UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. BULLETIN NO. 7i. Sugar Beets at Fresno. The culture of the sugar beet in the Sin Joaquin valley has until lately remained a bare suggestion. It is well known that they have been successfully grown rear Lsleton and Siera mento, on the moist lands of the Sacramento river, on which irrigation is unnecessary. It is doubtful that the sugar beet has ever been cul- tivated where irrigation is indispensable, and this fact, as well as the high summer temper- ature of the southern valley, has discouraged the attempt. In fact, the very idea of a root filled full of irrigation water, and then wilted by the torrid heat, is enough to excite the antipathy of the manufacturer. The success of the sugar beet in Los Angeles, however, encouraged the hope that with a proper selection of soil and of the time of planting and irrigation, a root suitable for the sugar-maker might be produced in the San Joaquin valley; and, if so. that the crop might be made to supplement that of the coast val- leys so as to prolong materially the annual cam- I paign, the shortness of which is a heavy charge on the capital invested in the somewhat costly plant of beet-sutar factories. As stated in a paper on the subject, published in the Decern* ber number of the Overland Monthly, the cam- paign period in Europe usually does not much 81- I ceed three months — October, November, Decem- ber — while in Cali'ornia, owing to the favoring climatic conditions, thnre i-< no difficulty in lengthening it to the five mouths from Septem- ber to January, both inclusive. If by early sowing in the precocious season of the Upper San Joaquin two or three months more could be added to the time of campaign, it would place beet-sugar production in this State on a ground of vantage from which it might calmly defy the competition of its tropical competitor, the sugar-cane. Preliminary experiments to test the feasibility of growing good sugar b-?ets under the condition of the Fresno climate have, during the present season, been made by Mr. M. Denicke of VARIETIES OF WHEAT AND THE HESSIAN FLY. Name of Variety. Missoyen Palestine Petali Volo Ailanti* Forelle.' C ommon March Diamond Ex. Early Oakley McGeehee's White Polish Red Sea Victoria Brenner White CTub+. . . Winter Crimea Nicaragua White Genoese kaub's Black Prolific Winter Fulcaster Russian Red Bearded Centennial Black Big White Club, Oregon. Diehl's Mediterranean . . . Egyptian 1 Faftz Improved Circassian. . . . Little Club , Mammoth , Nonette Lousanne Touzelle Tunisian ' White Banate 1886. Sown February 25th. 1887. Sown January 24th. Small crop, but no fly found Good crop; no fly. Fair crop; no fly 'Good crop; no rly. Fair crop; no fly iGood crop; no rly. Good crop; no fly Good crop; no fly. Small yield; no fly Good crop; very few flaxseeds. Fair crop; no fly Fair crop; no fly. Fair crop; very few fl es Good crop; no fly. Good crop; no fly. Failure; abundantly infested Good crop; very few flies. Failure; largely infested Good crop; no flies. Fair crop; somewhat infested Good crop; no flies. Failure; badly infested Good crop; no flies. Not sown Good crop; no flies. Not sown Poor yield; no flies. Not sown Good , Si M ■ Dec. Dec. May 27 May 27 , Apr. ioP'June 26 , Mar. 17? June 29 ,! ? I Aug. 4 21 24 18 22 10. 1 7.0 10.5 12.6 13.2 82 6 70.0 I 80.7 82.0 75 3 With regard to the data in this table it should be stated for the benefit of the general reader that roots having an average of 10 per cent of J cane sugar and a purity coefficient of 80 (that is, I 80 per cent of cane sugar iu the total solid con- tents of the juice) would be considered a fair workable material by the sugar-maker. But a higher sugar per cent in the juice may offset a lower degree of purity, and vice versa. It will be noted that the average of the three first lots (leaving out of consideration lot 1, B) is 11.1 per cent of sugar with a purity coeffi- cient of 81.4; they are therefore amply within the limits stipulated by the suga 1 -maker. As for lot 1, B, the fact that the roots had begun to throw out seedstalks shows at once that they had passed beyond the limits within which the crop should have been harvested. 1 conjecture that this growth had been started by untimely irrigation. As for lot 4, although it shows a somewhat higher suiar percentage than No. 3, its lower purity coefficient would nevertheless render it less desirable as it stands; but the appearance of the roots suggests in this case, also, that the proper time for harvesting had cassed by. beets can very probably be extended through the months of June, July and August, making it reach from June 1st to February 1st; and considering that the beets of the first lot had already passed their best condition by a week or two, and that with somewhat im- proved arrangements tor the preservation of the late-grown beets they can probably be car- ried to the middle of February, we can fore- shadow the possibility of such an extraordinary beet- sugar factory, running on fresh beets. With the additional possibility of utilizing beets under the same conditions as the raisin crop, the full 12 month may ulti- mately be called into requisition. It must, however, be remembered that in or- der to realize such results, it must be feasible to bring the beets of the San Joaquin valley and those of the coast valleys within reach of one and the same factory plant. The roots will not bear railroad transportation to any distance; but with cheap water transportation it might be feasible to let the crops of Fresno and Merced start up the factories located in the upper bay region, in June, and to keep them running until the middle of February by supplies from the coast region. It is to be hoped that more extended and carefully guarded experiments will be made the coming season, even if the omission of Congress to render the Experiment Station bill effective by means of an appropriation should not be made good in time. E. W. Hilgard. Berkeley, Aug. 12, 1SS7. The Hessian Fly and Resistant Grains. In Bulletin No. 58 of the University Experi- ment Station (issued Oct. 9, 1886) is given a sketch of the results of an experiment made in ISSu to t >st the resistance of a large collection of grain varieties to the attacks of the Hessian fly (Cccidomyia destructor). The annual report for 18S(i, which is now nearly ready for distri- bution, will contain a fuiler account of the same experiment. For the purpose of verifying the results of last year, and at the same time to determine other points in view, the full col- lection of ceresls was resown in 18S7. on the same fly -infested ground. In addition to the varieties sown last year, there were a number of new sorts, some selected witm special refer- ence to their supposed resisting quality. Tl e present announcement (is for the pur- pose oi giving early notice of the varieties whiob gave best results, and in some cases to compare the outcome of two years' trial. A. full consideration of other points involved in the experiment will be reserved for the next annual report. The following table gives the behavior of certain varieties of wheat under attack by the Hessian fly : The foregoing are a tew varieties chosen from over 150, which have been tested thia year, and they are selected with a view of pointing out some of the most obvious eonciu sions concerning resisting quality. First: The value of early sowing is appar- ent, for it is shown that quite a number of varieties which yielded entirely to the fly last year were able this year, by having a growing season a month longer, to pull through and make a fair to good yield on the same ground that they failed on last year. At the same time it appears that the time of sowing does not fully hold the key to the situation, for some varieties were destroyed both years. The full report will show more instances ol thia kind than it is thought worth while to cite at this time. Second: That the resisting quality inherea in the variety largely, is shown by the con- tinued resistance of the varieties which sue* ceeded last year, and which were therefore sent out for experiment iu fly-infested districts last winter. These varieties are the first six enumerated in the table above. In most of these cases an improved yield was secured by earlier sowing this year, but whether yielding little or much, they had the same distasteful- ness to the fly. Information Desired. This brief statement is made chiefly with the design of drawing out reports from those to whom we sent resisting varieties for trial. Such local experience will be of great value in the full discussion which is contemplated. We desire not only the facts of yield and behavior of theae varieties themselves but a comparison of them with other varieties commonly sown in the localities; also what is the conclusion of the grower of the value of these strong grow- ing dark varieties, either for home use or in the market. Durintf the vear we have been in correspond- ence with Miss Eleanor A. Ormercd, Consult- ing Entomologist of the Royal Agricultural S3- ciety of England, in reference to the Hessian fly and its work. Miss Ormerod announced the discovery of the fly in English grainfields in July, 18Sb\ Up to that time its presence had not been observed. Miss Ormerod's tenth report contains a very interesting deecription of her investigations and study of the insect. One point on which Miss Ormerod desires the observation of others who may be hmdling fly- infested grain is the point at which the flax- seeds or puparia are deposited in the process of thrashing. She did not find them in the cleaned grain nor in the chaff blown out by the fan, but found them in great abundance with the screenings which in English practice seem to be deposited just beneath the machine. The point of deposit in California would de- pend upen the kind of cleaner which is used with the thrasher. We would esteem it a favor if any reader who may have opportunity to make examination on this point would send us the results. The puparia are called "flax- seeds " from their resemblance thereto. They are generally about one-sixth of an inch long, smooth, spindle-shaped, or pointed at both ends, and of different shades of chestnut color. When very thickly crowded in the stem, they are irregularly compressed but would still be recognizable. We shall be glad to receive notes on the occurrence of auch bodies in screenings, and to receive small samples of screenings which may be thought to contain them. Of course if it is found that these bodies are largely aggregated 1 y the process of thraah- ing, measures can be taken to somewhat reduce the pest by treatment of the screenings, which is calculated to destroy the insect when in this form. Such measures, coupled with burning the straw and stubble right after removing the grain from the field, would seem to be a serious blow to the increase of the fly. Our experi- ment this year included a large collection of va- rieties of barley. The results, which will be more fully discussed at another time, show that barleys were much less seriously affected this year than last, and that a number of kinds which failed last year gave very satisfactory re* turns this year. E. J. Wickson. Berkeley, Aug. 12th,