336 EXPERIMENT STATION EECOED. 



Clover in the Palouse country, G. Severance {Wasliiiigton Sta. Popular Bvl. 

 31, pp. ^). — Tlie comparative value of alfalfa and red clover in the Palouse 

 country is briefly discussed. 



During the years 1895 to 1909, sowings of from 1 to 25 acres were made at 

 the station. Since 1904, the yields have ranged from 2.35 to 3.9 tons per acre 

 with no failure except that one good stand was spoiled by ground squirrels and 

 wild oats. Prior to 1904 failures were experienced and the highest yield 

 obtained was 1.77 tons per acre. 



After tests of red, mammoth, alsike, white, crimson, berseem, burr, and Japan 

 clovers, the author recommends red clovers for this region or alsilie in case of 

 wheat lauds. Two years' trials of fall seeding proved failures. April seeding 

 in 1909 produced the unusually favorable yield of 0.66 ton of hay per acre the 

 first season. 



■Other topics popularly treated are seed selection, soil preparation, method of 

 seeding, nurse crops, and protection from squirrels. 



[Report of work with cotton on the Iredell Test Parm in 1903-1909], 

 B. W. KiLGORE ET AL. {Bill. N. C. Dcpt. Agr., 31 (1910), No. 8, pp. 65).— This 

 bulletin contains two studies. 



I. Fertilizer experiments with cotton on Piedmont red clay loam soil. — This 

 portion of the bulletin reports the fertilizer experiments with cotton conducted 

 on the Iredell Test Farm during the period 1903-1909. Nitrogen alone was used 

 at a loss. Potash alone gave a small increase in profits but proved more 

 effective than potash and nitrogen combined. Phosphoric acid alone produced 

 good profits in all cases but these profits were not increased by the addition of 

 nitrogen to phosphoric acid. The addition of potash to phosphoric acid proved 

 profitable. The combination of the three yielded larger returns than any one, 

 but two-thii-ds of the increase appeared to result from the phosphoric acid. 

 Lime appeared to decrease the yield when applied with a complete fertilizer, 

 but when used alone yielded a small profit and gave good returns on a plat 

 where peas had been grown for 4 years. 



The application of 400 lbs. per acre of a fertilizer supplying 10 lbs. each of 

 nitrogen and potash and 28 lbs. of phosphoric acid was regarded as normal. 

 A larger profit arose from the use of half this amount of nitrogen, but varia- 

 tions in the amounts of potash and phosphoric acid from this normal failed 

 to increase the profits. When 200, 400, 600, 800, and 1,000 lbs. per acre were 

 applied to different plats the net profits per 100 lbs. of normal fertilizer were 

 $8, $6.70, $5.38, $4.23, and $3.69 respectively. 



Tests of dried blood and nitrate of soda gave no distinctive advantage to 

 either. The most profitable method of applying either these nitrogen sources 

 or complete fertilizers was their disti-ibution in the drill before planting. 

 Another method tested was broadcasting before planting, one-half in the drill 

 before planting and the other half as a side dressing about July 1. 



II. Varieties, culture, and fertilization of cotton on Piedmont red clay loam, 

 red clay and valley soils. — The author gives directions for the preparation of 

 the soil and the cultivation and fertilization of the crop, and discusses a 7 year's 

 test of 60 varieties of cotton. Some results secured during one year of this 

 test have already been noted (E. S. R., 23, p. 38). Among the varieties that 

 have done well are King, Simpkins, Sugar Loaf, Williams, Edgeworth, AVebb, 

 Hodge, Shine Extra Early, and Dozier. 



Cultivation of guinea grass, D. L. Narayan Rao {Agr. Jour. India, 5 (1910), 

 No. 4, pp. 362-366). — The author reviews a part of the literature on guinea 

 grass and states his experience on sandy or gravelly loam plats that have been 

 producing the grass for 16 years. They were first planted 1* ft. apart each 

 way, and during the first year yielded 4 tons of grass per acre. During the 5 



