832 EXPEEIMENT STATION RECOKD. 



FIELD CROPS. 



Report of the advisory committee on soil investigation, H. A. McKeene 

 (Sprinyjicld, III: tstute, I DOS, pi). 3.2, (If/ius. ,7). — An act of the Illinois legisla- 

 ture provides for the investigation and study by the experiment station of the 

 soils of the State, and it further provides that a committee of five, appointed 

 by the State I'armers" Institute, is to advise with the director of the station on 

 the ways and methods by which this investigation shall be conducted. This 

 publication contains a report on the inspection of the soil experiment fields 

 at nine different points in central Illinois, and gives briefly the results secured 

 on the different fields, together with answers by C. G. Hopkins, in charge of 

 the work, to questions by the committee. 



Summary of results secured on the experimental field at Ploti in 1907, A. 

 Winkler (Ghodlchnuil Otchet Ploty. Selsk. A7(oc. Opuitii. Stantzil, 13 (1907). 

 pp. lG8-llJi). — In a comparison of methods of fallowing, the best yields of rye 

 and winter wheat during the dry season of 1907 were secured on black fallow. 

 Spring wheat after timothy gave much smaller yields than after sainfoin, 

 alfalfa, and clover. The yield of wheat after sainfoin was lai'ger than after 

 clover and alfalfa. It was also found that winter wheat after clover gave better 

 results than spring wheat. 



The results of experiments with barnyard manure showed that 18,000 kg. per 

 hectare (about 8 tons per acre) were practically as effective as 36,000. The 

 use of superphosphate in quantities furnishing 30 kg. of phosphoric acid per 

 hectare (about 2G.7 lbs. per acre) produced an increase in the yield of 240 kg. 

 of grain. 



Deep plowing gave better yields of spring wheat, sugar beets, and potatoes 

 than shallow plowing, but corn produced the best crop on shallow plowing with 

 frequent shallow surface cultivation. Determinations of soil moisture 10, 30, 

 50, 70, and 100 cm. below the surface indicated a lower moisture content in 

 the corn field at a depth of 10 cm. (about 4 in.) than in a wheat field, while 

 at all other depths the moisture content in the corn field was above that in 

 the wheat field. 



Report on the Cawnpore agricultural station for the year ending June 30, 

 1908, J. M. Hayman {Rpt. Cawnpore [India^ Agr. Sta., 1907, pp. 87). — This re- 

 port describes the situation, area, and soil of the station and presents the re- 

 sults of experiments with different crops and fertilizers. 



The average results of fertilizer tests with corn show that the best yield was 

 obtained where an application of poudrette, furnishing 100 lbs. of nitrogen per 

 acre, was given. The best yield of wheat was secured from an application of 

 sheep dung furnishing 50 lbs. of nitrogen. Cotton gave the best yield where 

 barnyard manure was given in quantities furnishing 50 lbs. of nitrogen per acre 

 and superphosphate in applications supplying 50 lbs. of phosphoric acid per 

 acre. Potatoes led with a yield of 16,500 lbs. per acre on the plat fertilized with 

 neem-cake furnishing 200 lbs. of nitrogen per acre, as compared with poudrette 

 and cotton refuse supplying the same quantity of nitrogen. Hemp proved an 

 effective green-manuring crop for wheat. Selection exiieriments with cotton 

 are reported and the variations observed through different generations are re- 

 corded. Work with rice, leguminous forage crops, cacti, fiber plants, and crop 

 rotations is briefly noted. 



Cereal culture on the dry lands of central Tunis, E. Leloup (Bui. Affr. 

 Algerie ct Tunisie, U (1908), 2Vos. 17, pp. 417-428; 18, pp. 441-U8) .—This 

 article describes the requirements and methods for dry farming in central 

 Tunis, and gives directions for its improvement. The rainfall of the country 

 for a number of years is tabulated, and it is pointed out that the rainfall alone 



