The structure of oat and barley stems and its relation to production, 

 C. Kraus {Centbl. Agr. Chem., 34 {1905), No. 10, pp. 665-668).— Observations were 

 made on plants from two different localities, as well as those grown on fertilized and 

 unfertilized soil and in drills and broadcast. 



Varietal differences in leanness were more apparent in barley than in oats. The 

 average total number of leaves and the number of basal leaves per plant was greater 

 in the forms of Hordeum distichum < rectum than in those of //. distichum nutans. 

 Secondary stems of both barley and oats were less leafy than the initial stems. In 

 both species the larger number of leaves was borne on the upper part of the stem. 

 The percentage of basal leaves was smaller for barley than for oats, and in both 

 crops the secondary stems were provided with a smaller number of basal leaves than 

 the primary stems. The length and weight of the stems increased with the number 

 of internodes. 



No definite correlation was shown between the length, thickness, and weight of 

 the different internodes and their total number. Long stems were found to be 

 heavier than shorter stems with an equal number of joints, and the internodes were 

 longer and thicker. A closer relation seemed to exist between length and thickness 

 of the internodes than between thickness and weight. The long, thick, heavy stems 

 of both oats and barley produced the longest and heaviest heads. 



Cooperative variety tests with peas, 1902-1904, W. Edler (Arb. Deut. 

 Land a-. Gesell., 1905, No. 109, pp. 102). — Of the 6 varieties of peas grown Weende 

 Victoria gave the best average yield, and the common small yellow field pea, which 

 stood last in the average yield of peas, gave the highest yield of straw. Weende 

 Victoria ranked second in straw production. 



The longest vines were produced by Weende Victoria, Strube Yellow Victoria, and 

 the common small yellow field pea, and the longest pods by Strube Yellow Vic- 

 toria, Weende Victoria, and Strube Green Victoria. Strube Yellow Victoria pro- 

 duced the largest and heaviest peas. The varieties producing small-sized peas gave 

 the highest weight per liter, while those producing the largest sized peas gave the 

 1< twest weight per liter. Evergreen Folger was the earliest variety tested. The Blue 

 Green English pea showed the least tendency to lodge. 



Varieties of potatoes, W. Bruce (Edinb. and East of Scot. Col. Agr. Bid. 6, 

 pp. 4). — Cooperative experiments were made in 1904 for the purpose of testing new 

 varieties of potatoes. 



Of the 13 varieties grown Pink Blossom, Factor, Up-to-Date, Twentieth Century, 

 and British Queen w r ere most satisfactory when both quantity and quality are con- 

 sidered. In the different experiments the same varieties held approximately the 

 same rank. Langworthy, which is unequaled for quality, and White Blossom ranked 

 last in yield in every test. British Queen, Up-to-Date, and Langworthy are old 

 varieties grown as standards for comparison. 



The effect of commercial fertilizers on the quality of root crops and 

 potatoes, M. Weibull {K. Landtbr. Akad. Handl. och Tidskr., 44 {1905), No. 

 3-4, pp. 161-179). — Experiments were conducted with sugar beets in 1901 and 1902, 

 and with fodder beets and potatoes in 1903 and 1904. 



In 1901 the highest sugar content was obtained with the use of 200 kg. per hectare 

 of nitrate of soda alone, or from an application of 400 kg. of nitrate of soda and 300 

 kg. of superphosphate. The beets grown in these applications were from 3 to 4 per 

 cent higher in purity than those which received 200 kg. of nitrate of soda and 300 

 kg. of superphosphate per hectare. These results were confirmed the following 

 year, but the purity being very high in all cases was not affected in so marked a 

 manner. 



In all the tests nitrate of soda alone greatly increased the yield of sugar, but when 

 applied with superphosphate the results were not quite so good. Superphosphate, 

 although not uniform in its effect, showed a tendency to reduce the purity, and 



