FIELD CROPS. 5 17 



germination, and weight of the Beed briefly noted. Sofl brome grae eded 



brome grass, and darnel are given as the mor< mmon impurities of tall oal 



seed. 



Meadow fescue, I >. Finlayson (Aynsome Agr. Sta. } Seed-Testing Lab. Farmers' 

 I in/. 9, pp. 8, figs. 6). This grass is described and it- value, together with the purity, 

 germination, and weighl of the seed, is briefly noted. Themosl common impurities 

 in the seed arc dock, sofl brome grass, rye seeded brome grass, perennial rye grass, 

 and velvet grass. 



Report on the manuring- of seeds hay, 1904, \V. A i i w Edinb. and I 

 Scot. ''i>l. Agr. Bui. 5, pp. Pi). — The results of 21 differeni tests showed thai nitrogen 

 was the fertilizing ingredient mosl required for the crop, and thai nitrate of Boda ga> e 

 ;i 1 letter result than sulphate of ammonia, while a mixture of the two gave a slightly 

 better result than either alone. 



The plat receiving 40 Lbs. of nitrogen per acre, which was the largesl quantity 

 applied, gave the heaviesl yield of bayand thebesl financial return. Nitrogen alone 

 gave satisfactory results. Phosphates had hut little effect, and potash affected the 

 yield more than phosphates. A complete application gave the best yield and thebesl 

 returns. 



Composition of forage crops, S. Tretyakov I Khozvain, 1908) No. 52; abs. in Zhur. 

 Opuitn. Agron. | Russ. Jour. Expt. Landw. \, n I 1905), No. /. /</<. 102, 103). — It iscon- 

 cluded that owing to a higher contenl of plant food, especially nitrogen, in the soil. 

 with a dryer climate and a greater amount of sunshine the cultivated plants of south- 

 ern Russia are generally richer in protein and ash than those grown in western 

 Europe.— p. fireman. 



Trifolium incarnatum, I). Finlayson (Aynsomt Agr. Sta., Seed-Testing Lab. 

 Farmers 1 /in/. 5, />/>. s. figs. ; i. — This is; a popular bulletin giving a description of 

 crimson clover with brief directions for its culture. The value of good >(^'<\ is noted 

 and some of the impurities commonly found in the <i-i-<\ are mentioned. 



Adulteration of alfalfa and red clover seed, J. Wilson | U. S. Dept. Agr., Offia 

 Sec. Circ. 14, /'/'• ?). — A brief report on purity tests of clover and alfalfa seed boughl 

 in the open market. 



Three samples of red clover seed contained from 10.55 to L'li.S. r > per cent of yellow 

 trefoil, this being the only adulterant, and in L9 samples of alfalfa seed the total 



adulteration ranged from L.25 to 45.73 per cent. Of the samples of alfalfa seed • 



contained sweet clover. 7 bur clover. 3 yellow trefoil, and N bur clover and yellow- 

 trefoil together. The largesl quantity of sweet clover found was !»..">.", percenl ; of bur 

 clover, hi. si; per cent, and of yellow trefoil, 39.85 per cent. 



Experiments with fodder beets in 1903-4, Tournierous (Bui. Dir. Agr. >t 

 ('mil. [Tunis], 9 (1905), No. S5, pp. 269-281). — The experiments here reported 

 were conducted at the ( lolonial Agricultural School of Tunis. 



The seed was planted in December, and by February 15 the plants were in good 

 growth. The roots began to form aboul the first of April and were large enough for 

 consumption by May L5, when the lower leaves began to dry, and by Augusl 15 all 

 the Leaves were completely dead. Four varieties were grown, ranking in decreasing 

 order of yield .is follows: < reantede Vauriac, Ovoide dee Barres, Disette Mammouth, 

 and Demi-Sucriere. 



The results with commercial fertilizers indicated that during a dry year the fer- 

 tilizer application remains practically without results. Barnyard manure always 

 gave the best returns. Beets in rows 4<> cm. apart gave a marked increase in yie'd 

 over those in rows 50 cm. apart. The result- indicated that, in general, planting in 

 November brings much better yields than planting about a month later. 



A study of the composition of the beets showed that the maximum dry matter con- 

 tent was reached in June, and that the proportion ami quantity of BUgar was subject 

 to nearly the same variations a.s the dry matter. The author concludes that the 



