FIELD CROPS, 29 



adapted soil and insufficient care in the selection of Beed tubers, are strong factors in 

 reducing the \ Igor of a variety. 



The degeneration of potato varieties, R. Tuckermann | Milt. Landw. Inst. Bres- 

 lau, S i 1904), -Vm. /, pp. 1-92, dgms. 5).- The subjecl is considered from a cultural 

 and a physiological stand (mint and the conclusions drawn are based on the results ol 

 numerous experiments by different investigators. 



The degeneration of varieties is considered as largely due to cultural and local con- 

 ditions, while the superiority of new varieties over older sorts is regarded as indi- 

 cating a greater adaptability to the particular region. Physiological degeneration of 

 a variety is not believed to result from the asexual method of propagation through a 

 Beries of years. 



The fact that certain old varieties in particular Localities retain their productive- 

 ness, in the opinion of the author, would seem to contradict such a conclusion. It is 

 stated that a study of the principal factors of growth, especially climatic conditions 

 in each locality, would throw much needed light upon this subject. 



Commercial sugar-beet seed, J. E. W. Tracy I U. S. Dept. Agr. /.'/</. 80, pp. 171 

 is.:\. — Tin' importance of good sugar-beet seed is discussed, and the work of estab- 

 lishing a pedigree strain of Bugar-beet ^v^\, carried on in connection with the New 

 York State, the Michigan, and the Utah experiment stations and with private grow- 

 ers at Holland, Mich., and Fairfield, Wash., is described. 



The work was begun by securing the best strains of European seed and also all 

 known strains <>f American-grown seed and growing them for comparison, of these 

 the best 4 strains were selected as foundation stocks, and all beets of exceptional 

 quality were saved and planted the next spring as mother beets for seed production. 

 In L904 one-half of the seed secured from these individual plants was planted and 

 the l>e>t specimens of beets preserved for the production of the first crop of elite 

 seed. The other half of the seed will be planted this year and from the beets pro- 

 duced the next year's supply of elite seed will he grown. 



It is reported that during the last year a Washington State sugar-beet Beed 

 grower produced a lot of some 300 roots testing 2] per cent or more of sugar in the 

 beet, with composite tests showing coefficients of purity ranging from 86 to 91.9. In 

 this lot were included 15 roots containing 24 per cent, 50 with 23 per cent, and 100 

 with 22 per cent of sugar in the beet. Results of variety tests of sugar-beet seed 

 from American and European growers in 1904 show a range of from L5 to 17.7 per 

 cent of sugar in the beet and a range in coefficient of purity from 83.7 to s~.\\. The 

 low as well as the high figures were secured in Kleinwanzlebener sugar beet from 

 American-grown seed. The highest yield per acre, 13.17 tons, was obtained from 

 Klein wanzlebener seed grown at Fairfield, Wash. 



hast year this Department distributed some 4,000 lbs. of Calif ornia-grown and 

 11.000 lbs. of Washington-grown Kleinwanzlebener sugar-beet ^rvi], in order to 

 compare it with the seed furnished to farmers by the factories. < >f the reports so far 

 received, 7:5 per cent of those planting Washington-grown seed and »;:; per cent of 

 those planting the California-grown Beed found it to he of quicker, stronger, and 

 healthier germination, and none found it inferior to the other seed. The returns 

 from 561 acres showed that the sugar content of the beets from the Washington- 

 grown seed was 15.4 pel- cent and from the California-grown seed, 14.4 percent, as 

 against 14.9 per cent for heets from the factory seed. The Washington seed yielded 

 10.7 tons, the California ^ml tons, ami the factory svr<\ 0. 1 tons per acre. 



Single-germ beet seed, C. < >. Townsend ( U. S. Dept. Agr. Rpt. 80, pp. 161-166, 

 ji<i*. .'). — This article covers part of the work published in Bulletin 7:: ol the Bureau 

 of Plant Industry of this Department, which has been previously noted I !•'.. S. R., 

 lti, p. 983). 



