SOILS AND FERTILIZERS 533 



they now partially or wholly fail, and increasing their general 

 yield and other good qualities in localities where they are now used, 

 are the more important problems and probably should receive the 

 first attention. 



There is no reason why the nitrogen content of a variety can 

 not be increased as well as the sugar content, the flavor, the hardi- 

 ness, the height, or any other measurable characteristic. The Kan- 

 sas Experiment Station found that ears of corn of a variety grown 

 for thirty years on the same farm varied in protein content from 9 

 to 13 per cent, and that different varieties of corn varied about the 

 same. Professor Hopkins, of the Illinois station, proved that corn 

 plants with grain high in percentage of nitrogen generally pro- 

 duced grain with more nitrogen, thus proving that this quality can 

 be improved. (Div. Veg. Phys. B. 29.) 



