FIELD CROPS. 



phosphoric acid and iime, is considered useful in beginning the improvement of | • 



clay pastures. Specific directions forthe treatment of poor pasture lands and the 

 considerations upon which they are based are given. 



Fertilizer experiments with Jerusalem artichokes, II. B Prat., 



n. ser., 9 {1905), No. 17, pp. 548,549). The culture of Jerusalem artichokes is dis- 

 cussed and the results of fertilizer experiments are reported. 



An application of 15,000 kg. of barnyard manure, •'!•'<• kg. of superphosphate, and 

 200 kg. of muriate of potash per hectare, spread over the entire Burface "i the field, 

 gave a yield of 38,323 kg. as compared with 30,556 kg, where manure alone was used, 

 and 31,879 kg. where manure and superphosphate were applied together. When 

 applied in the drill the application of manure and superphosphate resulted in a yield 

 of 33, 123 kg., and the complete application in ;i yield of 12,213 kg. 



From these results it is concluded thai potash is the dominating elemenl in the 

 culture "i' Jerusalem artichokes, and thai applying the fertilizer in the drill gives 



better results than applying il broadcast, because a larger ai nl >>i potash is made 



immediately available t" I he plants. 



Remarks on the kk popping 1 " of Indian corn, F. II. Storeb I Bui. Bussey Inst., 

 8(1904), pi- '/,/'/'■ 74 79). Experiments are reported to disprove that the popping 

 of pop corn is due to the oil in the grain, and to determine whether popped corn 

 contains any more soluble starch or other form of dextrin than the original grain. 



Whole grains were leached with ether until the oil was removed and were then 

 dried* slowly in the air. When these grains had 1 ><•»•< >me thoroughly dry thej popped 

 upon being heated, although they contained no oil. The experimenl also indicated 

 that perfed dryness in the kernel is required for the besl success in popping. Sam- 

 ples of popped corn grounds dried at 100° C. contained L9.30 per cenl of matter sol- 

 uble in water, and unpopped corn treated the same way yielded l'I.Il' percent 

 Only mere traces of matters capable of reducing cupric oxid were determined in both 

 kinds of samples, with, perhaps, the larger trace in the sample from the unpopped 

 corn. 



Samples of meal from popped corn dried at 95 to L00° C. contained 7.45 per cent of 

 moisture, and meal from unpopped corn 12. L3 per cent. It did nol appear thai any 

 Boluble starch is funned during the act of popping. A test in preparing soluble 

 starch from popped and unpopped corn left the impression thai rather more soluble 

 starch was secured from the unpopped than from the popped sample. 



studies on the property of popping by several investigators are reviewed, and 

 other experiments in this line by the author are described. He found that the 

 removal of the outer skins of rice pop-corn kernels prevented popping, and this was 

 the case w hether t he kernels had firsl been soaked in ether for 3 or L- days and dried, 

 or not. Of whole kernels cut in two crosswise of their length only the outer halves, 

 or those farthest from the cob, popped when heated: and the same result was 



obtained after soaking in ether for.") days and drying for I or2 hour- at inn ( . 

 Bui w hen the kernels were cut in two lengths ise both parts popped readily in BOme 



trials. When the kernels were divided into quarters the parts lying nearthecob 



did not pop, while in some of the outer portions the property was not destroyed. 



41 It is plain from the foregoing trials that the skin of the -rain exerts a very 

 decided influence on the act of popping. It would appear, indeed, that both the 



structure of the individual starch grains in the kernel and the toughness of the 

 restraining skin which envelopes them all, act to control or modify the manner in 



which the moisture in the starch grains when suddenly heated i- converted into 



steam of such high ten-ion that the explosive act of popping results, whereby both 

 the skin of the seed itself and the envelopes of mosl of the starch grains in the seed 



are ruptured." 



Cotton growing on sandy upland soils, (i. W. < '\i;\ i:i; I Alabama Tuskeget Sto. 

 Bui. ?,/>/>. 11, figs. 9). — Former work in this line has been previously noted I I B 



