FIELD CROPS. ' • 765 



Coast Range Substation at Paso Robles. A number of saltbushes, especially Rha- 

 (jodiu splne.sanii^ incrnils, Atriplex c.aclnyiuiurn, A. pdinpunoii, and ,1. nuiinnularia, 

 grew very well witliont irrigation during the summer and withstood the rather severe 

 winter frosts. The i)lants formed compact bushes from 8 to 4 ft. high and seemed 

 to prove valuable as browsing plants for both summer and winter. 



Among the different plants tested at the Southern California Substation, Lupinus 

 albus seemed j^romising for green manuring purposes. The results with berseem 

 {Ti'Ifolinm alexandrhmm) , indicated that it is not as valuable as alfalfa. The one- 

 flowered lentil {ErriDii monnntJios), obtained through this Department, made a good 

 growth in 1901 but suffered from drought in 1902. 



Report of the agriculturist, E. R. Lloyd {Afisniiiaipj)! SUi.' Rpl. 1903, p. 11). — 

 In 1902 24 varieties of corn were grown on poor red hill soil, with yields varying 

 from less than 1 bu. to 20 bu. per acre. 



Eighteen varieties of cotton grown on upland soil macie an average yield of 954 

 lbs. of seed cotton per acre, with the yields of the individual varieties varying from 

 700 to 1,260 lbs. In a fertilizer test on poor upland the largest yield of seed cotton per 

 acre, 1,000 lbs., was ol)tained from a plat receiving 125 lbs. each of cotton-seed meal 

 and kainit per acre, and the smallest yield, 240 lbs., from a plat fertilized with 250 lbs. 

 of I'otton-seed meal per acre. The cotton on a plat where 250 lbs. of kainit jieracre 

 was api)lied was practically free from rust, and i:)lats receiving ]il)eral applications of 

 barnyard manure were only slightly affected. The unmanured plats and those on 

 whicli cotton-seed meal and acid pliosphate were used, separately or in combination, 

 were badly rusted. 



The "Woburn field experiments, 1901, J. A. Voelcker (,/o(u-. Roij. Agr. Soc. 

 England, 63 {1902) , ])p. 308-330, figp. 3). — The data presented for the experiments in 

 continuous growing of wheat and barley represent the twenty-fifth season (E. S. R., 

 14, p. 27). Street Imperial wheat was grown with different fertilizer applications. 

 Nitrate of soda throughout gave better results than anunonia salts, either used alone 

 or with mineral fertilizers. The plats receiving ammonia salts, alone or with miner- 

 als l)ut without lime, showed signs of failing. The improvement due to 2 tons of 

 lime per acre applied in 1897 with annuonia salts containing 50 lbs. of ammonia was 

 still perceptible. Rape cake furnishing 100 lbs. of ammonia per acre gave a crop 

 equal to that from Si cwt. of superphosphate of lime, 200 lbs. sulphate of potash, 

 100 lbs. sulphate of soda, 100 lbs. of sulphate of magnesia, and 2J cwt. of nitrate of 

 soda. The Ijest yield in grain and straw was obtained on the plat treated with barn- 

 yard manure supplying 200 lbs. of ammonia per acre. As in former seasons, nitrate 

 of soda gave the lowest weight per bushel. 



The experiments with barley were made with the Standwell variety. INIineral 

 fertilizers gave an increase of over 2 bu. per acre, and barnyard manure, as in the 

 case of wheat, gave the best returns. Rape cake furnishing 100 lbs. ammonia per 

 acre, applied annually since 1890, also gave good returns. The l)eneticial influence 

 of lime was manifest wherever it had been used. Barley plants on unlimed distinctly 

 acid soil were stunted in growth with their roots poorly develojjed, while plants on 

 limed soil were healthy and well developed with plenty of rootlets. Nitrate of soda 

 used alone produced the lightest grain and the largest projiortion of small kernels, 

 with the lowest value per bushel. 



Mustard, rape, and tares were plowed under for green manuring, and followed by 

 wheat. One-half of each plat received superphosphate and kainit, but no apparent 

 advantage resulted from this application. The best quality of grain w^as produced 

 after rape and mustard. 



In a variety test with barley, Goldthorpe, Burton JNIalting, and Golden Melon 

 ranked in the order given in the production of grain and straw. Standwell and 

 Burton Malting ripened earliest. The results for 8 years show no advantage fron> 

 kiln-drying the seed before sowing. 



