FIELD CROPS. 431 



The gin plant Is regarded as the vital point in the cotton-handling situation. 

 ** Well-organized, responsible cooperative growing and handling associations, 

 acting in concert with the other elements of the cotton trade, can ultimately 

 bring about improvements that will save millions of dollars." 



Cotton growing' in Egypt, A. Schmidt {Manchester, London, and Reddish 

 [19^2], tW- ~S, pis. S, figs. 17). — This publication is a report of the author's 

 visit to Egypt, and covers «oil, population, labor, land values and taxes, methods 

 of cotton cultivation, kinds of cotton, irrigation systems, drainage, ginning, the 

 cotton market, yields, causes of deterioration, distribution of seed, and rotation. 



Cotton growing in India, A. Schmidt (London, Manchester, and Reddish 

 [1012], pp. 113, figs. 19). — This publication is a report of the author's second 

 visit to India, and covers soils, methods of cultivation, kinds of cotton, water 

 supply, manuring, rotation of crops, insect pests, buying agencies, cotton mar- 

 kets, ginneries, land tenure, wages, and seed farms, with chapters on the work 

 of the agricultural department in the United Provinces in connection with the 

 culture of cotton, and gives tables showing the commercial classification of the 

 principal Indian cottons. 



Report on the flax experiments conducted at Dooriah during the year 

 1911-12, E. M. Vandekerkiiove {Agr. Research Inst. Pusa Bui. 30, 1912, 

 pp. 8). — This bulletin gives the results of trials in growing flax and producing 

 the fiber during 1910, 1911, and 1912, covering both yields and cost of produc- 

 tion. A profit of G3 rupees (about $20) per acre was secured in 1912. 



The culture of lupines and mustard, J. Dtjmont (Ann. Ecole Nat. Agr. 

 Grignon, 2 (1911), pp. 70-73). — In a continuous cropping experiment with 

 lupines and mustard the yields per hectare were gradually reduced from 12,250 

 kg. in 1905 to 480 kg. in 1909 with lupines, and from 19,250 to 11,915 kg. with 

 mustard. The author concludes that a toxic effect of the residue left by the 

 plants causes such an influence on the soil bacteria as to result in crop 

 reduction. 



On the growth of orchard grass and tall oat grass with from 2 to 6 

 cuttings during the season, E. Lindhakd (Tidsskr. Landbr. Planteavl, 19 

 (1912), No. 4, pp. 653-672).— It is noted that the time of the first cutting and 

 the number of cuttings in the course of the summer exert a very important 

 influence on the yield and the quality of the crop harvested. 



The yield was largest with a late first cutting (July 1) and only 2 cuttings 

 during the season. When the first cutting was made earlier and the number of 

 cuttings was increased the yield was greatly reduced. By taking the first 

 cutting 6 weeks earlier, followed by 5 more cuttings, the total yield of hay was 

 not one-half as large as in tlie case of 2 cuttings, although the nitrogen content 

 of the hay was increased from below 1 per cent to above 2.5 per cent. Too 

 frequent cuttings may also weaken the plant growth during the following sea- 

 son. Frequent cuttings give a juicy and nutritious feed but only small yields, 

 while late cuttings give a large yield of hay, which in extreme cases approaches 

 straw in character. 



Influence of hilling on the yield of potatoes, J. Dtjmont (Ann. Ecole Nat. 

 Agr. Grignon, 2 (1911), pp. 68-70). — Experiments in hilling and ridging pota- 

 toes resulted in yields of 22,000 kg. per hectare (19,580 lbs. per acre) with shal- 

 low hills, 28,000 kg. with high hiUing, 21,500 kg. with shallow ridging, and 

 26,800 kg. with high ridging. 



Experiments with root crops, L. Helweg (Tidsskr. Landbr. Planteavl, 19 

 (1912), No. Jf, pp. 561-594). — The experiments were conducted during the sea- 

 sons 1907-1910 at Danish plant culture stations along the lines given below. 



As to early and late thinning of ruta-bagas and carrots, the yields were 

 decreased by about 20 per cent when the thinning was postponed until the plants 



