CEREAL AND Its nutritive proprieties (at any rate as a feed for animals) are undoubted, judging by the eagerness of the pigs which are turned out in the loma" during the winter season. The tubers were placed in pots in April 1910; their weight varied from 0.5 to 5 grams. In September, about 300 tubers were harvested; their weight was from 0.5 gr. to 30 gr. These were carefully preserved and planted in 1911, after having been classified according to size. They were planted in soil which had not been fertilized for a long time and where mulberry trees had grown for the last 5 years. It was desired to obtain for 1911, a series of complete plants from which a first supply of tubers to be intensively cnltivated with suitable manure could be picked out. Forty-five plants were separated out, of which the yield and vegetative characters were well known and which will form the point of departure of new selection experiments. The following figures give an idea of the first crops obtained. The field was divided into six lots, of which three of 6 ft. 6 in. X 13 ft. were planted with the larger tubers. The crops were respectively 4.73 lbs., 5.03 lbs. and 9.41 lbs., with an average weight per plant of 113.376, 127.161, and 129.670 grams, while the average yield of the wild S. immite was only from 21 to 25 grams. Plot IV (6 ft. 6 in. X13 ft) yielded 5.47 lbs.; plot V (6 ft. 6 in. X 13 ft.) yielded 6.79 lbs.; the number of plants was not accurately known. Plot VI (13 ft. X13 ft.) produced 23.52 lbs. The following are some yields of separate plants; the weight is given in grammes: 173.10; 171.10; 180.60; 186.90; 192.50; 197.50; 206.20; 218.20; 232,20; 240.50; 280.40; 283.25; 311.75; 429.35; 460.80; 548.31; 667.45. The writer calls special attention to the plant which had a tuber yield of 548.31 gr.; the rhizomes were superficially arranged, several of the neighbouring tubers were disposed in a parallel manner and belonged to different chains, of which four could be distinguished. It was observed that this plant possessed two well-developed stems above ground. 25- Recent Scientific Investigations Described in the First Collective Report Wissenschaftliche Neuforschungen aus dem Ersten Sammelbericht der Versuchsanstalt fü A. Characteristics of German Cereals. Bread-making properties of rye and wheat meal. I. Rye. The dough and bread-making properties of the 13 samples of rye examined (12 Petkuser and I Probsteier) were found to be excellent and to fulfil adequately all the technical requirements. Average dough yield was ascertained to be 155-158 grams, and bread-yield 138-149 grs. per 100 grs. of flour. The volume of the bread should be 300 cc. per 100 grs. air-dry flour, or at least, not fall far below this figure. II. Wheat. The extensive data resulting from the examination of 26 varieties of wheat showed that local varieties were much superior to inten sively selected ones in bread-making properties, while very inferior in yield. Usually, good baking local wheats have the higher gluten content. When mixed with other wheats, the selected highly productive varieties lose their defective properties and generally produce flour and bread of good colour. The gluten content of the first grinding is usually 1% lower than that of the second grinding, but the gluten of the first is softer, less firm, and has a greater power of taking up water. Further, flour of 21 varieties of winter and 12 of spring wheat were exa There is without doubt a certain relation between the amount of gluten present and the volume of the bread: a very low gluten content produces loaves of small volume, while the largest loaves are usually the result of using a flour which is rich in gluten. The gluten content appears to show no parallelism with the quality of the bread. B. Characteristics of some foreign wheats. The North American wheats are distinguished by short firm gluten, and the bread made from them alone is inferior in quality; they are, however, very suitable for mixing with tenacious and soft wheats. The South American wheats have usually very extensible, soft gluten and the flour and bread made from them are soft and have a large volume, but the dough tends to be deficient in elasticity. C. Nitrogen content and distribution in native wheats. Experiment showed that there was no close connection between the nitrogenous substances of different degrees of solubility and the quality of the flour. There seems, however, to be a connection between the constitution of the gluten and the amount of alcohol-soluble portion of protein, for firm short gluten contains less of the soluble part than does soft extensive gluten, but the behaviour of the flour, as a whole, does not depend upon the alcohol-soluble protein. Protein which is soluble in water is also of no importance in estimating the quality of wheat flour. D. The Effect of manure on the composition and kneading properties of rye and of wheat. I. The use of chemical fertilizers as a rule slightly increases the weight per bushel; and potash fertilizers in no way injure this quality of the wheat. 2. There appears to be no clear relation between the weight per 1000 grains and the use of a fertilizer. 3. Complete manuring generally produces an increase in protein. 4. The ash content is not made higher. 5. The fat content remains the same. 6. The hydrocarbons, which behave in an almost opposite manner to protein, decrease slightly. There is no regular connection between the amount of flour and the use of fertilizers. Baking experiments showed, that the qualities distinguishing good flour: amount of dough, and the weight and volume of the loaves, are not affected by a complete fertilizer, at least in the case of rye. No satisfactory decision has been arrived at with regard to wheat, as the experiments made have been few and not extensive. 26 - Comparative Experiments in Barley Cultivation. VARGA KALMAN. Összehasonlitó árpatermesztésikisérletek. Köztelek, Year 22, No. 89, pp. 3051-3052. Budapest, November 16, 1912. In Hungary, the value of brewing barley depends much on the date of its ripening, and therefore it is a mistake to introduce barleys from northern countries, which are late and usually shrivel during the great heat in July and become useless in the manufacture of beer. Three years ago, the idea spread that "Hofbräu ", "Golden melon ", and "Probstei" varieties could be compared to Hanna ", which is especially suitable to Hungary. From 1909 to 1911, the writer made a series of comparative experiments with the above-named varieties in order to ascertain: 1) the precise date of their ripening, 2) the influence exercised upon their quality by the application of nitrate, used with or without superphosphate. The experiments were carried out on plots belonging to the Agricultural Academy of Kassa in North Hungary, on deep and fairly heavy soil." The barley always followed potatoes and the treatment of the soil was identical in both cases. The data obtained respecting the average date of ripening are given in Table I. |