FIELD CROPS. 43 



barley crop than more slowly acting organic forms of nitrogen, as 

 guano and poudrettc, since the taking up of nitrogen b}' this crop is 

 largely contined to the earlier stages of growth. The use of the former 

 compounds of nitrogen, especially nitrate of soda, tends toward an 

 increase of the nitrogen content of the grain, an undesira])le feature 

 in barley intended for brewing purposes. When nitrate of soda is 

 used instead of guano, it should be applied in smaller amounts. 

 Nitrate of soda was found especially valuable, as compared with other 

 nitrogen fertilizers, in dry soils. As to the time of application of 

 fertilizers, the author believes that nitrate of soda should be given in 

 2 applications and not later than the beginning of the stooling of the 

 barley. Sulphate of ammonia and all other forms of organic nitrogen 

 should be applied shortly before the seeding of the barle}^ 



Report on culture experiments with barley at the Berlin Exper- 

 imental Institute for Brewers, vox EcKENBRECiiEii (/>/. G</r.sf,)t- 

 IIoj>fen- n. Kartoffelhau, 1 {1S99), No. 5,pj>- 133-lJtD).—The details of 

 cooperative field experiments in fertilizing barlev with different forms 

 of nitrogen are reported. The data given show the fertilizers applied, 

 yield of grain and straw, weight of 1,000 grains, protein content of 

 the grain, and the comparative value of the grain grown with the dif- 

 ferent fertilizers. The best barley as regards quality was grown with- 

 out any nitrogenous fertilizer, and the poorest with guano. The yields 

 of grain and straw and weight of the grain averag(>d highest on the 

 plats receiving nitrate of soda. The protein content of the grain did 

 not seem to 1)e materially affected b}' the difl'iM-ent fertilizers. 



The influence of heredity upon vigor in the potato, E. S. Goff 

 {Wisconsin Sta. B^d. 1S90, jjj?. 304--308, jig. 1). — A report is made 

 on experiments liegun by the author in the spring of 1884 while he 

 was connected with the New York State Station,^ in the selection of 

 seed potatoes for prolificac3\ Comparisons were made year after 

 year of the pi'olilicacy of tubers selected from the most productive 

 and least productiv(^. hills. The method of preparing the tul)ers for 

 planting was to cut the larger tubers to single eyes just before plant- 

 ing in order to eliminate to a large degree the inequalit}" of size in the 

 two lots of tubers. In 1898 the method was somewhat moditied in 

 order to further eliminate the inequality that arises from the fact that 

 the tubers from the most productive hill almost always average larger 

 than those from the least productive hUl. 



The total }■ ield of the most productive hill of Old Long Mercer for 

 2 3'ears was 63} | oz. ; that of the least productive hill, 4116 oz, 

 Similarl}^, the total yield of the most productive hill of Snowflake for 

 2 years was 332^ oz., and the yield of the least productive hill for the 

 same time 100^ oz. 



1 New York State Sta. Rpt. 1887, p. 85. 

 3809— No. 1 4 



