FIELD crops. 763 



Daring the season of L902 L904, 2,843 varieties of cant- were raised from seed and 

 planted out, making a total of 20,000 varieties raised from seed since L898. < u these, 

 6,000 varieties have reached a second or third stage, and daring this season n total of 

 5,574 varieties were still under cultivation and 653 varieties were reaped and analyzed. 

 The principal varieties are briefly described. 



The relation between stem and root development in the sugar cane plant, 

 X. Kamerling (Meded. Proef8tcU. Suikerriet West-Java, 1905, No. 88, pp. 17, pis. 5). — 

 A discussion of the subject with references to work by different investigators is given 

 and the author's own results are reported. 



It was found that in a single-bud cutting of cane the growing capacity of the bud 

 was Largely reduced when tin- roots were not allowed to develop; and likewise, \\ lien 

 the growth of the bud \\;is prevented the development of the roots was reduced. 



Cuttings With two buds treated in the same way gave similar result-, bul when the 

 bad on one joint and the roots on the other were kept from growing, a- b) menu- of 



a hand of plaster of Paris, the remaining uncovered bud and roots developed almost 

 normally. 



The results of this work, supplemented by those obtained in pot experiment-, indi- 

 cated thai under normal conditions the development of the cane plant above ground 

 is carried on with about the same degree of activity as the development of the root 

 system. 



Report of the division of agriculture and chemistry, ( '. I". I .< k \i;i Hawaiian 

 Sugar Planters' si,,. Rpt. inn:,, pp. 15-28). — A report on the work of this division for 

 the year ending September 30, 1905, is presented. 



The field experiments with sugar cane and the work of the substations on the 

 various islands are briefly noted. Cane was successfully grown from seed received 



in the form of pulverized cane tassels from Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad. The 



seed was sown December 21, February 4. and February L8. Cold weathei retarded 



the growth of the early sown plants and a larger number of them died off than was 

 the case in the later seedings. 



A total of 812 seedlings was produced, of which 279 were planted in the field May 

 Sand July L8. I >n August 2D, 4»i of these young cane plants were replanted from 

 cuttings, ami on September L3, 47 more were treated in the same way. The remainder 

 of the canes were allowed t<> flower during the fall to produce seed. 



The value of shelled timothy seed, II. von Fkii.it/kn [Svenska Mosskulturfor. 

 TnlsL,-.. 19 I 1905), No. /./'/'. 79,80). — The results of pot experiments indicated that 

 shelled timothy seed for seeding purposes has a much lower value than whole seed. — 

 K. w. WOLL. 



A study of Deli tobacco, D.J. IIissink (Meded. I>>/>f. Landb. [Java], 1905, No. !. 

 pp. 78; <ii>x. in Jour. Landw., •<•-' I 1905), No. ?, pp. 185-172). — Fertilizer experiments 

 on the Padang Boelan plantation were conducted from L900 to L902, inclusive, on soil 

 rich in nitrogen and phosphoric acid hut rather low in potash and lime. 



An application of nitrogen Beemed unnecessary, but the use of potash and phos- 

 phoric acid gave good results. The optimum quantity of potash per plant ranged 

 from 1 to L.3 gm. The use of 0.75 gm. of phosphoric acid per plant proved inade- 

 quate. The tobacco grown on this soil had a high nitrogen content, although nitro- 

 gen fertilization had little influence. The content of albuminoid nitrogen varied 

 little and amounted to more than 50 per cent of the total nitrogen. The average 

 nicotine content. L. 96 per cent, agreed with the average given by Konig. Etwasalso 

 ohserved that light and favorable moisture conditions promote the production of 



nicotine. 



The fermented tobacco contained nitrate nitrogen, the quantity being greater in 

 the lower than in the upper leaves. The percentage of amid nitrogen was lower 

 than that determined by Behrens in European tobacco, and it i< believed that the 



23786— No. 8—06 1 



