FIELD CROPS. S.u 



Ing directions for soil inoculation are outlined, ii is reported that L6 acres of 



the college farm are devoted i<» this crop. As a rei l.\ for blight, which attacks 



alfalfa fields in spots, cutting as s as it appears is recommended. The per- 

 gonal experiences svith the crop of a Dumber of alfalfa growers in differenl 

 Bed ions of i lie State are also given. 



The inoculation and cultivation of alfalfa, A. M. Sol u. and .M. PEROT BON 

 [Virginia Sta. Bui. /•"»/. pp. 7.'' ill. figs. 5). This bulletin discusses alfalfa 

 culture in general and gives specific directions for growing the crop in Virginia. 

 The culture and harvesting of alfalfa, Its uses and feeding value, and purposes 

 and method- of soil inoculation are treated quite fully. 



[1 is reported thai alfalfa seeded September 15 on heavy red clay lands had 

 developed roots from 2 t«> '■'> ft. long by December I. and thai 2 years after 

 planting roots I to 5 ft. long were secured. Preliminary Investigations begun 

 in r.tiii showed the importance of soil inoculation and the advantages of using 

 lime and phosphates on land intended for alfalfa. With Inoculation a more 

 uniform and denser stand was secured than without it. Turkestan alfalfa did 

 not seem adapted to the conditions, rials inoculated with Helilotus alba and 

 those treated with barnyard manure produced a good growth. Foreign soil 

 and that obtained at the station for inoculation gave practically the same 

 results. 



The improvement of corn in Connecticut, E. M. Easi {Connecticut State 

 Sta. Bui. 152, pp. 'I. dgms. 2). The principles of corn breeding are discussed 

 and complete directions given for the selection of corn and the establishment and 

 managemenl of a breeding plat for seed-corn production. The plan for plant- 

 ing the breeding plat to avoid inbreeding is taken from Illinois station Bulletin 

 KM) ( E. S. It.. 17. p. 26). 



Methods of testing variability in corn, E. I >AVENPORT i Illinois sin. Circ. 101, 

 pp. ? i. -This circular outlines means for accurately testing the range and extent 

 of variability in any particular variety of corn. 



r.\ the method proposed the differences between varieties of corn as to varia- 

 tion in the length of ear are determined by accurate measurements of several 

 hundred ears of each variety, and definite values for all the differences are 

 obtained by submitting them to well-known mathematical processes. The meth- 

 ods of making these computations are explained, and the tendency of a variety 



toward a certain length of ear together with its variation from this tendency, 

 is pointed out. The mathematical formulas are given in detail. 



Corn improvement, A. T. \\'iw< ko (Indiana Sta. />'///. II", pp. 77-120, figs. 

 14). — Much of the matter in this bulletin has been previously published and 



reviewed (E. S. R., id, p. lull). Some new data are reported and the direc- 

 tions for managing a seed corn breeding plat are revised and amplified. 



A germination test by the station of lots of sa'd corn from different sources 



and u pial as to the number of ears showed that on the hnsis of 5 kernels 



from each ear the percentage of ears having a perfeel germination ranged from 

 34.2 to 98.5. in 5 lots the number of ears failing to germinate varied from :: to 

 25.2 per cent, in addition to these tests, r. lots showed a germination of from 

 !d to 95 per cent ; 1 lots, from 83 to 87 per cent : and t; lots, from »'><i to 7.". per 

 cent. 



In studying the effect of grading the ^i'C(\ on the uniformity of dropping by 



the planter, it was found that per 100 drops when middle kernels only were 

 used :; kernels were dropped 92 times as compared with 66 times when the 

 Whole ear was used, and 7.". times when deep and shallow kernels were mixed. 

 With deep kernels alone :: were dropped 92 times and with shallow kernels 

 alone. 95 times, 



