FIELD CROPS. 1063 



Report on experiments with potatoes, 1905, \Y. Bbuce and J. Porter i Edinb. 

 and East of Scot. Col. Agr. Bvl. 9, pp. .'•>, dgm, /).— Among 13 varieties of potatoes 

 tested the second time Factor, Pink Blossom, and Qp-to-Date were the only ones 

 which yielded a heavy crop of fair quality. < >f the medium early varieties King 

 Edward VII was the mosl productive, being followed by White Blossomand British 

 Queen. Sunn- of the old standard varieties proved of equal value with the besl of 

 the new ones. 



Sprouting the seed potatoes in boxes before planting increased the yield as well as 

 the size of the tubers. Sprouted seed planted May 5 produced a better crop than 

 unsprouted seed planted A pril 14. 



< )n sandy soil the use of commercial fertilizers with barnyard manure was profit- 

 able, an<l on one of the test plats a complete commercial fertilizer gave Wetter results 

 than incomplete applications, although sulphate of potash alone gave a satisfactory 

 return. Sulphate of ammonia gave a larger increase in yield than nitrate of soda. 

 For sandy loams the use of 1 cwt. of sulphate of ammonia, 3 cwt. of superphosphate, 

 and 1 •] cwt. of sulphate of potash, given with a medium dressing of barnyard 

 manure, is recommended. 



Trial of varieties of potatoes, <b E. Adams | Rhode Island Sta. I!"/, ill, pp. 61- 

 74)' — The fertilizer formulas used during a period of 7 year- in potato experiments 

 are given and the average yields of varieties for the number of years grown are 

 shown in tables. 



The range in yield of the 85 varieties under test was from 426 bu. per acre, the 

 3-year average of the Great Eastern, to 67.7 bu. per acre, the 2-year average of 

 Rival. The total crop of Astonisher, Gem of Aroostook, and Prof. J)r. Maercker 

 showed a maximum variation of only 0.9 of a bushel, yet in the percentage of mer- 

 chantable tubers there was a variation of 20.4 percent of the entire crop. A similar 

 relation was observed between Commercial, Early Maine, and German Early Rose, 

 the difference in yield of merchantable tubers in these .'! varieties being equal to 

 49.9 bu. per acre. In observing the disease resistance of varieties Prof. Julius Kiihn 

 showed the greatest immunity from injury by the blights. The selection of early- 

 maturing varieties is considered as apparently the only safe plan to be followed to 

 keep the crop free from blight. 



Potatoes were sprayed 4 and 5 times during the season. Sixteen varieties gave an 

 increase" 1 yield of over 50 per cent of the total crop as due to the additional spraying. 

 Fifteen varieties showed an increase of from 25 to 50 per cent, 12 yielded from 1 to 25 per 

 cent greater crops, wlfile 8 varieties showed an apparent loss from the last spraying. 

 The plants of the 15 varieties giving the greatest increase in yield remained vigorous and 

 continued to grow from 2 to :! weeks longer upon the area sprayed 5 times than upon 

 the area sprayed only 4 times. Peerless Junior, State of Maine, Burbank, White 

 Star, and Vermont Golden Coin, sprayed 5 times, retained from 90 to 100 per cent of 

 their foliage for more than 3 weeks after the plants sprayed only 4 times were dead. 



Home-mixed fertilizers for potatoes, 0. D. Woods and J. M. Baktlett | Maine 

 Sta. Bui. 126, pp. 41-44). — The details of experiments here reported have been previ- 

 ously noted (E. S. R., 16, p. 1073). In 1905 three home-mixed fertilizers were com- 

 pared with one commercial potato fertilizer and the results, on the whole, were lower 



with the home-mixed than with the< nnercial fertilizer. The results are considered 



as not admitting of conclusive interpretation at the present time. 



Ramie and similar crops in India, G. B. De Cardo {La ramu et ses analogues 

 aux Tndes Anglaises. Paris: A. Challamel, 1906, pp. US).— This book is a translation 

 and a resume" of information on the culture and preparation of ramie and other 

 analogous liber plants in India. The information here given is taken from the 

 Dictionary of the Economic Products of India, by< i. Watt, published from 1889 to 1893. 



Field observations upon the tolerance of the sugar beet for alkali, I r. W. 

 Shaw (California sta. Bid. 169, pp. 99, figs. £0) . — Previous work along this line, 



