FIELD CROPS. 



349 



The author believes il is practically demonstrated thai man} organic nitrogi 



Bubstances are directly assimilated by plants, and the com n Ik -lie!' that ammoniacal 



fermentation takes place first, followed by nitric fermentation, ia not in accord with 

 what actually occurs in the plant. 



The comparative assimilability by plants of ammoniacal salts, anims. 

 amids, and nitriles, L. la i / l Bui. Soc. Bot. France, 52 (1905 . No. ■. pp 

 162). studies on the assimilability of these compounds as Bources of nitrogen for 

 Aspergillus and Penicillium are reported, comparisons being made with ammonium 



nitrate. 



The fungi were bowu in modified Raulin's solution, and in the same solution with 

 various amins, amids, and nitriles substituted for the ammonium nitrate. The 

 assimilability of the amins was in inverse proportion to the size of the molecule, 

 while the amids were nearly the complement of the amins and the nitriles were only 

 slightly assimilated. The comparative Btudies with ammonium salts show thai of 

 all nitrogenous bodies the amids are the mosl assimilable. In general, nitrogenous 

 compounds are assimilable in proportion to the complexity of their molecule. 



FIELD CROPS. 



Annual report of the Alaska Agricultural Experiment Stations for 1904, 

 ('. C. Geoegeson i U.S. Dept. Agr., Office Expt. Stas. Ept. 1904,pp. ?6£ 860,pls.7). 

 The work for the year is summarized, and a reporl on the grazing land- of the 



South Alaska coast, 'by ('. V. Piper of this Department, included. 



The grazing lands of the Yakutat Plains, the Kenai Peninsula, Kadiak Island, 

 and Alaska Peninsula and adjacent islands are described, and their utilization is 

 pointed out. The principal native grasses and forage plants are noted with refer- 

 ence to their occurrence and the soils and localities they occupy. The :; mosl common 

 forage plants of the entire region are bluetop ( Calamagrostis langsdorfii I, sedge I Carex 

 cryptocarpa), and beach rye (Elymus mollis). The following analyses of thee 

 plants were made by the Bureau of Chemistry of this Department : 



< orrvposition of Alaska forage plants. 



Bluetop . . 

 Sedge .... 

 Beach rye 



Moisture. 



7. IS 

 11.92 



Ash. 



V< r a nt. 

 3.90 

 L0.65 

 7.51 



Ether 

 extract. 



l'< r <; ill. 

 LOS 

 2. 12 



•J. iv, 



Crude 

 fiber. 



12. '.» ! 

 30.31 



Proteids. 



/'- /• Cent. 



4.68 

 L0.32 

 12.71 



Nitrogen- 

 free 

 extract. 



I'i ;• a )it. 



The experience in keeping sheep. Angora goats, beet" cattle, and dairy cows in 

 different sections of this region are briefly reviewed. In the author's opinion the 

 outlook for sheep raising is doubtful, hut the keeping of goats and cattle seems 

 promising. Notes on numerous masses and other forage plant- on the Alaska 

 coasi are given. 



Work <il Sitka Station. — The following composition of a dried sample of beach :_ r ra-- 

 silage from the station's silo at Sitka was determined by the Bureau of Chemistry of 

 this Department: Fat :;.:;•_' per cent, protein 10.64, ash 6.89, crude fiber 34.64, and 

 nitrogen-free extract 44.51 percent. The ash sample contained 69.77 per cent of 

 water. Analyses of 1(1 samples of -oil from the Copper Center Station and of 1 

 sample from near the mouth of the Stikine River, made by the Bureau of Soils of 

 this Department, are also reported. 



The present condition and amount of growth of apples, cherries, plums, bush 

 fruits, and ornamentals are briefly noted, as are also the result- with vegetables and 

 grasses. Tall meadow oat grass has so far been the most BUCCessfuJ of the grasses 



