1!'-»J FIELD CROPS. 335 



Tests of barley, eminor, and spring; rye in comparison with oats, to deter- 

 niino tlioir relative value as spring crops, indicated tliat harley was the only 

 one oft'erins imich competition to oats. 



United States grades for Bermuda onions, 11. E. TRUAX,(r7. S. Dept. Af/r., 

 Dept. a re. D7 [19:10), pp. .'/). — Tlie operation of jrrades for Texas Bermuda 

 onions proposed in 191 S was obserA'ed for two seasons, and the changes sug- 

 gested by the study are embodied in the new recommendations here presented. 



United States j»rades for potatoes, H. E. Truax (17. 8. Dept. Ayr., Dept. 

 Cirv. i)6 {1920), pp. .{).— The study of the use by the potato trade of standard 

 grades recommended in 1917 suggested a few changes which are incorporated 

 in the revision of the grades as here proposed. 



Wild rice, F. Fyt.ks (Canada Erpt. Farms Bid. 42, 2. ner. (1020), pp. 20, 

 fitifi. 12). — Deserii)tive and historical notes on the plant are given, together with 

 directions for Its cultivation, harvesting, and storing. The insects and diseases 

 attacking the plant and the food value of the hulled grain are briefly discussed, 

 and the results of germination studies are reported. 



From August 19 to 21, 1911, seeds of wild rice, both green and brown colored, 

 were gathered, some of which were sown immediately and others kept dry 

 for three days and then sown in 3 in. of mud in quart glass jars tille<l with 

 wat(>r. On jNIay 8. 1912, it was found that the seeds kept dry for three days had 

 germinated practically as well as those sown on the day of gathering, and that 

 the green seeds kept dry did not give the same high percentage of germination 

 as the fully matured brown seeds. In later tests seeds kept dry for two weeks 

 after growth gave a germination of 72 per cent, and seeds in transit for eight 

 days shipped in damp sphagnum moss and sown the ninth day after gathering 

 gave 90 per cent. Some of the s;ime seed taken out of the moss and kept dry for 

 eight days gave 6G per cent. 



In another test seeds shipped and kept dry for 12 days after gathering all 



gerniinati'd, while some of the same lot kept dry for two weeks, and others 



for three weeks, germinated 74 per cent and 66 per cent, respectively. Seed 



I exposed to the sun for five hours after gathering and kept dry for two weeks 



: gave a germination of 60 per cent, but when kept dry for three weeks of only 



I 6 per cent. 



At the Central Experimental Farm three lots of fully matured seeds gathered 

 August 12, 1913, and kept dry for two days gave perfect germination. Of 

 seeds gathered at Ottawa and sown 25 da.vs later at Kew Gardens, England, 42 

 per cent germinated. The results of 24 other tests showed that of seeds kept dry 

 for four weeks 45 per cent, for six weeks 14 per cent, and for seven weeks 1 per 

 cent germinated. 



Sorghum for sirup in Wisconsin, A. H. Wrigpit (Wisconsin Sta. Bui. 311 

 (1020), pp. 3-30, fifj.^. 17). — This bulletin is a popular treatise on the culture of 

 sorghum for sirup and its preparation for the mill. Historical and statistical 

 data regarding the iiuUistry in Wisconsin are presented, certain improvements 

 in handling and utilizing the crop are suggested, and directions for determining 

 the amount of sirup (»btainable from a given quantity of fresh juice are given. 



Sweet potato fertilizer experiment, J. M. Scott (Florida Sta. Bui. 156 

 (1920), pp. 50-63, fig. 1). — A fertilizer experiment with sweet potatoes was con- 

 ducted for the five years 1915-1919, on high pine sandy soil of average fertility 

 used the six preceding years for a fertilizer experiment with Japanese cane. 

 The plats were the same and were fertilized alike for the two crops. Triumph 

 sweet potatr)es planted each year during the last of May and the first week 

 in June were grown after cotton in a rotation with corn and cotton. The plan 



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