8 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 293 



(liftercnce in rate of evaporation at various luiniiditieswas greater at high tempera- 

 tures. The study is being continued during the present season in an attempt to 

 narrow the range of humidities used and determine the lowest humidity which 

 can be safely used without causing shriveling. 



Fertilizer Distributors. (C. I. C.unness). A fertilizer attachment was 

 developed for a tobacco transplanter, which would apply the relatively large 

 amount of fertilizer used in the Connecticut Valley and place the fertilizer in 

 bands on both sides of the row of plants. Tobacco was planted with fertilizer 

 applied at different depths and different distances from the row in a test carried 

 out and reported by the Department of Agronomy. 



Test of Low-Lift Pumps. (C. I. Gunness.) Additional pumps were tested 

 at the Cranberry Station during the past season. The result of the tests made 

 during the past three years will be published at an early date. 



DEPARTMENT OF AGRONOMY 

 A. B. Beaumont in Charge 



Pasture Experiments. (A. B. Beaumont and E. F. Gaskill.) Experiments 

 in the improvement of upland pastures by top-dressing with fertilizers have been 

 continued. The results of 1932 are in general accord with those reported in re- 

 cent years and summarized in Bulletin 282 published recently. 



Work is in progress on the question of form of nitrogen best suited to our pasture 

 conditions. Indications to date are that nitrates, ammonium salts, urea, and 

 calcium cyanamid can each be used advantageously under certain conditions. 

 Experiments with cyanamid have shown that when it is applied in amounts above 

 200 pounds per acre, a more or less transitory "burn" of grasses and clovers occurs, 

 regardless of the season of the year when applied; but this effect is not considered 

 a sufficient reason for not using this material. 



Legume Variety Tests. (J. L. Haddock, A. B. Beaumont and M. C. Darnell, 

 in cooperation with Division Forage Crops and Diseases, Bureau of Plant Indus- 

 try, U.S.D.A.) 



Alfalja. The highest-yielding varieties for 1932 were as follows: 



1929 seeding: Hardigan (4.91 tons), Kansas, Arizona, Utah, and Ontario. 



1930 seeding: New Mexico (4.75 tons), South African, California, Argen- 

 tine, and Oklahoma. 



1931 seeding: Hardigan (4.63 tons), Argentine (4.63 tons). New Mexico 

 (19010), New Mexico (19011), and Grimm. 



Jied Clover. Nineteen strains of red clover were seeded in 1931, and two cut- 

 tings were harvested in 1932. The results were similar to those reported last 

 year; namely, that the northern-grown American strains outyielded the European. 

 Tennessee (19002) gave the highest yield (3. 10 tons). 



Vetch. In the test seeded in the fall of 1931 with rye as a companion crop, the 

 highest yield of vetch alone was from Smooth (0.702 tons), followed in order by 

 Oregon Hairy, Conunon Hairy, Hungarian, and Oregon Common. In the 1932 

 spring seeding with oats, the best yield of vetch alone was from Smooth (1.07 tons), 

 followeil by Oregon I'earl, Common Hairy, Hungarian, and Oregon Common. 



Field Peas. Peas were seeded with oats as a companion crop in 1932. Golden 

 Vine gave the best yield (0.807 tons) of peas alone, followed in order by Chang, 

 O.A.C. 181, Multiplier, Common, and Austrian Winter. 



