FIELD CKUPS. 443 



Winter oats for grain and pasture {Rural New Yorker, 59 {1900), No. 2637, p. 

 543). — The .successful culture of winter oats when seeded in August at the Delaware 

 Station are reported by A. T. Neale. The oats bore from 30 to 50 berries per stalk 

 and the yield was ))etween 7 and 8 tons of green forage per acre. 



On the origin and variability of the potato, E. Andre {Rev. Ilort., 72 {1900), 

 No. 19, pp. 542, 543) . — The adaptation of the potato to great variations in climate 

 and soil and its variability in such locations are pointed out and some notes given on 

 the growth of potatoes in Colombia and Ecuador. Some suggestions are added rela- 

 tive to the introduction and improvement of native South American and Mexican 

 potatoes. 



Potato growing experiments {Queensland Agr. Jour., 7 {1900), No. 3, p. 215). — 

 The summarized results of some fertilizer and cultural tests with potatoes are given. 

 The use of 20 tons of barnyard manure resulted in the largest yields and tubers of the 

 best cooking qualities. Sprouted seed tubers gave l)etter yields than nonsprouted. 



Trials of potatoes at the Wagga Experiment Farm, G. M. McKeown {Agr. 

 Gaz. Neiv South Wales, 11 {1900), No. !>, p. 7<sv;).— Data as to the yields obtained in 

 tests of 10 varieties. 



The effect of different potash salts on the composition and yield of pota- 

 toes, T. Pfeiffer {Landw. Vers. Stat., 54 {1900), Nos. 5-6, pp. 379-385) .—Work 

 along this line by the author has been previously noted (E. S. R., 10, p. 140). In 

 the present instance magnesium chlorid used in connection with potassium sulphate 

 decreased the percentage of starch in varying amounts in 4 varieties of potatoes. 

 Fresh tubers which had been fertilized with chlorid of potash contained about 0.12 

 per cent of chlorin, while those fertilized with sulphate of potash contained about 

 0.05 per cent. 



The influence of manures on the quality of potatoes, J. W. Paterson ( West 

 of Scotland Agr. Soc. Bid. 4, pp- 27-35) . — The quality of potatoes as affected by dif- 

 ferent commercial fertilizers and ba-rnyard manure was investigated. In 12 out of 16 

 cases the use of barnyard manure injured the quality of the potatoes. The potatoes 

 showing the highest starch content had been fertilized with a mixture consisting of 

 672 lbs. of superphosphate, 224 lbs. of sulphate of ammonia, 112 lbs. of nitrate of 

 soda, and 224 lbs. of sulphate of potash per acre. 



Indian millets or sorghums grown at Wollongbar, H. V. Jackson {Agr. 

 Gaz. New South Wales, 11 {1900), No. 9, pp. 759-763, figs. 36).— 'Notes on the cultiva- 

 tion of sorghum in India with data on the development of 45 varieties imported from 

 there and grown in New South Wales. 



Sorghum for sirup, G. W. Shaw {Oregon Sta. Bui. 62, pp. 3-6). — A number of 

 varieties oi sorghum were distributed by the station in some of the districts of Oregon 

 which seemed most suited to the culture of this crop. Some data as to the growth 

 of the stalks and the sugar content of the juice of samples from 28 different localities 

 are tabulated. The crop made a fair growth in Jackson and Umatilla comities. Late 

 varieties matured with much uncertainty in the latter county. 



Growth of the tobacco industry, M. Whitney and M. L. Floyd ( U. S. Dept. 

 Agr. Yearbook 1899, prp. 429-440, pis. 7) . — An historical review of the development of 

 the tobacco industry in Maryland and Virginia and of its extension to other States, 

 with an account of the use of Connecticut tobacco in the cigar industry; require- 

 ments of the foreign tobacco trade; manufacturing, smoking, and domestic cigar 

 tobaccos grown and handled in the United States; and statistics of the manufacture 

 of tobaccos, snuff, cigars, and cigarettes in this country, and of leaf tobacco exported 

 from the United States. 



Fermentation of tobacco, T. II. Vernhout {Meded.'s Lands Planientuin, 1899, 

 No. 34, pp. 49, pis. 2; ahs. in Centbl. Bakt. u. Par., 2. AhL, 6 {1900), No. 10-11, pp. 

 377, 378) . — Maintains that it is bacterial and that oxydase and peroxydase have no 

 part in the fermentation of Java tobacco. 

 11989— No. 5 4 



