AGRICULTURAL BOOK REVIEWS 



A study of nearly all the grassland dominants 

 has been completed and more than 80 examina- 

 tions of the root systems of crop plants have 

 been made. In the area investie:ated. the grass- 

 land formation has been differentiated into 

 three associations by pronounced climatic 

 variations, especially of rainfall and evapora- 

 tion. These are: (1) the true prairie (Stipa- 

 Kceleria association) ; (2) the mixed prairie 

 (Stipa-Bouteloua association); and (3) the 

 short-grass plains (Bulbilis-Bouteloua associa- 

 tion). 



The root systems of 43 species, 17 of which 

 were grasses, have been examined in the true 

 prairies; 36 species have been excavated in the 

 hard lands of mixed prairie, and 45 in the 

 mixed prairie of the sandhills. 



Cereal crops grown at many stations in the 

 various associations showed marked differences 

 in root and shoot development. Root growth 

 was greatest in true prairie (100 per cent), least 

 in short-grass plains (51 to 79 per cent), and 

 intermediate in mixed prairie (SO to 95 per 

 cent). Similar correlations of root and shoot 

 development of native grasses have been de- 

 termined. Root development of crop-plant 

 ecads grown on upland and lowland areas in 

 true prairie climate was found to be greater in 

 most cases on the upland and uniformly so 

 in comparison to shoot development. The ap- 

 plications of a knowledge of root habit and 



development have been pointed out." — Plant 

 Ecology pl35 Mr 1 '21 



WIPRUD, A. CLARENCE. Federal farm-loan 

 system in operation. '21 Harper $2 332.3 



21-13422 



The purpose of the book is to give reliable 

 information about the system that is to supply 

 the American farmers with the long-term 

 credit which will enable them to develop and 

 expand their farming operations. W. G. Mc- 

 Adoo, in his introduction to the volume, says 

 "This great system of agricultural credit will 

 become a very rock of Gibralter for agricul- 

 tural prosperity. If this is now supplemented 

 by an intelligent system of warehousing, and 

 by co-operative organizations for the financing, 

 marketing, and distribution of farm products, 

 a new and brighter future will open to the 

 American farmer." The joint-stock land banks 

 — an organization intended to complement the 

 Federal banks — are dealt with in the appendix, 

 which also gives the text of the Federal farm 

 loan act. 



Contents: Framework of the Federal farm 

 loan system; Method of financing; Federal 

 farm-loan bonds; Federal farm loans; Federal 

 farm loans (cont) ; Cooperative features of the 

 Federal farm-loan system; Service aside from 

 making loans; Appendices 



