• FIELD CRm>ft. 245 



firj!^. 15). — This bulletin contains a historical ivvicw of the beet-sugar industry in Cal- 

 ifornia. The present magnitude of the industry is shown by a comparison of the 

 value of the sugar jiroduced with the values of other products of the State, and by a 

 list of factories in operation, the location, capacity, and invested capital of which is 

 given. The history of the industry is considered in 3 periods — the early period from 

 1857 to 1880, the dormant period from ISSO to 1887, and the modern period from 

 1888 to 1902. The different factories an; described and statistics for each one are 

 presented. 



Sugar-cane culture in the Southeast for the manufacture of table sirup, 

 H. W. Wiley ( V. S. Dept. Agr., Bure((u uf Chenusfry Bid. 75, pp. 40). — This bulletin 

 presents the results of experiments with fertilizers for sugar cane conducted in 

 Georgia, together with the reports of special agents on the culture of the crop in 

 Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida. The work is carried on under the 

 supervision of the Bureau of Chemistry of this Department. 



Fertilizer e.rperiments on sugar cane, ]V. B. Roddenbeni (pp. 5-L'-l). — The experiments 

 were conducted on 2 fields, designated as A and B. Field A, in cultivation about 20 

 years, is in a low state of fertility. Field B, in cultivation only 5 or 6 yearr, and in 

 a much higher state of fertility, produced a very rank crop, of velvet beans, which 

 was plowed under the fall before the experiments were begun. On several series of 

 plats different methods of api^lying a normal fertilizer formula were tested. Experi- 

 ments with varying proportions of plant foods were carried on, and cotton-seed 

 meal and nitrate of soda, cotton seed and cotton-seed meal, and kainit and muriate 

 of potash, as fertilizers for sugar cane, were compared. The normal formula was as 

 follows: 16 per cent acid phosphate, 1,200 lbs.; 8 per cent cotton-seed meal, 400 lbs.; 

 19 per cent nitrate of soda, 200 lbs., and 50 per cent muriate of potash, 200 lbs. 

 An ajiplication of 1,200 lbs. per acre of this formula was used. The composition and 

 cost of the fertilizer is reported. 



The results show that velvet beans have a high fertilizing value, but that the 

 maximum is reached only Avhen phosphoric acid and potash are applied in the 

 fertilizer. Applying a part of the fertilizer at the time of planting and the rest at 

 intervals during the growing season gave the best returns. The use of different 

 applications of the normal formula on the 2 fields indicated that on land in a good 

 state of fertility, such as field B, an application of 800 or 1,000 11)S. per acre is the 

 most profital:)le, while on poorer soil, as in field A, from 1.200 to 1.500 lbs. may be 

 used to advantage. 



Fertilizers furnishing large quantities of phosphoric acid and potash were more 

 effective than those furnishing small quantities of these ingredients. INIuriate of potash 

 gave somewhat better results than kainit. Doubling the quantity of phosphoric 

 acid given in the normal formula on field A gave a decrease of 1.5 tons of cane per 

 acre and a gain of only 3.5 tons over the plat which received no phosphoric acid. 

 For this soil 100 lbs. per acre of phos])horic acid is considered sufficient. Doubling 

 the normal ration of this same element on field B gave a gain of 3 tons per acre 

 and a gain of over 13 tons over the plat receiving no phosphoric acid. An appli- 

 cation of about 200 lbs. of phosphoric- at'id per acre is believed to be the most 

 profitable proportion for this soil. Applying double the (luantity of potash was 

 of no advantage on either field, and it is concluded that 50 Il)s. per acre of actual 

 potasli is sufficient for both fields. 



Nitrate of soda proved a better source of nitrogen than either cotton-seed meal or 

 cotton seed on the poorer soil, while on the more fertile field nitrate of soda and 

 cotton-seed meal gave the same tonnage. Cotton seed was found to be the moat 

 expensive fertilizer of the 3 substances. Cotton-seed meal gave $14 per acre more 

 profit than the same value in cotton seed, and nitrate of soda $12 more than the same 

 value in cotton-seed meal. A higli p(;rcentage of nitrogen in tlie fertilizer was found 

 to assist germination and favor suckering, while applying (piantities of complete fer- 



