1126 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



On the parasitism of Siphonostegia, S. Kusano (Iliil. Col. Agr. Tokyo Imp. 

 ( tiir.. S (l!K)S), No. ], pp. 51-^)7, Jigs. 5). — The author has been ciirryiiiK on 

 studies on Japani'sc ithaiuTOfiauilc panisitos. and in this pajter fjivt's an account 

 of .S'. cliiiunsis, wiiich ai)pears to be a hem i para site. It is a herbaceous plant 

 common in grassy fields of Japan. A detailed account is given of its anatomical 

 structure. 



Studies on .ffiginetia indica, S. Kusano (Bui. Col. Agr. Tokyo Imp. Univ., 

 S (lUUH), So. 1, pp. o'J-lS, pi. I). — This paper gives an account of some of the 

 facts in the life history of ^. indica, a phanerogamic parasite common in 

 Japan, where it occurs on certain si)ecies of monocotyledouous plants. Experi- 

 ments have shown that the seed of the parasite will not germinate unless it 

 has the stimulus of the roots of other plants. The stimulation may be induced 

 by the presence of the roots of a great many plants, but its parasitism is lim- 

 ited to certain species of Cyi»erace;e. grasses, ginger, caunas, etc. 



FIELD CROPS. 



Report on the agricultural and botanical departments, Barbados, D. 

 Morris {Imp. Dept. Agr. West Indies, lipt. Agr. and Bot. Dcpta. Barbados, 

 1898-1907, pp. 37, figs, l-'t, dgms. 2).— This report covers the period 1808-1007, 

 and includes a review of the sugar-cane experiments since 1884. The work 

 with cotton, bananas, and other crops is also noted. 



Since 1898, when the Imperial Department of Agriculture was establishtnl, 

 about 30,000 canes have been raised from seed. In 1904 work was begun which 

 resulted in securing 5 hybrid sugar canes through artificial cross-pollination. 

 The raising of seedling canes resistant to disease and yielding a large amount 

 of sugar is also one of the principal lines of work. The history of these experi- 

 ments is given in full and the results secured each season are briefly sum- 

 marized. During recent years a number of canes are being tested which seem 

 to give even better results than B. 147 and B. 208, which have given very 

 satisfactory yields. Among these canes are B. 1753, B. 3390, B. 3412, B. 3G7.5, 

 B. 369G, B. 3747, B. 6204, and B. 64.50. 



The results of fertilizer experiments with sugar cane are summarized for 

 the past 13 years. In the nitrogen series the most satisfactory yields were 

 obtained where 60 lbs. of nitrogen as sulphate of ammonia was applied 

 in June, in addition to 80 lbs. of assimilable phosphates, and 60 lbs. of potash 

 as sulphate of potash, the average yield being 7.911 lbs. of saccharose per 

 acre. 



In the superi)hosphate series of experiments the best results were sec;ured on 

 the plat which received only nitrogen and potash. In the basic slag series 

 of i)lats the best result for 12 years was obtained on the plat which received 

 100 lbs. of phosphate as basic slag, the yield being 8.446 lbs. of saccharose i)er 

 acre as compared with 8,406 lbs. on the check plat. 



The best result in the potash series was obtained on the plat which received 

 80 lbs. of potash as sulphate of potash, in addition to 15 lbs. of nitrogen as 

 sulphate of ammonia in January and 45 lbs. in June, and 80 lbs. of phosphate 

 as superphosphate of lime applied in January. The average yield in this series 

 was 7,739 lbs. of saccharose per acre. 



Tillage experiments showed a difference of 2* tons of canes per acre be- 

 tween the best and the poorest plat. The most favorable results wefe secured 

 from close subsoiliug. digging the cane holes, manuring, and cultivating in 

 the usual manner, and the least favorable results were secured on the plats 

 ridged with a disk plow, turning under farmyard manure 8 in. deep, planting 

 the canes in rows at the bottom of the furrows, and cultivating. 



