FIELD CROPS. 437 



tlie former case— that is, with chloriii a less amount of org-anic matter 

 had been (^lalK)ratecl. This higher pereentao-e of potash was present 

 entirely in the original form of potassium chloric!, w4nch is, in the 

 author's opinion, the cause of the increased water content of potatoes 

 ii'rown with it. It is suggested that the low starch content of the tubers 

 may be accounted for by the presence in the sap of the relatively 

 large amount of potassium chlorid, thus interfering in some way with 

 the formation of starch. The relation of starch content to potash con- 

 tent was found not to lie uniform in different varieties. Some i-equired 

 a larger amount of potash to manufacture a given amount of starch 

 than did others. 



Experimental inquiries were made with regard to the su))stitution 

 of soda or magnesia for potash. Soda was never found in the tu])ers, 

 at least not in any considerable quantity, though it was found in the 

 tops of plants to which it had been applied. Magnesia was found in 

 small quantities, about one-twentieth to one-tenth of the amount of 

 ^otash present, but in the case of neither soda nor magnesia did addi- 

 tion of these elements diminish the potash requirements of the plant. 



The yield of the tubers was only slightly reduced by application of 

 potassium chlorid, l)ut was much reduced 1)y additions of magnesium 

 chlorid or sodium chlorid. When either of the latter elements were 

 applied to a plat which had already received liberal applications of 

 potassium sulphate, the yield was considerably less than on a check 

 plat which had received no fertilizer at all, showing that the good 

 effect of the sulphate of potash is more than counteracted by the ill 

 effect of th€se chlorids; but magnesium sulphate and sodium sulphate 

 produced no unfavorable effect. On the contrary, experiments indi- 

 cated that these salts slightly increased the yield and starch content 

 of potatoes, and decreased the potash content of the tubers. 



Sugar-beet investigations in 1899, J. H. Stewart and B. H. Hite 

 ( ]I e^.y/ Y!r<jiula. Sta. Bid. (jJ^.^ pp. loo-176^ maj) 1). — The experiments 

 with sugar beets at the station in 1899 involved a study of the influence 

 of different fertilizers and of lime upon the sugar content and purity 

 of the juice, different dates of planting and harvesting, tests of varie- 

 ties, and cooperative culture experiments carried on with farmers 

 tnroughout the State. 



Excessively wet weather interfered with the fertilizer and lime 

 experiments, but the results show that the stand of beets was practi- 

 cally the same on limed and unlimed plats. When lime was used alone 

 on the plats there was a slight improvement in the sugar content and 

 purit}^ of the juice; used with commercial fertilizers or barnyard 

 manure, it seemed to have the opposite effect. Stable manure seemed 

 to increase the impurities in the juice; while the use of acid phosphate 

 regularh" gave the highest coefficients of purity. 



In the variety tests scarcely any difference was found between the 



