42 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



The average increase of grain in 1898 attributed to the original appli- 

 cation of horse manure was 3,17 bu. per acre. 



Variety tests of grains, R. A. Moore ( Wisconsin Sta. Rpt. 1899, 

 2)p. ^Ji.6-248). — Tests were made of several varieties of oats and barley 

 and one varietj" each of Russian spelt and Russian millet. A part of 

 the oats and barley were from Canada, All others were imported from 

 Russia by this Department. Wisconsin Mandscheuri barley was com- 

 pared with the same variety as grown in Canada, to determine whether 

 the seed had lost any of its vitality since being grown in Wisconsin, 

 and also to compare it with some of the newer varieties. The results 

 of this and some other parts of the test were as follows: 



"The test shows that the Mandscheuri barley is reliable seed and is especially 

 adapted to our soil and climate. 



"The Oderbruker barley, which, like the Mandscheuri, is a six-rowed barley, gave 

 the largest yield per acre, but was somewhat lighter in weight per measured l)ushel. 

 These two varieties grew more vigorous and the straw was brighter and stronger 

 than in other varieties tested. 



"Of the oats tested, the Siberian and Daubeney gave the best yield per acre of 

 grain, and the Russian No. 2800 the best yield of straw. The Daubeney oats ripened 

 earlier and more evenly than the other varieties, and while the yield of straw was 

 less, it was of an extra tine quality. 



"The Russian spelt did not thrive well, and did not produce a good crop of either 

 grain or straw. It does not seem to be well adapted to our conditions, as the warm 

 weather in summer materially affects it." 



The growth of the millet was rapid, and a large amount of hay could 

 have been secured if it had been cut at the proper time. The o})ject 

 of the test, however, was to secure seed. Russian vetches were found 

 to be a promising crop, growing luxuriantly^ and producing a large 

 amount of line green forage. 



Machine and hand-threshed cereals for seed, H. C. Schellen- 

 'RYM(}{Laiid(v. Jahrb. iScJuoclz., IS {1899), pj^- 152-168). — The author's 

 experiments along this line with rye, wheat, spelt, and barley show 

 that the losses for seed purposes due to threshing b}" machiner}^ were 

 t\ with rye, i with wheat, and \ with barle}^ of the total grain yield. 

 With rye and wheat this was 3 times as great a loss as resulted from 

 the use of the flail, and with barle}^ twice as great. These losses were 

 consideral)ly increased in each case when the seed was treated with a 

 solution of copper sulphate before planting. In general the larger 

 seeds were the ones most injured by threshing. With spelt, only one- 

 fourth of the machine-threshed grain was available for seed purposes. 



The nitrogen fertilization of barley for bre-wing, T. Reimy (/>V. 

 GeMen- llopftm- H. KdrtofrlJxdi, 1 (1899), Ao. 1, pp. .9-.i6').— Pot ex- 

 periments in fertilizing ])arley with different forms and amounts of 

 nitrogen are reported. The moisture content of the pots was varied 

 in some instances. From the results obtained it is shown that nitrate 

 of soda and sulphate of ammonia are more conipletcl}' used up by the 



