736 EXPERIMENT STATION EECOED. 



Experiments with varieties of rice at the botanic gardens, 1912, J. B. 

 Haerison {Jour. Bd. Agr. Brit. Guiana, 7 (1913), No. 1, pp. 42, ^.3).— This gives 

 the results of variety tests of rice for the period 1905-1912 in which the yields 

 ranged from 14.9 bags (1,788 lbs.) to 42.7 bags per acre. The effect of sul- 

 phate of ammonia as a fertilizer was apparently to reduce the yield from 43.7 to 

 40.8 bags per acre, this being due chiefly to lodging. 



Besults of tests of new varieties of rice, I, E. Fekeari (Bui. Agr. [Milan], 

 47 {1913), No. 42, pp. 1, 2). — This gives trial results of 11 nevv^ varieties of rice 

 introduced into Italy from the Orient. 



Di-ying rice in storage, G. Pozzi {Bui. Agr. [Milan'], 47 {1913), Nos. 37, p. 

 1; 38, pp. 1, 2; 39, pp. 1, 2). — This discusses methods of artificially drying rice 

 placed in storage in September, October, and November, and the influence of 

 temperature, hygroscopic moisture, and ventilation. 



The cultivation of sugar beets, L. Malpeaux {Vie Agr. et Rurale, 2 {1913), 

 No. 24, pp. 691-695, figs. 4). — This article discusses methods of cultivation with 

 special reference to time and means. It is noted that thinning should leave 

 the best plants at regular intervals and that this worli should be done early. 

 When thinning was done on June 7, 12, and 19, the beets contained 19.6, 19.5, 

 and 18.9 per cent of sugar, and yielded 6,350, 6,280, and 5,517 kg. per hectare, 

 respectively. In comparing the results of a pneumatic machine and handwork 

 in thinning, the yields for 1910 showed 15.16 per cent of sugar wbere hand- 

 worked and 15.25 per cent where machine worked, and in 1912, 18.81 and 19.14 

 per cent, respectively, with yields per hectare in similar ratio. 



The composition of sugar beets in the drought of 1911, and the influence 

 cf the following rains, J. Urban {Ztschr. ZucJcenndus. Bolimen, 37 {1913), No. 

 6, pp. 303-308). — Two hundred beets were gathered 2 days before a severe 

 drought was broken by a period of wet weather, during which 81.7 mm. of rain 

 fell and produced a luxuriant growth of the severely drought-affected beets. 

 One hundred and fifty beets were also gathered on October 4 and the analyses 

 of these compared with the analyses of the beets gathered before the rains, 

 from which the author drew the following conclusions : 



In spite of the yellow and wilted leaves, the beets gathered during the 

 drought had not matured; this was concluded because of the large amount of 

 total nitrogen (especially of proteid nitrogen) and alkalis and the relatively 

 small amount of calcium that was found. Even when rains fall such dried-out 

 beets are not in position to take up plant food at once, because of the scarcity 

 of root hairs, but must first form root hairs from the substance of the roots 

 before assimilation can be resumed in a normal way. The sugar-forming abil- 

 ity of the beets had been permanently injured by the dry weather, for with 

 lesumed growth only 0.62 gm. of sugar per 100 gm. of dry matter was produced 

 in September, as compared with 1.82 gm. for the same period in a normal sea- 

 son. During the long drought considerable quantities of nonproteid nitrogen 

 were stored in the root and during the rain period that followed were trans- 

 formed into proteid nitrogen, and these changes going on at this time gave a 

 quality to the juices of the beet that was unfavorable for the sugar manufac- 

 turers. 



Statistics of sugar in the United States and its insular possessions, 1881- 

 1912, F. Andrews {U. S. Dept. Agr. Bid. 66 {1914), pp. 25).— According to this 

 compilation of statistics, " there was a great increase in the consumption of 

 sugar in contiguous United States during the period covered by the bulletin, 

 1881-1912. . . . The average annual consumption, which in the fiscal years 

 1881-1885 was 46 lbs. per capita, was more than 78 lbs. in 1906-1910. The total 



