42 HATCH EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



woody and much later. It is decidedly inferior to the Japan- 

 ese variety in every respect as a fodder crop for this locality. 

 It is quite probable, however, considering its origin, that 

 the Ankee grass will endure drought better than the Japan- 

 ese barn-yard millet. 



Millets under False Names. — The reputation of some of 

 our Japanese millets is such that seed has for the last two 

 years been oflered in some quarters which is not genuine. 

 AVe have received and tested three such samples, from widely 

 diflerent sources. In one of these cases the mistake may 

 have been inadvertent. The variety was sold as Japanese 

 barn-yard millet ; it proved to be the Japanese panicle 

 millet, — a widely different sort. It should he remembered 

 that we have sent out three Japanese millets^ viz., the ham- 

 yard, -panide and common. Tlie first ive consider to he the 

 onost valuable as a fodder crop. 



Sulphate of Iron as a Fertilizee. 

 A recent English work on manures and fertilizers* lays 

 great stress upon the value of sidphate of iron as a fertilizer, 

 and contains figures giving the results of many apparently 

 careful experiments, all tending to show that this chemical 

 often has a considerable influence in increasing crops. The 

 opinions of Mr. Grifliths upon this point, so far as I am 

 aware, are not shared by most authorities, and I had not 

 much confidence that experiments here would give results 

 similar to those he reports. Still, it is our place to put 

 such questions to the test. Accordingly a piece of land 

 that for some years has been manured yearl}^ at the rate of 

 ()00 pounds ground bone and 200 pounds muriate of })otash 

 per acre, and which has produced a variety of crops, includ- 

 ing grass, potatoes and clover, was selected for the purpose. 

 It was divided into four plats, and all received the custom- 

 ary application of bone and potash, applied in September, 

 1895. These plats contain one-thirtieth of an acre each. 

 The crop was the medium green soya bean, planted June 

 13. Sulphate of iron was applied to two of these plats, 

 Nos. 1 and 4, on June 24, just as the beans were coming 

 up, at the rate of 80 pounds per acre. 



* Griffiths, "Farm Manures." 



