968 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



different farms with 7 varieties and the gain in total crop in favor of the sprouted 

 seed ranged from 181 cwt. to 3 tons 1] cwt. per acre. In the production of market- 

 able tubers there was a still greater gain in favor of the sprouted seed. Of the vari- 

 eties grown Northern Star and King Edward VII were the most productive. Directions 

 for the construction of boxes for sprouting seed are given and the advantages and 

 disadvantages of the system are pointed out, 



Aerial tubers of the potato, P. deVilmoein (Bui. >Soc. Bot. France, 52 (1905), 

 No. 4, pp. 535-537, fig. 1). — The occurrence of aerial tubers in the potato is reported 

 as being more frequent in varieties with colored than with those of white tubers. 



The author observed the production of aerial tubers at different times, especially 

 by the varieties Cardinal, Giant Blue, and American Wonder. They are generally 

 found when the plant has a luxuriant growth as a result of soil moisture. They 

 appear late in the growth of the plant and are located on the lower part of the stems 

 in the axils of the leaves, and correspond to secondary branches hypertrophied and 

 enlarged with reserve material. The occurrence of aerial tubers on two branches 

 originating in the inflorescence of a plant of Giant Blue is described. 



The improvement of common varieties of rye in lower Austria, G. Pammer 

 (Ztschr. Landw. Vermchsw. <><«tcrr., 8 (1905), No. 11, pp. 1015-1053, ph. 7).— Coop- 

 erative work in the improvement of common varieties of rye by means of selection is 

 described. 



The selection of the breeding material was based upon spike characters represent- 

 ing 4 types. The extent to which the characters were transmitted was observed, and 

 an average of about 50 per cent of the progeny showed the characters of the type. 

 A larger yield was secured from plants with crowded spikes of medium length than 

 from plants with longer and more open heads. The dominance of a particular shape 

 of kernel in an ordinary variety determined the specific character of the grain and it 

 was found that this character was correlated with the prevailing type of spike. It is 

 recommended that for breeding purposes this type of spike be selected because it 

 produces the least variation, gives the highest yields, and thus facilitates the origina- 

 tion of strains adapted to a certain locality. 



Within the type it is suggested that that form of the kernel showing the highest 

 percentage be regarded as the basis of selection. In subsequent work only those 

 plants which transmitted this form of the kernel are to be used. It is believed that 

 through this method uniformity in the shape and size of the kernel is most quickly 

 secured and in this way the loss in cleaning grain reduced. This method of selection 

 tends to maintain the type together with its yielding capacity and its fixedness. 



The progeny of the plant nurseries under field conditions, although only 1 year 

 removed from the selection of the heads, gave higher yields and grain of better qual- 

 ity than ordinary unimproved rye of the same variety. A pedigreed variety pro- 

 duced more grain and also more straw than an improved strain of this selection, but 

 in quality of grain they were about the same. 



Saccharine sorghums for forage, C. R. Ball ( U. S. Dept. Agr., Farmers 1 Bui. 

 146, ]>}>■ >?,figs. 7). — This bulletin presents a classification of sorghums, notes the 

 introduction of the crop into the United States together with its area and impor- 

 tance, describes the principle varieties, and gives directions for its culture and uses. 



The 4 leading varieties in extensive cultivation are Amber, Orange, Sumac or Red- 

 top, and Gooseneck. The general requirements of the crop are very similar to those 

 of corn, but being a stronger feeder, it will do better than corn on thin soils. A sor- 

 ghum crop leaves the soil in poor mechanical condition, but it has the advantage of 

 being more resistant to drought than corn and of being also more successful on alkali 

 soils. The crop is grown for pasture, soiling, hay, fodder, silage, and seed. It is 

 especially valuable as a pasture for sheep and hogs as well as a summer and autumn 

 feed for dairy stoek. When checked in its growth, prussic acid may form in the 

 leaves and the crop then become injurious when fed to stock. It is best cut for hay 



