FIELD CROPS. 943 



entitled Successful sugar-beet culture ( P>tragreicher Zucker-Kiilienbau), by F. Kielil. 

 The book is a resume of a long series of practical and methodical observations made 

 by the author, who has grown sugar beets for 40 years and who for the last 14 years 

 has given his attention to their culture on a large scale. The sul>jei't.s considered in 

 the work are rotation, fertilization, methods of cultivation, number (»f cultivations 

 by hand, distance between plants, time of thinning and harvesting, and varieties. 

 This article treats of the rotations and the application of l)arnyard and sheep 

 manure. 



Beet-sugar industry in Germany in 1899-1900, L. Gkandeau {.Touv. Arjr. 

 rvut., 1900, II, No. 52, ijp. 933, .9o4).— This article, Ijased on the exhibits at tlie 

 Paris Exposition and the publications issued for that occasion, treats of the condition 

 of the beet-sugar industry in (Tcrmany at the present day. 



Beet roots and their crowns, G. W. Siiaw {Beet Sugar Gaz., J {1900), No. 11, 

 p. 5) . — This article briefly discusses the comparative richness of beet roots and their 

 crowns and gives the results of a study on the subject. The average results of 228 

 analyses show a difference of 2.09 per cent of sugar in the juice and 6.69 per cent in 

 the purity coefficient in favor of the beet roots as compared with the crowns. 



Influence of sugar-beet culture on the yield of grain, J. Benard {Semaine 

 Agr., 20 {1900), No. 1020, pp. 38.5, 386).— In tliis article the author gathers data 

 from different countries and shows that sugar-beet culture considerably increases the 

 yield of the grain crops which follow. 



The culture of tobacco, Makhokka {RejMrt of the experunent ■plantation of the 

 Lokhrltz Society of Agriculturist.^ for 1896 and 1897; rev. in SeM:. Khoz.i Lgesov., 196 

 {1900), Feb., pp. 379-439). — An extended series of experiments is desciibed relating 

 to the denseness of planting, the influence of hoeing, irrigation, of different methods 

 of cultivation, of deep plowing, of manure and mineral fertilizers, etc. The experi- 

 ments are being continued and no final conclusions have been reached as yet. — p. 



FIREMAN. 



Nicotin in California-grown tobaccos, G. E. Colby ( California. Sta. Rpt. 1898, 

 pp. 149-134). — ^The autlior reviews the work of other stations in this line and reports 

 the percentage of nicotin found in tlu> water-free substance of 11 varieties of tobacco 

 grown on the station plats. The nicotin content varied from 2.23 per cent in Vuelta 

 Abajo to 9.03 per cent in Pano de Sumatra. Conqueror Louisiana and Brazilian were 

 the only other varieties with a nicotin content under 5 per cent. From this pre- 

 liminary work the author concludes that the cigar-leaf varieties give promise of suc- 

 cess under California conditions. 



Velvet bean and cowpeas {Jour. Jamaica Agr. Soc, 4 {1900), No. 12, 2)- 724). — 

 A brief note comparing the growth of the two plants in Jamaica. 



Wheat trials {New Zealand Dept. Agr. Rpt. 1900, pp. 316-326, ph. 19). — A report 

 on a test of 40 varieties of wheat grown two j^ears in succession in the North and in 

 the South Island. Each variety is briefly described and representative heads of all 

 but 2 varieties are figured. A tabular statement of the results of the season 1899-1900 

 is given on page 253 of the same publication. 



Wheat, J. S. Newman and J. S. Pickett {South Carolina Sta. Bui. 56, pp. 12). — The 

 results of experiments reported in this bulletin indicate that introduced M'heats ripen 

 earlier as they become acclimated to the South, and that the acclimated varieties are 

 tt) be preferred. One bushel of seed per acre gave the best results as compared with 

 other (piantities. Applying nitrate of soda when sowing the seed in the fall gave 

 somewhat better results than its use as a top-dressing in spring. It was assumed that 

 600 lbs. of cotton seed and 200 lbs. of cotton-seed meal contain equal amounts of plant 

 food, but when applied as fertilizer upon this basis cotton seed yielded an average of 

 2 bu. per acre more than the meal. Lime applied to the previous crop increased the 

 yield on 5 plats by 1.55 bu. per acre. A plat plowed 6 in. deep yielded 8.4 bu. per 

 acre more than a plat not plowed before sowing. 



