132 EXPERIMENT STATION EECORD. 



FIELD CROPS. 



The influence of distance on the gro-wth and chemical compo- 

 sition of plants, C. VON Seelhorst and Panaotovic {Jour. Lancho.^ 

 4.7 {1S90), JTo. 4-1 JW- 379-389). — The known effect of distance between 

 sugar beets on their composition suggested a similar study of other 

 plants. Oats and spring wheat were used. One, live, and eight plants, 

 respectively, were grown in pots and observations made on the devel- 

 opment and composition of each lot. A decrease of the ground space 

 allotted to each plant increased the number of internodes and lessened 

 the thickness of the culm, but increased its length. The uppermost 

 internode was relatively and absolutel}' shorter, but the lowermost was 

 longer as the thickness of the plants was increased. The length and 

 weight of the head and the weight of the grain decreased with the 

 reduction of ground space per plant. The spread, however, of the 

 head increased. 



The most striking change in composition was in the nitrogen con- 

 tent. Representing the nitrogen content of oat plants grown 1 in a 

 pot by 100 per cent, the content of those grown 5 m a pot was 80.5 

 per cent, and when grown 8 in a pot, 70.1 per cent. The change in 

 content of total ash, phosphoric acid, potash, and lime was not so great, 

 but was nevertheless ver}^ marked. 



The nutritive value of plants grown 5 in a pot was furthermore only 

 85.12 per cent as great as when grown 1 in a pot, and when grown 8 in 

 a pot the nutritive value was only 76.91 per cent. The proportion 

 of straw to grain was also increased as the distance between plants was 

 decreased, as is a matter of common experience. 



The Woburn field experiments, 1898, J. A. Voelcker {Jour. 

 Boy. Agr. Sac. EixjJand, 3. .sv/-., 10 {1899). pt. J,,, j^P- 585-607). —D^ti\. 

 in continuation of that previously noted (E. S. R., 10, p. 719) are 

 tabulated for the yields of wheat and barley grown continuously for 

 22 years on the same plats, with and without manures, and of rotation 

 experiments with barley, roots, red clover, and wheat; together with 

 brief accounts of experiments with rye grass, alfalfa, Latliyrus syl- 

 vestrls, pasture plats, green manuring, prevention of potato disease, 

 and the curing of ''finger-and-toe" in turnips. 



Lime has proven especialh' valuable on the soils of the experimental 

 lields where continuous application of fertilizers with ammonia salts 

 has been practiced. Another effect of the lime has been to destroy 

 spurry, a weed which was very prevalent on the unlimed plats and 

 especially on plats fertilized with ammonia salts. The largest yield of 

 wheat in ls;».S, 51.8 bu. per acre, was obtained on a plat fertilized 

 3'early with 350 lbs. of superphosphate, and in alternate 3'ears with 

 200 lbs. of potash and 100 lbs. of ammonia salts (equal quantities of 

 sulphate and muriate of ammonia). As to the influence of the manures 



