1064 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Commercial fertilizers, W. \V. Mim-er and X. W. Lokd {(>[}'«: lipt. Sec. Ohio 

 Stall' I><L Aijr. on (Join. Firts., ]<n).i, j)j). .w).— Thin ia a report of analys^es of 567 sam- 

 ]iles of fertilizers exaiiiin6(l l)y the State eheuiist during the year 1903, with a list of 

 certificates filed by manufacturers, etc., under the State law. The analyses are 

 accompanied by explanatory notes and the text of the State fertilizer law. 



Analyses of commercial fertilizers, W. Frear {Pennsijlvaniu State Dept. Agr. 

 Bid. lin, pp. 11,')). — This bulletin gives the results of analyses and valuations of sam- 

 ples of fertilizers collected by the State Department of Agriculture from August 1 to 

 December 31, 1903, with a statement of guaranties filed l)y manufacturers. 



Commercial fertilizers, J. L. Hills, C. II. Jones, and F. M. Hollistek {Ver- 

 viont Sta. llul. JOT, ]tp. 275-296). — This bulletin gives an abstract of the State fertili- 

 zer law as ainended in 1902, a schedule of trade values used in Vermont with a dis- 

 cus-sion of the valuation of fertilizers, a list of registered fertilizer firms and brands, 

 analyses and valuations of fertilizers examined during the season, and the average 

 composition of the principal fertilizers examined by the station during 5 years, 

 1899-1903. 



Commercial fertilizers, J. H. Stewart and B. II. Hite ( We.^t Virfjinia Sin. Bid. 

 91, pp. 0/1). — This is an account of fertilizer inspection under State law during the 

 first half of 1903. 



FIELD CROPS. 



Alfalfa in Wisconsin, R. A. Moore {Wisconsin Sta. Bui. 112, pp. 10, figs. 4)- — 

 This bulletin gives directions for the culture of alfalfa, pointing out especially the 

 manner of harvesting the crop, and presents conclusions based on the experience in 

 growing alfalfa at the station and the data obtained from former students throughout 

 the State. 



These data favor the use of at least 20 lbs. of good seed per acre, early spring sow- 

 ing, fall })lowing, and growing with barley or oats as a nurse crop sowing 1 bu. per 

 acre. It was observed that the varieties of alfalfa grown at the station showed very 

 little difference in appearance or yielding capacity, and that in the alfalfa fields of 17 

 counties of the State the plants developed the root tubercles without special soil 

 inoculation. The crop was found to cure with no greater difficulty than heavy cut- 

 tings of clover. A method of testing alfalfa seed is described. 



Canaigre, R. F. Hare {New Mexico Sta. Bui. 49, ]ip. 15). — This bulletin describes 

 in a popular manner the culture and uses of cafiaigre, points out the importance of 

 the crop for New Mexico, and reviews experimental work with this plant at the 

 Arizona, California, and Texas Experiment Stations. Results at the station have 

 shown that cultivated plants with sufficient soil moisture will produce seeds which 

 germinate readily. As fertile seed can not be purchased the plant is propagated 

 from the roots exclusively. It was further found that the crowns of the roots 

 should be covered with about 6 in. of soil to protect them against frost. Reference 

 is made to a previous bulletin on the subject by the station (E. S. R., 6, p. 984). 



Report of the experimentalist, C. A. Zavitz {Ontario Agr. Col. and Expt. Farm 

 Rpt. 190S, pp. 113-151, figs. 4). — The experiments in agronomy for 1903 are reviewed 

 and statistics on the production of farm crops in Ontario for the season are reported. 

 The work of former years has been previously noted (E. S. R., 15, p. 26). 



Average results of 4 experiments in growing different farm crops under similar 

 conditions show that Joanette oats led in the weight of grain produced per acre, the 

 yield being 2,693 lbs.; Mandscheuri barley, with 2,611 lbs. per acre, ranking second, 

 and Emmer, with 2,556 lbs., third. Of the crops under trial Alaska oats ripened first 

 and Spring Vetch last. White Hulless barley and Alaska oats produced the weakest 

 and Wild Goose spring wheat the stiffest straw. In cooperative experiments through- 



