736 EXPEEIMEKT STATION EECOKD. [VoL 35 



The culture of jute in India and Indo-China, L. HAUxEFEtJiLLE (Bui. Econ. 

 Indochine, n. ser., 18 {1915), Nos. US, pp. 265-332; 114, PP- 490-5Si).— The jute 

 industry in these regions, including production, commerce, and manufacture, 

 is discussed from many different standpoints, and the results of cultural and 

 fertilizer experiments conducted by the author and others during the past 10 

 to 15 years are briefly reviewed. The results of numerous fiber determina- 

 tions of varieties of the tvpo principal species, Corchorus capsularis and C. 

 olitorius, are given in tables. Economic and sociological conditions as related 

 to the jute industry are also considered. 



[Serradella, with reference to economic value, inoculation, and development 

 on light and heavy soils], B. Heinze (Naturwissenschaften, 5 {1915), Nos. 26, 

 pp. 339-343; 21, pp. 552-355).— This article discusses the plant from historical, 

 botanical, and cultural points of view and reports briefly the results of culture 

 tests on heavy soil at Lauchstedt, together with those of analytical studies 

 setting forth especially dry matter content and nitrogen production. The 

 points considered are the appearance of the plant, its development, soil and 

 climatic requirements, its uses in field, orchard, and garden, the importance 

 of proper inoculation, soil preparation and fertilization, and diseases and 

 insect enemies. 



In the experiment reported the best results were secured where serradella 

 was grown two years in succession. The plants there developed numerous 

 nodules on their roots, were of dark green color, and produced two cuttings of 

 one meter in height in addition to pasture, the two cuttings corresponding to 

 67,473 lbs. of green substance or 10,442 lbs. of air-dry material per acre. The 

 roots are reported as containing 2.76 per cent and the stems and leaves 3.3 per 

 cent of nitrogen. Where grown after mustard and on soil never having pro- 

 duced the crop, no nodules developed, the plants were of a light yellowish 

 green color, and the nitrogen production per acre amounted to only 46.4 lbs. 

 After lupines serradella grown on the land for the first time developed approxi- 

 mately as well as on the same kind of soil on which the crop had been grown 

 before. 



Pot experiments with manganese as a fertilizer for sugar beets, O. Faixada 

 and I. K, Gkeiseneggee {Osterr. Ungar. Ztschr. Zuckcrindus. v. Landw., 44 

 {1915), No. 5, pp. 379-388). — Manganese sulphate was applied at the rates of 

 25, 50, and 100 kg. per hectare (22.3 to 89 lbs. per acre), and manganese 

 dioxid at the rates of 150, 300, and 600 kg. per hectare. 



The use of 50 kg. of manganese sulphate and of 150 kg. of manganese 

 dixoid per hectare gave the best general results. The check tests produced 

 an average of 348.3 gm. of beets with 21.45 per cent of sugar in the juice, and 

 a purity coefiicient of 89.8 per cent. The tests in which 50 kg. of manganese 

 sulphate was used gave 362.3 gm. of beets with 21.52 per cent of sugar and a 

 purity of 92.2 per cent and the tests with 150 kg. of manganese dioxid yielded 

 367.3 gm. of beets containing 22.25 per cent of sugar with a purity of 93.3 

 per cent. 



The sugar content of the beets did not appear to be influenced to a great 

 extent through the application of these forms of manganese. The larger 

 quantities applied apparently interfered with the growth of the plant, and 

 reduced the yield of beets and sugar below the production of the check tests. 

 The heavy applications reduced the growth of the leaves to a less extent than 

 the development of the root, and also raised the water requirement of the 

 plants as based on the production of organic matter or of sugar. 



Methods of fertilizing sweet potatoes, C. E. Dukst {Illinois Sta. Bull. 188 

 {1916), pp. 268-278, fig. i).— This bulletin presents a report on fertilizer ex- 

 periments with sweet potatoes conducted for five years in Union County on 



