134 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Plans of manurial experiments with pasture grasses, potatoes, and swedes 

 are given. 



[Field crop experiments], P. H. Foulkes (Field Expts. Earpet^- Adams Agr. 

 Col., and Staffordshire and Shropshire, Rpt. 1912, pp. S-lJf, 21, pi. 1). — In these 

 experiments lime seemed to be of benefit to grass lands. Two and one-half cwt. 

 of superphosphate and i cwt. of sulphate of potash apparently gave better 

 results than other fertilizers used, the yield being 39 cwt. 32 lbs. of hay per acre. 



"^^ariety tests with wheat, oats, swedes, mangels, and sugar beets are given in 

 tabular form. The results of fertilizing with a radio-active substance contain- 

 ing silica 80.44, water and volatile organic matter 10.54, oxid of iron and 

 alumina 2.20, total sulphuric acid 5.40, soluble phosphoric acid 1.37, and soluble 

 salts and soluble free acids 3.32 per cent, with a trace of uranium, and applied 

 with a commercial fertilizer at the rate of 2 per cent of the total application, 

 were contradictory with swedes, but increased yields of from 2 to 4 tons per 

 acre followed its use with mangels. 



Forage crop trials are reported with alfalfa, sainfoin, wold grass, crimson 

 clover, LatJiyrus sylvestris, flax, and Heliantia. A Chinese alfalfa produced at 

 the rate of 4 tons 1 cwt. per acre. Wold grass, cut June 13, yielded 10 tons 6 

 cwt. per acre, and flax jdelded 520 lbs. seed and 26 cwt. fiber per acre. 



Manurial experiments, G. Balfour and J. C. Rushton (Field Expts. Harper- 

 Adams Agr. Col., and Staffordshire and Shropshire, Rpt. 1912, pp. 46-58). — 

 Tabulated results are given of manurial experiments carried on at 11 centers 

 with meadow hay, mangels, swedes, potatoes, sugar beets, and alfalfa. Basic 

 slag, 500 lbs. per acre, in place of superphosphate (300 lbs.) seemed to check 

 greatly the " potato disease." At one center 300 lbs. of barnyard manure per 

 acre apparently produced increased yields with mangels. 



Report of Hedemarken Experiment Station, 1913, W. Christie (Ber. 

 Hedemarkens Amis Forsoksstat. Yirks., 8 (1912), pp. 59, 2>7s. 3). — Accounts of 

 the following lines of investigations are given : Trials with seed potatoes of 

 different sizes, with different distances of planting, and with whole and cut 

 seed potatoes, 1908-1912 ; the starch content of samples of potatoes, 1912 ; trials 

 with alfalfa, 1906-1911; farm manure and artificial fertilizers for turnips, 

 1907-1911; and top-dressing with artificial fertilizers for meadows, 1910-1912. 



Report of Ribe County Western Ag-ricultural Society, 1912, N. Esbjerg 

 (Ber. Rile Amis Landbofor. Havehr. og Husmands., 1913, pp. 3^). — The ex- 

 periments with shelter for agricultural crops, which were commenced in 1909 

 (E. S. R., 28, p. 40), were continued during 1912. The results obtained cor- 

 roborated those previously reported, showing that shelter had a very beneficial 

 influence on the growth of farm crops and increased the yields obtained in a 

 marked degree. The planting and care of windbreaks and hedges which break 

 the force of the wind therefore doubtless constitute a phase of profitable per- 

 manent farm improvements. 



Report of the plant culture stations, 1912-13, H. C. Larsen et al. (Ber. 

 Stat. Plantea^l. [Denmark], 1912-13, pp. 150). — ^A brief account of the organ- 

 ization and activities of the different Danish plant culture stations during the 

 year. 



Plant breeding" at Tystofte, E. Lindhard (Tidsskr. Landhr. Planteavl, 20 

 (1913), No. 1, pp. 1-23, figs. 5). — ^The paper gives the general principles fol- 

 lowed in the plant breeding work done at this experiment station. 



A method for variety tests, O. Bilger (Illiis. Landw. Ztg., 32 (1912), No. 

 91, pp. 827-829, figs. 3). — This article discusses conditions arising from irregu- 

 larities in soils and the need of multiplication of plats to reduce experimental 

 error and secure comparative yields. A method of using 100 plats, 2.4 meters 



