FIELD CROPS. 867 



The observations of the author lead to the conduHiou that sunshine is not very 

 effective in tlie su«;ar pnxUiction in tiie beet when the development of the plant has 

 not been normal, but that otherwise the sugar content of the beet mainly depends 

 upon the (hiration of sunsliine (hiring the last months of the vegetative period of the 

 crop. Of the different factors affecting the yield of beets, moisture conditions are 

 considered the most important. The production of sugar in tlie l)eet is influenced 

 mainly by the duration of sunshine, and largely by favorable temperatures. Atten- 

 tion is called to the fact that heavy yielils of beets often more than offset a low sugar 

 content. The richest beets in this series of years were produced in 1900, but the 

 yield of sugar per hectare was less than in 1894, when the sugar content of the beets 

 was lowest. 



The increase in the sugar content of pulled beets when topping is delayed, 

 T. Remv (Dnit. Landw. Presse, 31 {1904), No. 15, pp. 119, 120).—T\\q composition of 

 fodder l)eets and sugar beets topped inunediately after pulling and stored in heaps 

 covered with earth, was compared with that of l)eets pulled, placed in piles with 

 their leaves exposed on the exterior of the piles, and topped 3 weeks later. The 

 late-topped beets showed an increase in the percentage of dry matter and of sugar 

 over the beets topped at the time of pulling. This increase was unimportant in the 

 fodder laeets, but in the sugar beets it amounted to 0.8 per cent, which, in the opin- 

 ion of the author, is sufhcient to merit consideration. The disadvantages of the 

 method as pointed out are the loss of the leaves for fodder, the increase in labor, and 

 the danger of frost injury in the unprotected heaps. 



Annual report of the Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations for the year 

 1902-3 {Brisbane, Queensland: Bureau, of Sugar Expt. Stas., 1903, pp. 39). — This 

 report contains accounts of laboratory work on soils of the Province, and experi- 

 ments with varieties, methods of culture, fertilization, and irrigation of sugar cane, 

 and on the manufacture of sugar from cane. 



Sweet potatoes from seed {Queensland Agr. Jour., 14 {1904), No. 2, p. 90). — A 

 report is here given of the growing of sweet potatoes from seed. The vines grown 

 from seed were not very productive, but the tubers which were obtained were large 

 and sound. Among some of the vines were a few lilac-colored stalks. These were 

 planted out with the result that a potato having a different color and a leaf of differ- 

 ent shape was ol)tained. It is thought probable that the vines thus grown from seed 

 may be more resistant to the usual sweet potato diseases in tlie district than the 

 ordinary sorts. 



Hidge and level culture of swedes, G. L. Sutton {Agr. Gaz. Neir SoutJi Wales, 

 15 {1904), No. 1, pp. 79, 80). — The average yields per acre gave an increase of 18 cwt. 

 and 2.'5 lbs. in favor of level culture, but the crop on the ridges matured earlier. 



"Wheats and flours of Aroostook County, C. D. Woods and L. H. ]\Iekrili> 

 {Maine Sta. Bui. 97, pp. 143-180, figs. 2). — Maine-grown wheats represent Maine 

 varieties grown within the State, and the samples of flour under test were obtained 

 from 3 Aroostook County mills. The composition and heat of combustion of these 

 flours are coiiipared with those of flours olitained from Minneaj>olis. The results 

 show that 8 samples of flour from Maine-grown wheats contained 3 per cent less 

 protein than the flours from the western wheats, i. e., the western wheats contained 

 one-fourth more protein than the Maine wheats. The dry matter of the western 

 flour also contained one-fourth more fat and crude fiber, and 3J per cent less starch 

 and other carbohydrates than the samples from Maine-grown wheats. The heat of 

 comliustion was practically the same. 



Baking tests showed that the Aroostook-milled flours were deficient in wet gluten 

 as compared with the flour adopted as a standard by one of the Minneapolis mills. 

 This (h'fect is believed to be largely due tf) milling, and not solely to a lower gluten 

 <:ontent of the grain. 



