed to tiller equally as well when sown late 

 on fertile soil as when sown earlier on thin soil. 



The capacity for tillering appeared to be a variental characteristic, varieties 

 differing considerably in this respect Bearded wheats as a class tillered more 

 freely than smooth wheats, the environmental factors appearing to Influence the 



