ANNUAL REPORT, 1929 335 



Tlie 4-12-8 was used in the comparison of organic and inorganic forins 

 of nitrogen. On one set of plots 50 per cent of the nitrogen applied 

 came from tankage, 25 per cent from nitrate of soda and 25 per cent 

 from ammo-phos; on the other set, about 20 per cent of the nitrogen was 

 from calcium nitrate and the remaining 80 per cent from ammo-phos, 

 both inorganic forms of nitrogen. With these materials differences were 

 obtained which indicate that having some of the nitrogen in an organic 

 form is preferable. However, the use of other sources of nitrogen might 

 show the difference between the organic and inorganic forms of nitrogen 

 to be less significant. 



Onion Breeding. (J. P. Jones and M. E. Snell). The onion breeding 

 work was continued in 1929 along the same line as reported last year, 

 M-ith major emphasis on selecting, inbreeding and mass breeding several 

 strains of the yellow globe and Japanese set onions. In cooperation with 

 G. B. Snyder, some effort was made to test a number of other varieties 

 in addition to the yellow globe. This phase of the work should be pushed 

 more vigorously during the coming year. 



Influence on Onions of Rate of Seeding and Spacing Between Rows. 



(J. P. Jones and M. E. Snell). It was observed during the season of 

 1928 that the severity of the in.jury resulting from blast was greatly in- 

 fluenced by the thickness of the stand of onions. As a part of the studies 

 irjade in connection with the blast problem, an experiment was laid out 

 in 1929 to determine definitely the extent to which thickness in the row 

 and space between the rows affected blast. There was no blast in the 

 summer of 1929; hence nothing was learned regarding this. It was, 

 however, possible to observe how such differences in planting affected 

 yield and quality of onions in the absence of disease. Seeding at the 

 rate of 3.5 pounds per acre impaired the yield out of proportion to the 

 improvement in quality; seeding at the rate of 6.8 pounds per acre in- 

 creased the yield, but not sufficiently to counteract the effects of reduc- 

 tion in qualitj\ Rows 13 inches apart were found to give larger yields 

 than those 15 or 18 inches apart, and there was little difference in quality. 

 With seed showing a germination of 99 per cent as this did, it was con- 

 cluded that for practical conditions seeding at the rate of between 4 and 

 5 pounds per acre, in rows 13 inches apart, will give the best returns. 



In this experiment, as well as in some of the other onion experiments, 

 counts were made of the number of plants per foot of row about the 

 first of August. It was estimated from these data that onl,v about 50 

 })er cent of the seed planted actually produced plants that are likely to 

 mature. 



Relation of Aluminum Compounds to the 111 Effects of Certain Crops 

 when Grown in Rotation. (J. P. Jones and M. E. Snell). This project 

 includes the rotation and cover crop experiments and also that dealing 

 with the specific effects of other crops on tobacco. In 1929 the work 

 was redirected, looking toward a better understanding of some of the 

 unusual results obtained with rotations. Among other things, considera- 

 tion has been given to the possible relation of aluminum compounds to 

 the depressing effect of some of the preceding crops on the yield and 

 quality of tobacco. 



Field results: — The results in 1929 were not greatly different from those 



