638 EXPERIMENT STATION EECOED. 



was the only basis of tlie hill method of selection used, choice being made by the 

 use of scales. Tubers from high-yielding hills produced 350 bu. per acre as 

 against 70 bu. by tubers from low-yielding hills. Small tubers were found 

 to be unprofitable as seed. Increased yields, improved market qualities, uni- 

 formity in maturing, and resulting increased profits are noted as advantages 

 of hill selection of seed potatoes. 



The branching- of rice, N. Novelli (Staz. Si^er. Rlsicol. Vercclli [Pub.}, 1913, 

 pp. 3-11, figs. 4). — From his experiments and observations the author concludes 

 that this is not a very frequent occurrence, that it is detrimental to the crop, 

 and that it may be caused by irregularity in assimilation, by suppressed vegeta- 

 tive development, or by excessive height of water during stooling. 



The economics of paddy planting, N. W. Barritt {Agr. Bui. Fed. Malay 

 States, 1 {1913), No. 12, pp. JfJi3-JfJf6). — This article describes the aboriginal 

 methods of rice cultivation and gives the itemized cost of production and value 

 of the product for 2 classes of soil. The estimated cost ranged from $51.20 to 

 $91.20 per acre, depending upon the quality of soil and the method employed, 

 while the value of the product ranged from $60 in the first instance to $40 in 

 the second or poorer soil. However, it is stated that a family cultivating their 

 own land could be supported for about a year by the labor of 3 persons for 

 from 35 to 65 working days. 



The practical significance of the beet leaf, H. Plaiin-Appiani {Genthl. 

 Zuckerindus., 21 {1913), No. 46, pp. 1678-1680).— This article reviews literature 

 on this subject, and as the results of the author's observations it is noted that 

 the higher the percentage of leaf growth to root the more favorably did the 

 sugar formation in the beet seem to be influenced. The optimum relation 

 varied with the physiological characters and anatomical structure of the 

 leaves of different varieties, which, through the number of stoma and varied 

 activities of the chlorophyll bodies, seemed to cause chemical elaborations 

 differing in degree. 



Sugar beets in K"orth Dakota, J. W. Inge {North Dakota 8ta. Rpt. 1912, 

 pt. 1, pp. 11-28). — This report gives detailed results of cooperative sugar beet 

 culture trials in 1911 and 1912, which include analyses and cultural data as to 

 about 50 samples. A summary of the results of tests since 1891, comprising 

 385 trials, shows a range of sugar content of from 9.81 to 16.3 per cent, with 

 an average of 12.46 per cent, and a purity coefficient ranging from 74 to 83 

 per cent, with an average of 76 per cent. 



Sugar-beet experiments, 1913 {Dept. Agr. and Tech. Instr. Ireland Jour., 13 

 {1913), No. 3, pp. 469-480, pis. 2). — This gives the results of cultural experi- 

 ments in which a method of " molding up " the beets after hoeing gave a better 

 yield of beets with higher sugar content and a higher average coefficient of 

 purity than either ordinary drills or flat cultivation. One hundred and fifty 

 lbs. of nitrate of soda per acre as a top-dressing apparently increased the aver- 

 age yields in the several methods of cultivation, but slightly lowered the con- 

 tent of sugar and impaired the purity of the flat cultivated product. Tabulated 

 results of cooperative experiments with farmers show yields ranging from 1 

 ton 2 cwt. to IS tons 14 cwt. per acre, with a sugar content ranging from 15.7 

 to 19.8 per cent. 



Manurial experiments on sugar cane, J. De Veeteuil {Dept. Agr. Trinidad 

 and Tobago Bui 11 {1912), No. 11, pp. 133-138).— In experiments on 4 estates 

 in which sulphate of ammonia, nitrate of soda, superphosphate of lime, sulphate 

 of ix)tash, bone meal, calcium cyanid, basic slag, and air-slaked lime were used 

 in the production of sugar cane, the best yields, on one estate, 44.83 tons per 

 acre, resulted from the use of 200 lbs. sulphate of ammonia and 100 lbs. sul- 

 phate of potash. On another estate 18.39 tons were obtained from the use of 



