1026 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



to 0.02 per cent, sometimes as high as 0.05 per cent) is considered entirely too low to 

 render plants grown on soils fertilized with superphosphates poisonous, as has been 

 suggested in regard to barley used for beer making. 



Potash, in agriculture, G. Smets {La jjotasse en agriculture. Maaseyck: Vander- 

 donrlc-RohijnK, 1900, 2. ed., pp. 44, pis. 7). — This is the second edition of tliis brief 

 treatise on the use of potash as a fertilizer, which is based mainly uixm tlie results 

 of experiments made by the author in Belgium. 



Analyses of commercial fertilizers, ]\I. A. Scovell, A. il. Petek, and H. E. 

 CuKTis [Kniti(cl\ii Std. Bui. &'S, pp. 125-173). — This bulletin contains a statement of 

 the mimber of brands of fertilizers collected and examined, the general results of the 

 analyses, explanations regarding free analyses, the terms used in reporting analyses, 

 and the valuation of fertilizers, and tabulated analyses and valuations of 361 samples. 

 Of the samples analyzed, "72, representing 55 brands and 22 firms, fell so far below 

 the guaranteed analyses in phosphoric acid, nitrogen, or potash, or in two or all three 

 of these ingredients as to be unaccounted for by variations in sampling or analysis." 



Report of analyses of commercial fertilizers for the spring and fall of 1 900 , 

 L. L. VanSlyke and \V. H. Andrews {New York Htate Sta. Bui. 177, pp. 37-97). — The 

 results of analyses of 450 different brands of fertilizers are reported. Of these 326 

 were complete fertilizers in which the nitrogen varied from 0.44 to "8. 15 per cent, 

 averaging 2.16 per cent. The amount of water-soluble nitrogen varied from to 7.1 

 per cent, averaging 0.89 per cent. The availal)le phosphoric acid varied from 1.2 to 

 17.47 per cent, averaging 8.9 per cent. The potash varied from 0.27 to 12 per cent, 

 averaging 4.84 jier cent. In 64 out of the 326 brands examined, the potash was in 

 the form of sulphate free from an excess of chlorids. The average amounts of nitro- 

 gen, available phosphoric acid, and potash exceeded the guaranteed averages by 0.1, 

 1.28, and 0.41 percent, respectively. The average retail selling price of the fertilizers 

 was $27.20, the retail cost of the separate ingredients unmixed, $19.72. 



FIELD CROPS. 



Various conditions affecting the malting quality of barley, 



J. M. H. MuNKO and E. S. BEA^'EN {Jour. Roy. A<jr. Sor. ?J)ujla/i(L 

 3. ser., 11 {1900)^ pt. 2,2)P- 185-251, pis. 11). — A comprehensive paper 

 treating of the following phases of the subject: Varieties; cross ferti- 

 lization; coincident relations of size of grain, maturation, and percent- 

 age of nitrogenous matter; physiological aspect of maturation and 

 overmaturation; conditions affecting quality, as climate, soil, culture, 

 and change of seed; and the effects of cultural treatment of barlej^ 

 grown after roots, deducible from the Rothamsted rotation plats. 

 Under the latter caption the results obtained at Rothamsted with bar- 

 ley grown contiiuiously on the same ground -tS years, and also in a 

 4-3"ear rotation of roots, barley, clover (oi- beans) and wheat for 52 

 3'ears or 13 complete rotations, arc considered. On some plats the 

 roots in the rotation were fed on the land while on others the}^ were 

 removed. Fallow was regularly substituted for cloAcr (or beans) on 

 some plats. 



Malting barleys most generally grown in the United Kingdom are 

 the narrow-eared two-rowed variety {Ilord^tiiii disfic/ti///t), of which 

 Chevalier is the main type grown, and the wide-eared variety Gold- 



