56th and 57th
ANNUAL REPORTS 4e
AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
A( =h ALABAMA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE
January 1, 1945 - December 31, 1946
AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS
Alabama's Farm Fire 
Insurance. (B. F. Alvord.) 
Farmers'
mutual fire insurance companies of the entire United States re-
ported about 12.3 billion dollars insurance in force in 1940.
This amount was equal to 68 per cent of the census value of
farm buildings, implements and machinery, livestock, poultry,
and bees of that year. In Alabama farmers' mutual fire insur-
ance companies reported 1.5 million dollars of insurance in
force or only 7 tenths of 1 per cent of the census value of the
kinds of Alabama farm property named above.
Mailed reports from 598 Alabama farmers indicate general
interest in fire insurance. Their greatest interest is in insuring
dwellings; their second greatest interest is in insuring barns;
and third, in insuring automobiles. Few showed interest in in-
suring either farm tools or farm livestock. Interest in insurance
increased steadily as the value of the property increased.
Over half of the property loss reported from fire involved
dwellings. Nearly one-fourth involved barns and about one-
ninth involved other buildings. These 598 farmers together re-
ported a total fire loss of $182,507 over a number of years.
The average per farm was about $300, but the average per loss
was over $1,100. About 11 per cent of the individual losses re-
ported amounted to $3,000 or more. In the last full year covered
by the 598 reports, 1943, the ratio of reported losses of dwellings
and contents to reported value of dwellings was 71 cents per
$100. The ratio of reported losses of barns and contents to re-
ported value of barns was 76 cents per $100.
4 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
Cost of Producing, Processing, and Distributing Grade-A Milk
on 29 Alabama Farms, 1945. (J. Homer Blackstone.) - An an-
alysis of records for the year 1945 on the cost of producing,
processing, and distributing grade-A milk for retail on 29 Ala-
bama farms indicates the following:
BIRMINGHAM MARKET. Eight retail dairies were studied in
this area. Their average cost of producing, processing, and dis-
tributing milk was 18.6 cents per quart. These dairies delivered
approximately 47 per cent of their milk to homes and 53 per cent
to stores and eating places.
MOBILE MARKET. Eight retail dairies were studied in the
Mobile market. Their average cost of producing, processing,
and distributing milk was 17.8 cents per quart. These dairies
made no home deliveries but sold all their milk to stores, restau-
rants, and cafes.
MONTGOMERY MARKET. The average cost of producing, pro-
cessing, and distributing milk of four retail dairies studied in this
area was 13.5 cents per quart. These dairies made no home de-
liveries but sold all of their milk to stores and cafes.
OTHER MARKETS. Nine retail dairies selling on eight different
small markets located throughout the state are in this group.
Their average cost of producing, processing, and distributing
milk was 16.5 cents per quart. These dairies delivered their milk
to homes, stores, and eating places.
ALL RETAIL DAtm1Is. Averages for the entire group of 29
retail dairies indicate that: (1) Total sales of farm products on
the average retail farm amounted to $33,728. Of these sales,
milk accounted for $27,903 and all other farm products accounted
for $5,825; (2) cash farm expenses averaged $30,787 per farm;
(3) farm cash available (sales less expenses) averaged $2,941
per farm; and (4) return for operator's labor on the retail
dairies averaged $658 per farm.
Cost of Producing Wholesale Grade-A Milk on 90 Alabama
Farms, 1945. (J. Homer Blackstone.) -An analysis of records
for the year 1945 on cost of producing grade-A milk for whole-
sale on 90 Alabama farms, comprising a total of 5,321 cows and
located in the major fluid milk sheds of Alabama, indicates that:
(1) Production per cow on these farms averaged 4,700
pounds in 1945.
56th. and 57th ANNUAL REPORTS 5
(2) Net cost per hundredweight of milk showed wide varia-
tions for different sections of the state. Averages, by type-of-
farming areas,' for the farms studied were: Sand 
Mountain,
$3.79; Tennessee Valley, $4.03; Limestone Valley, $5.60; Black
Belt, $4.98; Upper Coastal Plain-A, $5.22; Upper Coastal Plain-B,
$5.92; Piedmont, $5.42; and Gulf Coast, $6.23.
(3) The cost of producing milk in each area varied by quar-
ters. The highest cost occurred in the winter months and the
lowest cost in the summer months. In some areas, this variation
was small, while in others, the Black Belt in particular, the change
in cost from lowest to highest quarter was more than double.
(4) As size of herd increased from an average of 13 to 104
cows, the cost of producing a hundredweight of milk increased
from $4.81 to $5.35, or 54 cents.
(5) As production per cow increased from 3,099 pounds to
6,837 pounds, total costs per hundredweight of milk decreased
from $5.86 to $4.92, or 94 cents. Of the decreased cost per hun-
dredweight, 21 cents was for feed, 17 cents was for labor, and
56 cents was saved from all other costs.
(6) A weighted average of all 90 farms shows that 56 per
cent of the total gross cost per hundredweight of milkwas for
feed and pasture, 20 per cent for labor, and 24 per cent for all
other costs.
(7) Average sales per farm amounted to $16,664. Milk sales
amounted to $11,479, with all other sales amounting to $5,185.
(8) Cash farm expenses averaged $15,058 per farm.
(9) Farm cash available (sales less expenses) averaged $1,606
per farm.
(10) Returns for operator's labor were minus $499 on the
average farm.
(11) An analysis of wholesale farms by size of herd indicates
that the most profitable size group consisted of 10 farms having
an average of 23 cows and an average return for operator's labor
of $656; and that the least profitable size group consisted of
30 farms having an average of 104 cows and an average return for
operator's labor of minus $1,130.
1 Included in this study were 4 records from farmers located in the
Sand Mountain area, 10 in the Tennessee Valley, 16 in the Limestone
Valley, 28 in the Black Belt, 8 in the Upper Coastal Plain-A (Pickens and
Tuscaloosa counties), 8 in the Upper Coastal Plain-B (Russell and Lee
counties), 8 in the Piedmont, and 8 in the Gulf Coast area.
6 ALABAMA AGRICULTURA XEIEN TTO
AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING
Relationship of Physical Properties of Soil to Elements ofTill-
age Implement Design and Physical Effects of Tillage in Relation
to Plant Growth: TRACK DESIGN STUDIES FOR MILITARY VEmCLES
(F. A. Kummer and Army Ordnance project personnel.)- The
cooperative project with the War Department (Army Ordnance)
was concluded August 16, 1946. The work was initiated during
the war at the request of the War Department in connection
with problems related to the mobility of trucks and other track-
laying vehicles under difficult soil conditions.
The soil physical equipment available for fundamental studies
related to implement design was used for tests in connection
with tank track design. Laboratory scale models and full size
vehicle tests were made to establish relationships between soil
behavior and vehicle performance.
The following conclusions 
and results were submitted 
in a
final report to the Chief of Ordnance, War Department, by the
project personnel:
(1) A thorough knowledge of the dynamic properties of
soils is needed in order that designs of tracks, tires, and sus-
pensions of military vehicles may be based on sound engineering
principles.
(2) The results obtained show that vehicle traction is pri-
marily a function of soil shear resistance.
(3) An optimum relationship exists between soil shear re-
sistance, vehicle weight, lug width, and lug spacing for a given
soil condition. This relationship varies with different soils and
soil conditions.
. (4) Maximum traction depends upon the complete utiliza-
tion of the soil reactions produced by a moving vehicle.
The consideration of soil physical properties to vehicle de-
sign should result in improved traction for a given soil condition,
thereby increasing the ability of military vehicles to cross dif-
ficult terrain. Soil reconnaissance techniques, taking into con-
sideration soil physical properties, could offer invaluable data
for strategic planning.
FARM TRACTOR TIRE STUDIES. (F. A. Kummer and C. A.
Rollo.) - The results obtained from the cooperative studies on
vehicle track design are applicable in many respects to the
design of farm tractors and implements. The same basic in-
6
ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
I
56th and 57th ANNUAL REPORTS 7
formation applies also to the development and design of rubber
tires and tire treads for agricultural purposes. A project of this
type was initiated March 15, 1946 in cooperation with the
Auburn Research Foundation and the U. S. Rubber Company.
A considerable amount of basic information on the subject
of farm tractor tire design and performance has been obtained
and was reported in the form of a master's thesis in Agricultural
Engineering at the conclusion of the one-year investigation, March
15, 1947.
PHYSICAL EFFECTS OF TILLAGE IN RELATION TO PLANT GROWTH.
(F. A. Kummer and R. Q. Parks.) - An attempt was made to
evaluate soil productivity changes in Alabama cropping systems
on the basis of soil physical changes. Determinations made were
considered indicative of overall changes in soil tilth and the
studies were made on the extremes in cropping systems available.
For the purpose of differentiating the effects of agronomic treat-
ments, soil pore volume measurements were made to determine
the changes in total, capillary, and non-capillary pore space.
Marked changes in soil porosity were found on all plots and
were associated with growth of small grain, legume cover crops,
and tillage operations. Increases in soil pore volumes resulted
only from tillage operations. These effects were temporary and
no increases in stability of structure associated with these crop-
ping systems were found.
AGRONOMY AND SOILS
Effects of Lime on Potash Requirements of Alabama Crops:
(1) EFFECTS OF LIME ON POTASH REQUIREMENT OF COTTON.
(Howard T. Rogers.) - An analysis of 15 years' results of a
lime test on Hartsells fine sandy loam (Sand Mountain) shows
striking evidence that lime has increased the need for potash
by cotton in a 2-year corn and cotton rotation. Laboratory studies
have failed to show any pronounced effect of the lime on ex-
changeable potash in the soil. In an experiment on Norfolk
sand at Auburn, lime (3,000 pounds per acre of ground marble)
increased seedling disease and reduced the efficiency of po-
tassium fertilizer on cotton.
(2) EFFECTS OF LIME ON THE RELEASE OF DIFFICULTLY SOLUBLE
SOIL POTASSIUM AND ON THE EFFICIENCY OF APPLIED FERTILIZER
POTASSIUM. (Howard T. Rogers and E. T. York.) - In field
8 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
and laboratory studies of the effects of varying rates of lime
on the potash requirement of cotton, it was found that the net
effect of liming depended upon the supply of non-exchangeable
- but slowly available - potassium in the soil and the capacity
of the soil to absorb bases (exchange capacity). Liming a Nor-
folk sand, which had a low exchange capacity (1.1 M.E./100
gm. soil) and a low reserve of soil potassium (27 lb./acre ex-
changeable K
2
0) reduced the supply of exchangeable potassium
50 per cent 7 weeks after application of fertilizer. The net
effect of lime on a Norfolk sandy loam (exchange capacity of
1.9 M.E. and 77 lb./acre exchangeable K
2
0) was the reverse
of the effect on the sand. Exchangeable potassium was approxi-
mately doubled by liming the latter soil where no potash was
added and was increased to a lesser degree where fertilized.
This two-way effect of lime was demonstrated by incubation
studies on a variety of soils in the laboratory where it was shown
that lime favored the release of non-exchangeable soil potassium,
but also increased fixation of added fertilizer potassium. The
net effect of lime on the supply of readily soluble potassium in
a soil would be affected by the soil's supply of reserve po-
tassium available for release and also by the soil's capacity to
absorb and hold in an exchangeable form the released and the
added potassium.
These findings emphasize the need for a carefully controlled
liming program on the light-textured soils of the Coastal Plain
and the grey soils of northern Alabama.
Lime and Boron Investigations. (1) IMPORTANCE OF FINENESS
OF GROUND LIMESTONE. (Howard T. Rogers.) - Three years'
results of field tests in which relative efficiencies of limestone
of varying degrees of fineness were determined with crimson
clover and Sudan grass show that: (1) The coarsest grade of
limestone tested (4- to 10-mesh) produced less than one-half as
much clover as the 100- to 200-mesh material on a Norfolk loamy
sand with initial pH of 5.2; (2) the 10- to 20-mesh stone pro-
duced only 61 per cent as much clover as the finer fraction when
both were applied at the rate of 1,500 pounds per acre; and
(3) limestone should be ground to contain a high percentage of
material finer than 20-mesh in size. Ground limestone finer than
60-mesh in size, however, was only slightly more effective than
the 20- to 60-mesh fraction on this strongly acid soil.
56th and 57th ANNUAL REPORTS9
(2) BORON REQUIREMENTS OF ALFALFA. (Howard T. Rogers.)
- Although a single application of borax has proved highly bene-
ficial in increasing alfalfa hay yields, tests over a 3-year period
on Norfolk loamy sand (Auburn), Madison clay loam (North
Auburn), and Hartsells fine sandy loam (Sand Mountain) show
no evidence that heavy annual top-dressings with this material
are needed where 20 pounds per acre are applied at time of
planting. In some cases, however, alfalfa plants have shown
boron deficiency symptoms before any appreciable reduction in
hay yields occurred. For this reason, the most practical way to
supply the boron needs of this crop may be the applications of
small amounts of borax annually or every other year with other
fertilizers.
The hot-water soluble boron content of these soils and boron
content of the alfalfa crowns indicate that an extremely small
amount of boron is required for alfalfa, even though this plant
has responded to borax more frequently than any other legume
tested.
Effects of Grazing Management on Beef Gains from White
Clover-Dallis Grass Pastures in Central Alabama. (E. L. Mayton,
Howard T. Rogers, and J. C. Grimes.) - Based on a 4-year study
of different rates of stocking and times of grazing a white clover-
Dallis grass pasture on the Main Station, Auburn, it was con-
cluded:
(1) A moderate rate of stocking (about 2 acres per brood
cow and calf) and continuous grazing from April I to October
1 appeared to be the best system. Most of the time this pasture
carried some reserve vegetation, which was needed during dry
periods, and produced as much beef as any other scheme of
grazing.
(2) Continuous heavy grazing (about I acre per cow and
calf) did not kill white clover that was properly fertilized.
(3) There was no evidence that removing the stock from
white clover pastures during May to allow the clover to mature
a heavy seed crop was of any value.
(4) Rotational grazing in which the pasture was grazed
heavily for two weeks, then rested a month, was not a good
system under the conditions of this study.
(5) Beef yields produced on these bottom land pastures in
Central Alabama (274 pounds per acre per year) compared
favorably with the beef yields from lime-land pastures in the
ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
Black Belt section of the State (807 pounds per acre per year).
Studies in Relation to Alfalfa Fertilization on Some Alabama
Soils (J. H. Naftel and Clarence M. Wilson.) - A rather detailed
study in connection with alfalfa fertility experiments on several
Alabama soil types was conducted during 1946.
On two of six soil types studied, severe boron deficiency
symptoms were present in alfalfa that had not received an
application of borax. In all cases where severe deficiency symp-
toms were present, the boron content of the alfalfa averaged less
than 20 p.p.m. boron for the four cuttings made during the
1946 growing season. When boron deficiency symptoms were
not evident, the boron content of the alfalfa was greater than
20 p.p.m. In practically all cases, the water-soluble boron con-
tent of soil from boron-deficient areas was less than 0.85 p.p.m.
boron.
Soil samples were taken at different depths from plots re-
ceiving borax and from plots receiving no borax. These samples
were analyzed for water-soluble boron. These analyses showed
that boron moves downward in the soil profile at a fairly rapid
rate.
Boron-deficient -alfalfa showed a Ca/B ratio above or in
the vicinity of 600:1. As long as this ratio was not greater than
500:1, no deficiency symptoms were evident in the alfalfa.
Factors Affecting the Leaching of Potassium in Soils. (R. W.
Pearson.) - Samples of Hartsells fine sandy loam and of Nor-
folk sandy loam were taken from the "rates of potash" plots at
the Sand Mountain and Wiregrass substations. These samples
were taken at four depths: (a) 0 to 8, (b) 8 to 16, (c) 16 to 24,
and (d) 24 to 82 inches. All except one of the plots sampled had
received 600 pounds of 6-8-4 annually for 10 years and then
biennially for 6 years. The nitrogen in the formula was derived
from different sources for the various plots, including urea,
ammonium sulfate, and sodium nitrate, both limed and unlimed.
One plot had received four times the annual K application ap-
plied once in 4 years. Exchangeable potassium determinations
were made. Summarized results are as follows:
(1) Accumulation of exchangeable K in the 24- to 82-inch
layer indicated leaching below even this depth.
(2) Less leaching of K occurred with sodium nitrate than
with either ammonium sulfate or urea as the source of nitrogen.
10
11
(3) There was no difference in the effect of ammonium sul-
fate and urea on leaching of K when the equivalent acidity of
these materials was neutralized.
(4) Ammonium sulfate, when not neutralized, caused large
amounts of K to leach below the 8-inch layer. Forty-seven and
34 per cent of the K applied over the 16-year period had leached
below the 8-inch zone in the Norfolk and Hartsells soils, re-
spectively.
(5) The addition of lime in amounts required to neutralize the
acidity of ammonium sulfate reduced the amounts of K leached.
Fifty-three pounds per acre less of K
2
0 was leached in the
Norfolk and 50 pounds less in the Hartsells due to lime.
(6) The application of K in large amounts at infrequent in-
tervals was shown to be an extremely inefficient procedure for
light textured soils. More than twice as much K had leached
into the 8- to 32-inch zone in both soils studied when potash
was added once in 4 years as compared to annual applications.
Cotton Breeding and Improvement Investigations. (H. B. Tis-
dale and J. B. Dick.) - A new wilt-resistant strain of the Delta-
pine variety of cotton has been developed through straight line
selecting and testing on wilt infested soil since 1986. This new
strain is designated as Deltapine 1096. 
It is highly wilt-resistant,
producing satisfactory yields with good fiber quality, I to 1-1/16
inches in length. The seed of this strain of Deltapine is being
increased and work on the improvement of yield and other im-
portant agronomic characters is 
being continued. A new hybrid
strain designated as Auburn Hybrid 10168 has been developed
from a cross of Clevewilt and Miller 610 made in 1988. This
strain produces high yields with good fiber properties, but it
shows only medium resistance to wilt. The seed of this strain
was increased considerably in 1946 and improvement work is
being continued with several strains from it that show more re-
sistance to wilt.
Variety Testing. (H. B. Tisdale and J. B. Dick.) - The average
results of cotton variety tests conducted on the Main Station,
Substations, and Experiment Fields for the past 3 years, 1944-46,
show that Empire, Stoneville 2-B, White Gold, Deltapine 14, and
Coker 100 Wilt are the most productive varieties of satisfactory
staple length and other qualities for any section of Alabama
not infested with cotton wilt. Coker 100 Wilt, Stonewilt, Coker
56th and 57th ANNUAL REPORTS
4 in 1, and Delta Dixie are the most productive wilt-resistant
varieties of satisfactory staple length and other qualities for
sections of the state infested with cotton wilt.
Time of Planting Winter Legumes. (T. H. Rogers.) - This test
was planted at the Main Station on fallow land at each date 
of
planting. All plots were fertilized at the rate of one ton of
lime, 300 pounds of 18 per cent superphosphate, and 100 pounds
of 60 per cent muriate of potash per acre. The first planting was
made on July 15 in 1944 and 1945. All legumes failed at this
early date except crimson clover and alfalfa. These two crops
made only fair growth when planted on July 
15. This early
planting was omitted for the 1946 crop. Crab grass 
and other
summer weeds crowded out the legumes when they were 
planted
on July 15. Sometime between July 15 and August 15, crab
grass and other grasses apparently stop germinating. There was
little or no summer grass in any of the plots planted 
on or
after August 15.
Monantha vetch, crimson clover, and Austrian winter 
peas
produced more than any of the other legumes when 
planted
on August 15. In general, September 15 and October 1 
were
the best dates for planting any of the legumes. The data 
are
presented in Table 1.
TABLE 1.- AVERAGE YIELDS PER ACRE OF WINTER COVER CROPS FROM
DIFFERENT PLANTING DATES, MAIN STATION, 1944-46
Date planted and yield per acre
Austrian winter peas 10,117 8,0632 5,517 7,239 4,290
Blue lupine 7,704 32,783 25,900 19,435 
14,706
Crimson clover 11,080 
18,329 12,423 6,966 
5,715'
Alfalfa 
4,675 6,158 3,128 
1,552 1,405'
12-year average- 1944 and 1946.
2 Poor stand in 1945.
SFailed in 1945.
SFailed in 1944.
Breeding Legumes for Forage and Soil Improvement. (E. F.
Schultz, Jr.) - A summary of winter legume 
yields since 1930
from 11 locations in the state shows that, for 
production of
green manure, hairy and smooth vetch Vicia villosa 
(L.) are
the most widely adapted varieties, and that 
they have usually
made satisfactory growth ranging from 5,600 
to 12,400 pounds
ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION12
per acre. Austrian winter peas have produced about the same
amount of growth as hairy vetch. In the southern portion of
the state, blue lupine has produced more green matter than
any other winter legume. North of the Black Belt, blue lupine
is frequently killed by cold weather. In the Tennessee and
Coosa valleys and on Sand Mountain, crimson clover has made
more growth than hairy vetch. Caley peas Lathyrus hirsutus
(L.), also known as Singletary peas or wild winter. peas, have
made excellent growth in the Black Belt, but have not made
satisfactory yields in other regions of the state. LaFayette Mon-
antha vetch Vicia monantha (L. Desf.) and Auburn woolypod
vetch Vicia dasycarpa (Ten.) have made larger and earlier yields
than other vetches, though they are not quite as winter hardy
as hairy vetch.
Factors Affecting the Nature and Behavior of Native and Add-
ed Phosphates in Soils: (1) THE Loss OF PHOSPHORUS BY EROSION.
(L. E. Ensminger.) - A study was started at the Wiregrass
Substation in 1930 to measure the influence of acidity on the
availability of phosphates. Two tiers of 17 plots each, in dupli-
cate, were used for the study. One tier was limed to pH 6.5
and the other tier was unlimed. Sodium nitrate was used as
the source of nitrogen on half of the plots of each tier and am-
monium sulfate as the source of nitrogen on the other half of
the plots of each tier. Soil samples were collected before the
experiment was started and again in October, 1945. Total phos-
phorus was determined on these samples. Phosphorus that could
not be accounted for by analysis of the surface 16 inches of soil
and crop removal was assumed to be lost by erosion. The un-
limed tier lost an average of 70 per cent of the added phosphorus
by erosion, and there was no difference between the plots re-
ceiving sodium nitrate and those receiving ammonium sulfate.
However, in case of the limed tier, the sodium nitrate plots lost
an average of 32 per cent of the added phosphorus and the am-
monium sulfate plots lost an average of 75 per cent of the added
phosphorus by erosion.
Data from the Sand Mountain Substation also show consider-
able loss of phosphorus by erosion. The sources-of-phosphorus
test with legumes (corn, cotton, and winter legume rotation)
and the sources-of-phosphorus test without legumes (corn and
cotton rotation) were sampled in January, 1946. These experi-
ments were started in 1980. An analysis of the samples for total
56th and 57th ANNUAL REPORTS 13
ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
phosphorus showed that the legume plots lost an average of 38
per cent of the added phosphorus, while the non-legume plots lost
an average of 61 per cent. This might be expected, since the le-
gume plots received more phosphorus on the average than the
non-legume plots. However, a comparison of plots that had re-
ceived about the same amount of phosphorus showed a higher
percentage of loss from the non-legume plots. Evidently winter
legumes in the rotation have decreased the loss of phosphorus
by erosion.
(2) A CHEMICAL STUDY OF THE POTATO-PRODUCING SOILS OF
BALDWIN COUNTY WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO RESIDUAL
PHOSPHORUS. (L. E. Ensminger.) - Soil samples were collected
April, 1945 from 44 potato fields of Baldwin County. Total
phosphorus, dilute acid-soluble phosphorus, and pH were de-
termined on these samples. In comparison with the virgin soils
of the area, there has been a considerable accumulation of phos-
phorus in these soils due to the large amount of phosphate used
in fertilizing each potato crop. Based on the number of years
the land has been in potatoes (farmers' estimate), there has been
an accumulation in the surface soil of 116 pounds of P
2
0
5 
per
acre per year. Dilute acid-soluble phosphorus shows a close
correlation with total phosphorus. The pH values range from
slightly above 5.0 to as low as 4.5.
(3) RESPONSE OF COTTON TO VARIOUS SOURCES OF PHOSPHORUS
IN RELATION TO SOILREACTION (pH). (L. E. Ensminger.) -A
number of cooperative experiments were conducted from 1934
to 1938 to test the value of superphosphate, triple superphosphate,
di-calcium phosphate, and tri-calcium phosphate as sources of
phosphorus for cotton. Soil samples*were collected from the
unphosphated soil in a number of cases and the reaction of these
soils was determined. The soils with a pH of less than 5.5 gave
a significantly higher yield response to the various phosphates
than the soils with a pH of 5.5 to 6.5. Dilute acid-soluble phos-
phorus was significantly higher in the soils of pH 5.5 to 6.5 than
in the soils of pH less than 5.5. These relationships indicate that
a decrease in soil acidity causes soil phosphorus to be more avail-
able. Tri-calcium phosphate was only about 86 per cent as
efficient as superphosphate. It is interesting to note that over
the pH range covered by these samples that tri-calcium phosphate
was relatively as efficient at the higher pH values as at the
lower pH values.
14
5th and 57th ANNUAL REPORTS 1
Factors Influencing Seed Production of Legumes. (D. G. Sturkie
and E. F. Schultz, Jr.) - Laying by peanuts with additional
soil about the base of the plant increased the incidence of
southern blight Sclerotium rolfsii (Sacc.) and decreased the yield
of Spanish peanuts 42 per cent and of runner peanuts 21 per cent.
Effect of Sources of Nitrogen on Soil Reaction, Organic Matter,
and Exchangeable Ions. (W. V. Chandler.) - In 1929 a study was
begun on several Substations and Fields to compare the efficiency
of different sources of nitrogen. Samples of soil were taken in
January and February, 1946, for 
chemical study.
The data revealed that 2.2 pounds of basic slag per pound
of ammonium sulfate was adequate to maintain a nonacid-forming
fertilizer. On the other hand, 1.2 pounds of limestone per pound
of ammonium sulfate was not adequate under field conditions,
although the application of lime increased the calcium in the
surface layers. The acidity produced by prolonged use of am-
monium sulfate had penetrated to a depth of 21 inches.
There was a decrease in the amount of exchangeable mag-
nesium in all soils after 16 years of cotton-and-corn rotation,
irrespective of the lime amendments. The amount of exchange-
able calcium was not materially affected except where basic
slag was applied as a source of phosphorus, in which case there
was an increase; where sulfate of ammonia was used without
lime there was a decrease.
There was an increase or greater spread in the carbon-nitrogen
ratio after 16 years of cropping. Also there was a decrease in
the total nitrogen and organic carbon content. The nitrogen con-
tent decreased from about 0.08 to 0.03 per cent in soil samples
from Tennessee Valley, Monroeville, Sand Mountain, and Wire-
grass. In contrast, the organic carbon decreased from about 0.95
per cent to 0.45 per cent in the following order: Monroeville,
Tennessee Valley, Wiregrass, and Sand Mountain. These varia-
tions gave C:N ratios as follows: Tennessee Valley 12:2, Sand
Mountain 16:6, Monroeville 28:3, and Wiregrass 29:2.
Effect of Legumes and Fertilizer Treatment on the Yield and
Total Nitrogen Content of Soils. (W. V. Chandler.) - In 1929 and
1930 experiments were begun at eight locations in Alabama to
study the effects of legumes and fertilizer treatments on the
yields of cotton and corn in a 2-year rotation. Soil samples were
collected for laboratory study from these experiments in January
56th and 57th ANNUAL REPORTS is
ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
and February, 1946. A study of the total nitrogen content of
some of these samples were made.
Three treatments were studied for total nitrogen content.
These plots were in a 2-year rotation of cotton and corn with
the following treatments: winter legumes and no fertilizer, no
legume but commercial fertilizer, and winter legume with com-
mercial fertilizer. The commercial fertilizer consisted of 100
pounds of nitrate of soda, 600 pounds of superphosphate, and
75 pounds of muriate of potash, all of which was applied to
the cotton.
The total nitrogen content of the soils from the three treat-
ments increased in the following order: "no legume but fer-
tilizer," "legumes but no fertilizer," "and legumes and fertilizer."
The corn yields were in the same order of variation: 17.9 bushels,
27.4 bushels, and 86.7 bushels per acre. The cotton yields showed
a different trend. The legume-but-no-fertilizer plots made the
lowest yields, an average of 752 pounds of seed cotton per acre;
the no-legume-but-fertilizer plots yielded 1,098 pounds, and the
plots receiving both legumes and fertilizer yielded 1,481 pounds.
A definite correlation was obtained between the total nitrogen
content of the soil and the yield of corn, which varied within
three groups: i.e. (a) Tennessee Valley and Alexandria, (b)
Monroeville and Prattville, and (c) Aliceville Sand Mountain,
Wiregrass, and Brewton. No such correlation is evident for the
cotton yields.
Residual Value of Stable Manure, Vetch, and Nitrate of Soda.
(W. V. Chandler.) - An experiment was begun in 1925 to com-
pare the values of 5 tons manure, 325 pounds of nitrate of soda,
and a crop of vetch as sources of nitrogen. This experiment was
continued until 1942 when a residual study was begun. Samples
of soil were collected in 1942 and in 1946 for laboratory studies.
Analysis of samples collected the 2 years were made for total
nitrogen and organic carbon. The total nitrogen content de-
creased in the order, by plots: manure, vetch, commercial nitro-
gen, and no-nitrogen. The decrease in total nitrogen from 1942
to 1946 was equal to approximately 200, 75, and 50 pounds per
acre in the manure, vetch, and commercial nitrogen plots, re-
spectively.._
In 1942 organic carbon content of the soils was 
as follows:
manure plot, about 15,800 pounds per acre; nitate of soda plot,
12,000 pounds; vetch plot, 10,750 pounds;, no-nitrogen plot, 8,500
16
56th and 57th ANNUAL REPORTS 1
pounds. The same relationship was evident in 1946. There was
a rather uniform reduction of about 2,000 pounds of carbon per
acre in all treatments between 1942 and 1946. A slight reduction
occurred in the C:N ratio from 1942 to 1946, but there was no
appreciable difference between treatments.
ANIMAL AND POULTRY HUSBANDRY
Nutritive Value of Sweetpotatoes. (W. D. Salmon.) -Lab-
oratory experiments with rats showed that tankage and meat
scrap were unsatisfactory protein supplements in sweetpotato
rations. Fish meal and caesin were much superior.
Ground corn or wheat with no protein supplement except 4
per cent of alfalfa leaf meal produced more rapid growth in
rats than dried sweetpotatoes supplemented with 4 per cent
of alfalfa leaf meal and 10 per cent of tankage, meat and bone
meal or fish meal.
Hogs receiving a ration containing 20 per cent of casein, 72
of sweetpotato meal, 4 of alfalfa leaf meal, 2.5 of dried yeast,
0.5 of salt, and 1 of bone meal made an average daily gain of
1.90 pounds and consumed 406 pounds of feed for each 100
pounds of gain. Hogs receiving a similar ration containing 20
per cent of fish meal instead of caesin gained 1.50 pounds per
day and required 481 pounds of feed for 100 pounds of gain.
When the protein supplement was meat and bone meal, the
average daily gain' was only 0.37 pounds and 1,290 pounds of
feed were required for 100 pounds of gain.
Toxicity of DDT to Farm Animals. (J. C. Grimes and A. H.
Quinn.) - In one test corn was fed to steers and hogs after it
had been treated in the crib with DDT as follows:
1 part of DDT to 10,000 parts of corn
1 part of DDT to 20,000 parts of corn
1 part of DDT to 50,000 parts of corn
In a second test, conducted in-cooperation with the USDA
Bureau of Entomology, one lot of hay that contained 48 p.p.m.
of DDT and a second lot that contained 184 p.p.m. were fed
to fattening steers and to dairy cows.
After a feeding period of 100 to 120 days, the steers and
hogs were slaughtered and tests for DDT were made on the
heart, liver, spleen, kidneys, and from the fat and the lean
tissues of the carcass. Milk samples were taken from the dairy
cows at regular intervals and tested for DDT content.
.56th and 57th ANNUAL REPORTS 17
ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
The results of the two tests were as follows:
1. The animals showed no visible signs of toxicity.
2. Weight gains of both the hogs and cattle tended to de-
cline as the DDT content of the ration increased.
3. Relatively large amounts of DDT were found to be stored
in the internal organs of the slaughtered animals and smaller
amounts in the lean tissues.
4. An analysis of milk samples from the dairy cows indicated
that DDT was being passed in the milk.
5. Milk from cows receivinghay that had been treated with
DDT was lethal when consumed by flies.
6. DDT was present in the fatty tissues and internal organs
of slaughtered calves that suckled cows fed DDT-treated hay.
Lothyrism in Relation to the Use of Lathyrus Hirsutus for Live-
stock. (D. M. Turney, W. D. Salmon, and D. H. Copeland.) - The
addition of 10 or 25 per cent of Caley Pea Lathyrus hirsutus
seed to an adequate diet impaired reproduction in rats even when
the diet was supplemented with milk. With 25 per cent of the
diet, the impairment was evident in the first generation and
became progressively worse with each succeeding generation
until the third when there was essentially complete failure of
reproduction. With 10 per cent of the seed in the diet, reproduc-
tion was normal in the first generation, was markedly impaired
in the second generation, and failed in the fourth generation.
The addition of manganese sulfate and of alpha tocopherol sup-
plements had no significanteffect on reproduction.
Pigs receiving a full ration of corn 
and grazed on Caley peas
as the sole protein supplement made rapid and economical
gains. They showed only slight symptoms of stiffness. Pigs grazed
on Austrian winter peas under similar conditions were affected
much more severely. One pig on Austrian winter pea pasture
became so stiff that it was unable to get up.
Pigs receiving 25 or 50 per cent of Caley pea seed in the
ration developed severe bone deformities. These deformities
developed to the point where the pigs could not walk.
The seed of hairy vetch, Austrian Winter peas, or blue lupine,
when included in adequate diets at a 50 per cent level, did not
produce any symptoms of toxic effects on rats. When these seed
were used as the sole source of protein, however, the rats were
unable to grow, because of the poor quality of the protein. In
addition to the poor protein quality, the bitter taste of the blue
18
56th and 57th A;NNUAL REPORTS 1
lupine seed decreased the food consumption and thus further
limited the gains.
Crotalaria seed and leaves were extremely toxic, and rats
died of acute poisoning when fed as little as 1 per cent of these
materials in the diet.
Variation in the Vitamin Content of Milk and Butter. (W. D.
Salmon and Cornelia Flanagan.) - Milk and butter from local
herds, where Experiment Station recommendations for winter
grazing are being followed to some extent, showed much less
seasonal variation in vitamin A and carotene content than was
formerly observed in the area. There was a close relationship
between the amount and quality of the pasture, both winter
and summer, and the vitamin A value of the milk and butter.
There was considerable variation from herd to herd. Milk from
the best herd had 497 [tg. of vitamin A and 887 [tg. of carotene
per quart in April, whereas the 
poorest herd had only 205 tg.
of vitamin A and 624 jtg. of carotene per quart. Again in No-
vember, one herd had only 204 jig. of carotene per quart of
milk, whereas the three best herds had 468 tg. of vitamin A and
702 iAg. of carotene per quart of milk.
Butter produced by three local herds had an average value
for the year of 17,200 I.U. per pound in comparison with an
average value of 12,300 I.U. per pound for five brands of creamery
butter purchased on the Auburn retail market each month during
the year.
The carotene content of some common forage plants and
pasture grasses was as follows in jig. per 100 gm. dry matter:
Johnson grass 126, well-fertilized Bermuda grass 114, unferti-
lized Bermuda grass 29, Sudan grass 76, bur clover 55, alfalfa
54, soybean plant 52, kudzu plant 51, lespedeza sericea 42.
Storage Levels of DDT. (W. C. Sherman.) - Various tissues and
organs from beef cattle that had been fed DDT-treated hay and
corn and from hogs that had been fed DDT-treated corn were
analyzed for content of DDT. The results are summarized in
Tables 2 and 3.
The DDT content of tissues from beef cattle was proportional
to the amount of DDT in the feed, it being considerably higher
in animals fed hay containing 184 p.p.m. DDT in the hay than
in animals that received 48 p.p.m. and 40 p.p.m. DDT in hay
and corn, respectively. The DDT content of tissues from beef
56th aind 57th ANNUAL REPORTS
19
cattle was appreciably higher than that of corresponding tissues
from hogs. The rate of disappearance of stored DDT from beef
cattle after the feeding of DDT was discontinued was very slow.
There still was appreciable amounts of DDT in the carcasses after
the animals had been on pasture for as long as 210 days.
TABLE 2.- DDT STORAGE IN STEERS FED DDT-TREATED CORN AND HAY
Weights of 
DDT content, 
ppm fresh basis
Treatment
Initial Final Leaf Loin Tender- Round
Wt. Wt. Fat Fat loin
Lb. Lb.
DDT corn 105 days 400 580 65 51 2.0 0.7
DDT corn 204 days 580 880 65 46 1.6 0.9
DDT hay (48 ppm) 147 days 540 740 70 2.9 1.2
DDT hay (48 ppm) 108 days,
then pasture 210 days 460 720 33 31 1.9
DDT hay (184 ppm) 95 days 560 610 139 152 2.8 1.4
DDT hay (184 ppm) 105 days,
then pasture 39 days 480 570 79 1.6 0.5
DDT hay (184 ppm) 108 days,
then pasture 210 days 460 620 11 11 0.7 0.5
Calf, DDT hay (184 ppm) to
cow, 143 days 90 260 825 10.0 6.2
TABLE 3.- DDT AND FAT CONTENT OF TISSUES, FRESH BASIS
Hog' Steer'
Tissue
DDT Fat DDT Fat
p.p.m. Per cent p.p.m. Per cent
Leaf fat 13.3 65.0
Loin fat 12.7 46.0
Tenderloin 1.0 5.9 1.4 3.0
Round (ham) 0.2 3.4 0.8 2.0
Liver 0.4 5.5 0.1 3.4
Kidney 2.6 13.2 0.1 2.4
Heart 0.6 4.8 0.8 2.5
Spleen 0.7 10.2 0.4 1.6
Bacon 9.9
Ham fat 12.7
Hog received DDT corn 223 days
2 Steer received DDT corn 204 days.
Management of Farm Poultry Flocks. (D. F. King and G. J.
Cottier.) - On farms where improved housing, feeding, and
breeding of hens and improved methods of raising chicks were
used, the hens produced during the year an average of 126.91
eggs as compared to 41.49 eggs per hen per year where these
practices were not followed. The effect of the improvement
20 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
21
practices on egg production can be ranked in order of their
importance as follows: feeding and breeding of hens, methods
of raising chicks, and housing of hens. 
Other factors affecting
the yearly egg production are date of hatching, age of birds in
flock, consumption of corn, and amount of range allowed the
chickens.
BOTANY AND PLANT PATHOLOGY
Studies on the Control of Cercospora Leaf Spot of Peanuts.
(Coyt Wilson and J. P. Wilson.) - Results of experiments con-
ducted at the Wiregrass Substation in 1945 and 1946 showed
that the yields of Spanish peanuts could be increased and that
the digging date could be delayed by controlling Cercospora
leaf spot. The materials used included dusting sulfur; sulfur-
copper, containing 90 parts dusting sulfur and 10 parts copper
oxychloride sulfate; talc-copper, containing 90 parts talc and
10 parts copper oxychloride sulfate; Kolocop, a proprietary dust
containing 6 per cent metallic copper and 60 per cent sulfur; and
Bordeaux spray, 6-2-100. The dusts were applied three or four
times at 10-day to 2-week intervals beginning about June 20.
The results show that the harvesting season is lengthened
by controlling leaf spot and the increase in yield from dusting
or spraying is greater at the later digging date. In 1945 sulfur-
copper mixtures were more effective than dusting sulfur alone
or talc-copper. However, in 1946 these mixtures were no better
than dusting sulfur alone. The copper mixtures control leaf spot
and shedding better than sulfur alone, but in hot, dry weather
the copper appears to stunt the plants to some extent.
The Cause and Control of Concealed Damage in Peanuts.
(Coyt Wilson.) - Studies of the cause and control of concealed
damage of runner peanuts were continued in 1945 and 1946.
The work included studies on the relationship between moisture
content and development of damage, the relationship between
amount of damage and percentage of free fatty acids in the ex-
pressed oil, isolations from damaged seeds, and studies on the
resistance of Dixie Runner to concealed damage.
The greatest amount of damage developed, in those peanuts
that were held at moisture levels of 20 to 35 per cent for a week
or more. Development of damage was slower at moisture levels
above or below this range.
56th and 57th ANNUAL REPORTS
The percentage of free fatty acids in the expressed oil in-
creases as the percentage of concealed damage in the sample
increases. The relationship is practically a straight line. The
oil from peanuts containing no damage contained 0.283 to 0.335
per cent free fatty acids. In the oil from peanut meal made en-
tirely from seed with concealed damage, the percentage of free
fatty acids ranged from 13.554 to 17.129.
The predominant fungus associated with concealed damage
in southeastern Alabama is Diplodia theobromae (Pat.) Nowell.
More than 2,500 seeds from 28 different samples have been
plated. A total of 2,142 cultures of fungi and bacteria was ob-
tained, of which 87.2 per cent were D. theobromae. In the early
phases of concealed damage, D. theobromae was the only fungus
that could be isolated. In the advanced stages, secondary in-
vaders including Sclerotium bataticola, Sclerotium rolfsii, and
various species of Fusarium, Rhizoctonia, Penicillium, and As-
pergillus were isolated.
Preliminary tests indicate that Dixie Runner is far more re-
sistant to concealed damage than the runners commonly grown
in Alabama. Less than 2 per cent concealed damage was found
in Dixie Runners cured under adverse conditions; the commonly
grown Alabama runners cured under similar conditions contained
as much as 14 per cent damage.
Cotton Seed Treatment Studies. (Coyt Wilson.) - The effect
of seed treatment with Merc-O-Dust or 2% Ceresan on the
emergence of cotton seedlings was studied in -1945. At each
planting date Merc-O-Dust was better than no treatment and 2%
Ceresan was better than Merc-O-Dust.
Seed Treatments for Peanuts. (Coyt Wilson.) - Response of
machine-shelled seed of Spanish and runner peanuts to a num-
ber of different seed disinfectants was studied in 1945 and in
1946. The seed were shelled on a peanut sheller developed by
the USDA Farm Tillage Laboratory, Auburn, Alabama. Shelling
and treating was done on the day before the seed were planted.
All materials tested gave significant increases in stands. DuBay
1452-F, 2% Ceresan, Arasan, Phygon, Dow 9, and Spergon were
the best treatments. Emergence from untreated seeds was 50
to 60 per cent, and that from treated seeds generally was above
80 per cent.
Experiments conducted over the 2-year period, 1945-46, proved
22 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
56th and 57th ANNUAL REPOTS 2
that peanut seed shelled and treated 9 weeks ahead of planting
produced stands as good as those shelled and treated one day
before planting.
Studies on the Control of Late Blight of Irish Potato. (Coyt
Wilson, Otto Brown, and Frank E. Garrett.) 
- Results of experi-
ments involving replicated treatments of different sprays and
dusts on Irish potatoes at the Gulf Coast Substation in 1945
and 1946 showed that Dithane D-14 controls both early and late
blight without retarding the growth of the potatoes. In 1945
plots sprayed with Dithane yielded approximately 20 per cent
more potatoes than those plots receiving no fungicide. A number
of neutral copper sprays increased the yields by 16 to 18 per
cent, while Bordeaux spray, 8-6-100, increased the yield by only
6 per cent. In 1946 there was no late blight, Phytophthora in-
festans, in the plots, and all of the copper sprays and dusts re-
duced the yield of potatoes by approximately 10 percent.
Several proprietary copper dusts have been tested. All ap-
pear to be about equally effective under the conditions that pre-
vailed during these tests. All of the copper dusts cause some
retardation of growth, and, in the absence of late blight, they
reduce the yield slightly. When late blight is a limiting factor,
as in 1945, dusting with a copper dust is a profitable operation.
Control of "Cherokee" Rose Rosa brackeata (L.) (J. R. Jack-
son.) - Rosa brackeata, known locally as "Cherokee" rose, is a
serious pest on lime land pastures in the Black Belt of Alabama.
Roses have been cleared from heavily infested areas by tractor
plows at a cost of $5.75 per acre and by a bulldozer at a cost of
$2.65. These costs included bunching and burning of brush.
After clearing, the use of clean-cultivated crops for 4 years
has destroyed all roses on heavily infested areas. The number
and vigor of roses have been sufficiently reduced to warrant re-
turning the land to pasture after three crops of oats rotated
with Johnson grass hay production in summer, provided fertilizer
practices were adequate to produce a vigorous growth of John-
son grass.
Effect of Pasture Improvement on Weed Populations. (J. R.
Jackson.) - Weed population studies of experimental pasture
plots at the Black Belt Substation show that the improvement of
pastures by the use of fertilizers reduces the number of weeds.
The average weed infestation per acre on plots receiving no
56th and 57th ANNUAL REPORTS 23
ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
fertilizer was 285,000 in the fall and 122,000 in the spring, whereas
the average weed infestation on plots receiving a complete fer-
tilizer was 40,000 in the fall and 15,000 in the spring.
Chemical Control of Nutgrass. (J. R. Jackson.) -
Uramon has
destroyed nutgrass Cyperus rotundus (L.) in Norfolk sandy soil
containing an average of 100 live tubers per square foot. Two
pounds of Uramon per square yard killed 97 per cent of the
tubers; 3 pounds destroyed all of them when the Uramon was
mixed thoroughly throughout the soil to the depth of penetration
of tubers. The soil was kept moist and mulched through June,
July, and 
August.
HORTICULTURE and FORESTRY
Green-Seeded Bush Lima Bean Tests. (C. L. Isbell.) - With
the introduction of varieties of green-seeded Bush Lima beans
a few years ago, experiments were started to determine their
adaptability to Alabama conditions.
Supergreen and the small, green-seeded varieties, Congreen
and Clark's Bush, were compared with the standard white, small-
seeded Bush Lima Henderson.
Results from these experiments show that Supergreen is not
adapted to Auburn conditions. The small-seeded varieties yielded
20 to 90 times as much as Supergreen. The small, green-seeded
varieties were 2 to 7 days later than Henderson in reaching
edible size. There was not much difference in the yields of the
small-seeded varieties. The yield of each of the small-seeded
varieties was about 4,000 pounds of green beans in the hull.
In shelling, freezing, and cooking tests the green-seeded varie-
ties gave a greener and more attractive appearance.
Improved Varieties of Table Cowpeas Developed. (C. L. Isbell.)
- Experiments have been underway for several years to develop
improved varieties of table cowpeas by means of cross-pollination
and selection. These experiments have resulted in the develop-
ment of five new varieties, each being superior in one or more
characteristics to existing varieties. Time required between plant-
ing and harvesting ranges from very early to late mid-season. All
varieties yielded well, producing white peas with either brown
or black eyes.
Pokeweed Does Well Under Garden Culture. (C. L. Isbell.) -
Many farm families harvest volunteer pokeweed plants and use
24
56th and 57th ANNUAL REPORTS 2
the leaves and young shoots as greens. A considerable quantity
of this plant is sold on some curb markets of the state. A prac-
tical experiment was conducted during 1940, 1941, and 1942 to
determine its possibilities as a cultivated plant.
Results of these experiments show that with reasonable care
pokeweed lends itself well to garden conditions from crowns
produced from volunteer plants or from crowns produced from
seedlings grown under garden conditions.
Asparagus Does Well Under Garden Conditions. (C. L. Isbell.)
- Whether good asparagus can be grown as far South as Au-
burn, Alabama, has been questioned. One hundred crowns of the
Mary Washington variety, planted 18 inches apart in a single
row under garden conditions, produced an average annual yield
of 96 pounds during a 5-year period ending in 1946. Since crowns
tend to produce more after they are several years old, results
of this experiment indicate that asparagus can be successfully
grown under garden conditions as far south as Central Alabama.
Orchard Erosion Control. (J. C. Moore.) -The problem of soil
erosion and maintenance of soil fertility in cultivated orchards
is important in the Southeast and one difficult to solve.
Since 1938 studies have been conducted to determine methods
of controlling erosion and maintaining the soil by the use of
permanent ground covers combined with the Nichol's-type terrace.
Treatments found most promising thus far are:
1. Bur clover plus rescue grass as a winter annual; these
ground covers seed early, and fall to the ground forming a mulch
through the summer months; they come back as volunteer crops
in the fall.
2. Lespedeza sericea, cut and left on the ground; this method
is recommended for slopes with more than a 5 per cent grade.
Storage Quality of Sweetpotatoes as Affected by Different
Rates of Application of Nitrogen Applied as Side Dressing. (L. M.
Ware and W. A. Johnson.) - Results of experiments at numerous
locations in Alabama have shown that the yield of potatoes on
most soils of average fertility may be increased considerably
by side applications of nitrogen. It is generally believed, how-
ever, that side applications of nitrogen result in a potato of low-
keeping quality.
To determine the effect of side applications of nitrogen on the
keeping quality of sweetpotatoes, storage tests were conducted
56th and 57th ANNUAL REPORTS 25
ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
during the 1944-1945 seasons on 20 lots of potatoes; the amount
of nitrogen they received at planting time and as side applica-
tions varied from 16 to 112 pounds per acre. Side applications
were applied as vines began to run. The Triumph and Porto
Rico varieties were both included in the test.
The data show that no ill effects on the keeping quality of
either variety resulted from side applications of nitrogen.
Since all potatoes were handled in a way similar to that of
grading for shipment, it likewise might be stated that there was
little evidence that side applications of nitrogen would affect
shipping quality.
Effects of Manures, Minor Elements and of Divided Applications
of Nitrogen and of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potash on the Yield
of Vegetable Crops. (W. A. Johnson and L. M. Ware.) - Studies
have been conducted for 3 years to determine why vegetable
crops on light textured soils fail even though supplied adequate
amounts of commercial fertilizers. Treatments included manures,
lime, minor elements, divided applications of nitrogen, and di-
vided applications of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
Yields were increased from 2 to 40 times as a result of
manure applications with identical fertilizer treatments, even
though liberal applications of fertilizers were used with all treat-
ments.
Yields were increased by dividing nitrogen and by dividing
nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash into several applications. The
effects were much more pronounced in the spring than in the fall.
Likewise, effects were more pronounced on plots receiving no
animal manure than on those to which animal manures were
applied.
The yield of spring carrots may be used to illustrate this
general trend. Yields were increased 8 times by the use of
manures where all fertilizer elements were applied at planting
time and about three times where the elements were applied
at three periods. On the plots not receiving manures, the yields of
carrots were increased 4 times by dividing the nitrogen applica-
tion, and 6 times by dividing all three of the principal fertilizer
elements.
Influence of Side Applications of Nitrogen and Rates of Ni-
trogen on Sweetpotato Yields. (W. A. Johnson and L. M. Ware.)
- An experiment for studying the effects of side applications
26
and different rates of nitrogen on sweetpotato production was
started in 1943 in field plots on Norfolk soil. There were three
rates of side applications of nitrogen with each of three dif-
ferent rates of applications of a complete fertilizer.
In all cases increases in the amount of nitrogen used as a
side application resulted in larger yields. With the Porto Rico
sweetpotato, the greatest yield increases occurred in the No. 1
grade. As the rate of complete fertilizer was increased from
400 to 1,200 pounds per acre, however, the increase in yields
due to extra nitrogen was less.
Relation Between Vine Production and Sweetpotato Yields. (L.
M. Ware and W. A. Johnson.) - To determine the relationship
between vine growth and sweetpotato yields, the weights of
both were determined in a number of experiments on several
different soils. In some experiments the effects of irrigation and
organic matter on root and vine yields also were measured.
In practically all cases where there was an increase in the
yield of vines, there was an increase in root yield. On the
Chesterfield, Norfolk, Decatur, and Hartsells soils, records on
both the Triumph and Porto Rico varieties showed an increase
in yield of roots and vines with each higher rate of nitrogen, ex-
cept for some of the highest rates which probably supplied more
nitrogen than was needed for the crop.
The application of either vetch or manure gave an increase
in yield of both vines and roots. Twelve tons of manure resulted
in an increase in vine yield of over 6 tons per acre. In each
case where the sweetpotatoes showed an increase in yield of
vines, there was a corresponding increase in yield of roots.
Each increment of fertilizer applied with and without irriga-
tion, dry lespedeza, or the combination of irrigation and dry les-
pedeza, resulted in an increase in yield of both roots and vines
of both varieties used.
Respiration Losses of Sweetpotatoes During Storage. (L. M.
Ware and W. A. Johnson.) - Studies were conducted for 2 years
to determine losses in weight of sweetpotatoes due primarily to
respiration. The experiment was designed to prevent losses from
mice and to separate losses due to decay from those due to respi-
ration.
The most rapid losses were at the beginning and end of the
storage period. Losses were low during the winter months. High
56th and 57th ANNUAL REPORTS - 27
28 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
losses early in the storage period were associated with high
temperature during the curing period; low losses during the
winter period were associated with low temperature; and high
losses during the spring and summer periods were associated
with rising temperatures. Sprouting of the tubers accelerated the
respiration during late storage periods.
For each 100 pounds of potatoes harvested, only 77.22 pounds
remained by June. The usual storage period for sweetpotatoes
ends about March. Respiration losses had amounted to 13.88
per cent by March 3. Approximately 86 per cent of the total
loss in storage was due to respiration.
Influence of Lime and of Different Rates of Nitrogen, Phos-
phorus, and Potash on Growth Cracks in the Sweetpotato. (L. M.
Ware and W. A. Johnson.) - To determine the effect of lime
and of different rates of application of nitrogen, phosphorus, and
potassium on the cracking of sweetpotatoes, records of cracking
were obtained from a number of experiments conducted in 1944
and 1945 on five soils.
Potassium applied at high rates on both Decatur and Hart-
sells soils resulted in some increase in cracking in 1944 but very
little in 1945.
Where lime was applied there was an increase in cracking
both years on the Decatur soil and in 1945 on the Hartsells soil.
In 1944, cracking on both Decatur and Hartsells soils in-
creased on the high nitrogen 
plots; however, there was 
practically
no evidence that rates of nitrogen affected cracking in 1945.
The highest rate of cracking in most cases was associated
with either a low rate or the 0 rate of phosphorus. As the amount
of phosphorus applied was increased, the amount of cracking
in the sweetpotato remained about the same 
or showed a de-
crease in percentage.
There was no difference in the amount of cracking on the
limed and unlimed plots on the Norfolk, Eutaw, and Cecil soils.
Tomato Breeding. (F. E. Johnstone, Jr., and C. L. Isbell.) -
Of 41 homozygous lines of tomatoes developed at Auburn, 13
proved to be highly resistant to Fusarium wilt in artificial inocula-
tion tests in the greenhouse and in field trials. Several of these
are promising as home garden types. However, for commercial
use they will have to be crossed to obtain a suitable large-fruited,
resistant variety. Of the non-resistant lines, several were equal
to or better than standard varieties at Auburn, Oneonta, and
Atmore from the standpoint of several important characteristics.
English Pea Breeding. (C. L. Isbell and F. 
E. Johnstone, Jr.) -
Thirty-four homozygous lines of English peas have been selected
from crosses made in 1940-41. By observation, they appear to
be equal to or superior in most respects to standard varieties
now being grown in Alabama. Seed of these will be increased
for comparative yield tests at Auburn and in other sections of
the state. Of the lines selected from all crosses, approximately
a third of them were from the cross of Thomas Laxton and Willets
Wonder.
Behavior of Different Pine Species Underplanted in Hardwood
Stands. (L. M. Ware and Rudolph Stahelin.) - On thousands 
of
acres of forest land, pines have 
been removed and the hardwoods,
present as an understory, have been left to take possession. In 1933
an experiment was started on the Main Station to see if pines
planted under the hardwoods would survive and grow and if a
release cutting would be necessary. Slash, loblolly, shortleaf,
and longleaf pines were included in the test. One-year seedlings
were planted in a regular 6 by 8-foot spacing. The area had been
in longleaf pines. A dense stand of hickories, oaks, and sweet-
gums about 4 to 8 feet in height covered the area quite uni-
formly. On one portion of the area the pines were released 4
years after planting. On another portion the pines were not
released.
A release cutting increased the survival and the growth of
each species of pines. The growth of slash pine was 3 times and
that of shortleaf was about six times. Loblolly was benefited much
less by releasing than the other two species. It was the best
of the species where no release was given. The slash and lob-
lolly were about equally good when underplanted and released.
The shortleaf was not as well adapted to underplanting, irrespec-
tive of release or no release. The longleaf gave too low a
survival to permit study.
The cordage of wood in pine trees was about twice as much
in an adjacent old field plantation without hardwood competi-
tion as in the underplanted stand. However, the slash and lob-
lolly pines were so well established on the hardwood area that
pines as a major component of the stand was assured.
56th, and 57th ANNUAL REPORTS 29
Characteristics of Natural Loblolly Stands Under Different De-
grees of Thinning. (Rudolph Stahelin and L. M. Ware). - To
study some of the differences in stand and tree characteristics
of inadequately stocked, well stocked, and densely stocked stands,
experiments were begun in 1927 on three natural areas that were
well stocked at that time with loblolly reproduction of about
3 years of age. On one plot the trees were thinned to stand 16
by 16 feet apart; on a second plot trees were thinned to stand
6 by 6 feet apart; and on a third plot the natural stand of about
3,000 trees per acre was left. The quality of the site was high.
Thinnings were made in 1945 when the stand was 20 years
old. The inadequately stocked stand had a total volume of 19
cords; the well stocked stand, 47 cords; and the dense stand, 55
cords per acre. The gross value of all marketable wood on the
three stands cut and delivered would have been $126, $331.50,
and $381.80 per acre. The actual thinnings removed in 1945
had values of $6.82, 
$106.20, and $144 per 
acre, respectively.
The thinning done when the trees were 3 years old affected
not only the total yield of wood at the age of 20 years, but also
the structure of the stand. In 1945 there were 242, 431, and 670
trees per acre 4 inches and above (d.b.h.) on the inadequately,
well, and densely stocked areas, respectively. The numbers of
trees 10 inches (d.b.h.) and above were 65, 141, and 50 on the
three areas in the order mentioned above.
Thinning to a 6 by 6-foot spacing resulted in the greatest
number of trees approaching sawlog size at 20 years. The un-
thinned check plot now contains almost as many trees 10 inches
and over as the plot that was thinned to a 16 by 16-foot spacing.
Because of the numerous large limbs, the quality of the trees
on the inadequately stocked plot is much inferior to that of the
trees on the other two plots. This experiment shows that too
drastic a thinning of young stands defeats its own purpose and
causes an incomplete utilization of the land by eliminating the
trees that would furnish pulpwood and poles. The lighter thin-
ning to a 6 by 6-foot spacing resulted in a well stocked stand.
It offers the best solution for hastening the production of trees
of sawlog size and also gives an adequate growing stock, which
supplies minor products in addition to sawlogs.
Incidence of Cronartium Rusts on Slash Pine Plantations Re-
ceiving Cultural Treatments. (William R. Boggess and Rudolph
Stahelin.) - Cronartium rusts C. fusiforme (Hedge & Hunt) and
30 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
56th and 57Tth ANNUAL REPORTS 3
C. cerebrum (Hedge & Long) cause serious damage in young
stands of southern yellow pine. These rusts occur on the stems
or branches of pine trees. They cause malformation such as
galls, burls, cankers and witches' broom. Trunk infections fre-
quently result in death of the infected trees.
Observations on the incidence of Cronartium rusts were made
on slash pine plantations established at Auburn in 1988. These
plantations were a part of an experiment 
designed to test the
effect of cultivation, fertilization, and intercropping on the growth
of planted slash pine. In the experiment, eight 
1
/4-acre plots
were planted with slash pine at a spacing of 8 by 8 feet.
Three treatments were used:
1. No cultural treatment (check).
2. Trees cultivated and fertilized; each tree received an ap-
plication of 0.8 lb. of complete fertilizer (1-5-4) and a side
dressing of 0.1 lb. of nitrate of soda (after growth had started).
3. Trees cultivated and fertilized as described; cotton grown
between the rows with an additional application of 325 lb. 6-8-4
fertilizer per acre.
The percentage of Cronartium-infected trees is twice as great
on the treated as on the untreated plots. The percentage of trees
with Cronartium is the same for both cultural treatments.
The average diameter (41/2 feet above the ground, outside
bark) of tlhe cultivated-fertilized and intercropped trees is greater
than those receiving no cultural treatment; this diameter dif-
ference is statistically significant at the 5 per cent level.
There is 11/2 times more wood per acre on the treated than
on the untreated plots; however, the volume of Cronartium-
infected trees is 4 times greater on the plots receiving cultural
treatments. This leaves about the same volume of healthy trees
for all treatments. The diseased trees, however, have practically
full value when marketed for pulpwood.
Carpenter Dimension Mill as an Aid in Utilization of Small
Hardwoods. (William R. Boggess and Robert H. Clark.) - The
utilization of small hardwoods is a problem common to owners
of timberland in the South. These small hardwoods are usually
considered worthless from a commercial standpoint. They oc-
cupy space in stands that could be used by faster growing pine
or better quality hardwoods.
A test sawing was made on the newly developed Carpenter
Dimension Mill to test its adaptability for sawing small hard-
56th and 57th ANNUAL REPORTS 31
ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
woods. This mill is a modified edger that saws small logs into
square-edged dimension stock.
A total of 558 red oak and white oak logs were used in the
study; they were 8 feet long and ranged from 5.5 to 10 inches in
diameter at the small end. Half of the logs were graded and
sawed into 2 inch boards and sold as flooring stock. The un-
graded half was sawed into 2 inch boards and sold on a mill-run
basis to a box manufacturer.
The logs scaled 4,611 board feet by the Doyle Rule. They
produced 6,811 board feet of lumber, giving a mill over-run of
47.7 per cent.
In the flooring study, only the two best log grades could be
used. Most of the flooring produced was in the lower grades.
An average price of $40 per thousand was received fgr the floor-
ing stock, f.o.b. flooring mill.
A price of $35 per thousand at the mill was received for
the lumber marketed as box boards. Only 21 board feet were
lost as cull.
Logging and milling costs were $19.40 per thousand board
feet on a lumber scale basis. Hauling costs will vary with the
distance from the forest to the mill. A sufficient margin, how-
ever, is left to cover hauling costs and leave a reasonable profit
for the operation.
ZOOLOGY-ENTOMOLOGY
Control of Insects Attacking Stored Corn. (F. S. Arant and
L. L. English.) - Experiments were conducted to determine the
effectiveness of powdered insecticides against the rice weevil,
Sitophilus oryza (L.) and other insects in shelled corn stored in
quart fruit jars fitted with 80-mesh screen wire covers. DDT and
benzene hexachloride were highly effective over a 8-month pe-
riod. At 10 p.p.m., DDT gave excellent control, and was slightly
more effective than Rothane (dichloro diphenyl dichloro-ethane)
at 40 p.p.m. A Ryania (Ryanex)-DDT mixture was no more
effective than DDT alone. The. effectiveness of DDT was re-
duced greatly by hydrated lime and by magnesia dust (MgO)
and to a lesser extent by pulverized iron ore and ferric oxide in
the order named. A Dilroc-DDT mixture was as effective over
a 8-month period as DDT alone. Dilroc is a finely pulverized
limestone, which might reduce the toxicity of DDT to mammals.
32
Results of experiments with different samples of benzine hexa-
chloride were not as consistent as those with DDT. Based on
total C
6
H
6
Cl
6 
content, benzene hexachloride appeared slightly
less effective than DDT, particularly at the lower dosages. Based
on the gamma isomer, it was much more effective than DDT. In
one experiment, corn treated with sufficient benzene hexachloride
to contain 1 to 2 parts gamma isomer p.p.m. of corn was pro-
tected from weevils over a 3-month period as well as corn treated
with DDT at the rate of 10 p.p.m. At the end of one month in
another experiment, two mixtures containing gamma isomer at
the rate of 2 p.p.m. were as effective as DDT at the rate of 10
p.p.m. A third sample in very poor physical condition attained
the same level of 
efficiency at a gamma 
isomer content of 4 
p.p.m.
in corn.
Benzene hexachloride in the form of a residual coating on
the bottom and sides of a jar was 100 per cent effective against
weevils infesting corn stored in the jar. A similar residue of DDT
resulted in 86 per cent mortality. As a fumigant, benzene hexa-
chloride was moderately effective at the end of one month.
Alcimide, an inert powder recommended by the English,
resulted in 78 per cent mortality at the end of one month when
used at the rate of 0.2 per cent.
In preliminary experiments, DDT-Dilroc dust mixed with
unshucked corn in cribs did not give satisfactory control of the
rice weevil at the rate of 20 parts pure DDT per million parts
of corn. Better control was effected at rates of 50 and 100 p.p.m.
but even at the higher concentration only fair control was a-
chieved.
Spraying Cattle With DDT. (F. S. Arant and A. H. Quinn.) -
Beef cattle, sprayed four times at intervals of 2 to 5 weeks with
DDT at concentrations of 0.25, 1.0, and 2.5 per cent, were ef-
fectively protected against the horn fly, Siphona irritans (L.)
from July 10 to October 8. Applications that averaged 1.6 pints
of 0.25 per cent spray per cow were required to give what ap-
peared to the eye to be the same degree of wetting as was ef-
fected by an average of 1.1 pints of 2.5 per cent material. Each
unsprayed animal in the check lot had many hundreds of flies
throughout the season, whereas sprayed cattle averaged less
than 10.
Unsprayed animals, running with larger groups of sprayed
cattle, received considerable protection against horn flies. Sprayed
56th and 57th ANNUAL REPORTS 33
cattle running with unsprayed ones became reinfested sooner
and had more flies than cattle sprayed and segregated. The DDT
sprays were only moderately effective against the stable fly,
Stomoxys calcitrans (L.).
Velvetbean Caterpillar and Other Peanut Insects. (F. 
S. Arant.)
- Experiments in the control of the velvetbean caterpillar, Anti-
carsia gemmatilis (Hbn.) were conducted at the Wiregrass Sub-
station during a major outbreak of the pest on peanuts. Single
applications of cryolite, 3 per cent DDT, 1 per cent DDT, and
5 per cent gamma isomer of benzene hexachloride dust at the
rate of 30 to 35 pounds per acre on small replicated plots gave
protection against insect damage from August 20 until harvest,
September 19. Some control was obtained on checks adjacent to
the dusted plots.
All dusted plots produced substantially more peanuts than the
checks and the dusted plants lost fewer peanuts in the ground
at harvest than undusted ones. Four replicated plots dusted
with 1 per cent DDT averaged 1,519 pounds of dry peanuts per
acre on the vines at harvest, as compared with 946 pounds on
the 4 checks. An average of 175 pounds was lost in the ground
on the DDT plots and 298 on the checks.
Peanuts receiving 3 per cent DDT at the heavy rate of 30
to 35 pounds per acre averaged 271 pounds of dry peanuts per
acre less than peanuts dusted with 1 per cent DDT at the same
rate. In another experiment, where dusts were applied at the
same rate, plots receiving 3 per cent DDT averaged 1,114 pounds
of dry peanuts per acre, as compared with 1,324 pounds from
cryolite-treated plots, 1,323 pounds from plots receiving 5 per
cent gamma benzene hexachloride, and 901 pounds from check
plots.
The yield of peanuts was reduced where the plants were
ragged by worms but not defoliated, though the reduction, with
one exception, was less than where complete defoliation occurred.
Peanuts dusted once at the rate of 
20 pounds per acre with
1 per cent gamma benzene hexachloride produced an average
of 1,468 pounds of dry peanuts per acre, as compared with 1,164
on the checks, which were ragged but not completely defoliated.
Profitable gains resulted from dusting peanuts after they were
defoliated by worms. Per acre yields of dry peanuts at the second
digging were as follows: check, 699 pounds; cryolite plots, 1,232
34 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
pounds; 1 per cent DDT plots, 1,222 pounds; and 1 per cent
gamma BHC plots, 1,032 pounds.
DDT (1 per cent) and benzene hexachloride (1 per cent
gamma) were highly effective against velvetbean caterpillar on
alfalfa at the Main Station. The average numbers of worms per
five sweeps of an insect net one week after applying dusts at
the rate of about 12 pounds per acre were as follows: DDT plot,
2.0 worms; check, 87.0; benzene hexachloride, 1.5; check 77.5;
"1068", 27.5 worms; check, 53.5. Damage equivalent to an extra
cutting occurred on the checks, whereas no damage occurred
where DDT and benzene hexachloride were used.
DDT dusts and sprays were effective against the leafhoppers,
Empoasca fabae (Harr.) on peanuts. Sabadilla and sulphur were
also fairly effective in the order named. Rotenone and nicotine
were low in efficiency. DDT as a spray was highly effective
against thrips, Frankliniella fusca (Hinds), and, as a dust it was
moderately effective. There was no increase in yield under the
conditions of these experiments.
Toxicity of DDT to Farm Animals. (F. S. Arant and L. L.
English.) - In an experiment conducted in cooperation with
the Department of Animal Husbandry, unshucked corn was
treated with DDT - 20 p.p.m., 50 p.p.m., and 100 p.p.m. -
stored in cribs and fed to steers and pigs. All animals appeared
healthy but gained slightly less weight than check animals.
Factors other than the DDT were possible, even probably, re-
sponsible for the lower gains of the animals receiving DDT. Un-
checked corn removed 
from the crib contained 
only 9, 15, and
28 parts DDT per million parts of corn, according to analysis
made by the State Toxicology Laboratory. The higher amounts
were from the cribs receiving the higher rates of DDT. Shelled
corn contained less than 1 p.p.m.
Tissues of slaughtered animals were analyzed for DDT by
Dr. W. C. Sherman. Two steers fed unshucked corn treated in
storage with DDT, 50 p.p.m., contained approximately the same
amount of DDT, although one received the corn for 204 days
and the other only 105 days. Loin fat of the steers contained 46
to 51 p.p.m. The DDT content of the lean meat was 2 p.p.m. or
less. Ten to 13 p.p.m. were found in the fat of a pig fed un-
shucked corn from the same crib. Very small quantities of DDT
occurred in the lean meat. The internal organs of both steers
and pig contained very small amounts of DDT.
56th and 57th ANNUAL REPORTS 35
Fertilizer Experiments with Camellias. (L. L. English.) - Ca-
mellias were grown in pots of soil with the pH adjusted to
several levels by supplementing the soil with sulphur and lime.
Pots receiving nitrogen, but with a pH of 4.0, made less growth
than similar pots having a pH range of 4.4 to 7.0. No practical
difference in growth was obtained with 3, 6, and 9 per cent
nitrogen where the pH range was from 4.4 to 6.5. Growth was a
little slower at pH 7.0. Survival was definitely lower in the
series of pots with a pH of 4.0.
Tests with DDT and Ryanex on the Corn Earworm. (L. L.
English.) - A 5 per cent DDT dust applied from one to five
times to plots of sweet corn increased the number of undamaged
ears only about 10 per cent. A 50 per cent Ryanex dust gave
about the same results.
Farm Ponds. (H. S. Swingle, E. E. Prather, J. M. Lawrence,
J. W. Webb, and J. R. Snow.) - It was found possible to pro-
duce two crops of goldfish minnows per year in a pond. The
first crop was removed in July; the pond was immediately re-
stocked with brood fish and the second crop removed in Decem-
ber. Brood goldfish were found to spawn as late as August 24.
Fathead minnows Pimephales promelas (Rafinesque) were
produced in ponds at rates in excess of 100,000 per acre, but
only approximately one-third of this number was large enough
for use as bait by October. In other ponds these minnows were
able to reproduce in the presence of bass, crappie, bluegills, and
darters.
Carp Cyprinus carpio (Linnaeus) reproduced in ponds stocked
at the rate of 40 adults per acre, but failed to reproduce when
stocked at the rate of 500 adults per acre. At the latter rate
of stocking, a total of 435.0 pounds of carp was produced per acre.
In a fertilized pond largemouth buffalo Megastomatobus cy-
prinella (Valenciennes) failed to spawn when stocked at the rate
of 40 adults per acre.
A combination of buffalo and bass, with a few carp, gave a
total production of 846 pounds of fish per acre in a fertilized
pond.
In a 3-year experiment, a shellcracker Lepomis microlophus
(G.)-bass combination failed to maintain good fishing. The shell-
crackers became less and less numerous during the course of the
experiment.
36 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
56th and 57th ANNUAL REPORTS 37
The removal of large numbers of bass from ponds by seining
upset the balance between the bluegills and bass andruined the
pond from the standpoint of fishing. After the bass were re-
moved, the bluegills became so overcrowded that none was able
to grow to an edible size.
Late winter and early spring fertilization of a pond was found
to stimulate spawning of bream and greatly increase the catch.
The addition of organic materials supplying carbon dioxide to
the water increased fish production in ponds fertilized with in-
organic fertilizers.
Several forms of 2,4-D used as sprays showed considerable
promise in the control of various pond weeds, including needle-
rush, spikerush, arrowhead, and water grass.
PUBLICATIONS
Experiment Station Circulars
No. 91 Cotton-Hog Farming on the Sand Mountain. R. C. 
CHRISTOPHER
and KENNETH B. RoY. 1945.
No. 92 Christmas Tree Production. JOSEPH C. MOORE. 
1945.
No. 93 Chamber for Fumigating Plants with Methyl 
Bromide. L. L.
ENGLISH and G. F. TURNIPSEED. 1946.
Experiment Station Leaflets
No. 21 Growing and Fattening Hogs in Alabama. W. 
E. SEWELL. 1945.
No. 22 Raising Crickets for Bait. H. S. SWINGLE. 1946.
Experiment Station Progress Report Series
No. 12 Sweetpotatoes for Livestock Feed. L. M. WARE. 
1945.
No. 13 Blue Lupine Culture in Southern Alabama. 
E. F. SCHULTZ and
D. G. STURKIE. 1945.
No. 14 Artificial Manure Production. D. G. STURKIE. 
1945.
No. 15 Feeding Laying Hens. D. F. KING. 1945.
No. 16 Cannibalism Among Chickens. D. F. KING. 1945.
No. 17 Caley Pea Production and Uses in Alabama. K. 
G. BAKER. 1945.
No. 18 Movable Brooder House. D. F. KING. 1945.
No. 19 Recommendations on Boll Weevil Control 
in Alabama, J. M.
ROBINSON and F. S. ARANT. 1945.
No. 20 Method of Storing Cured Pork to Prevent Infestation 
by Skippers.
W. E. SEWELL. 1945.
No. 21 A System for Process Milk Production 
in the Black Belt. K. G.
BAKER. 1945.
No. 22 Studies on the Control of Late Blight 
of Irish Potatoes. OTTO
BROWN, FRANK E. GARRETT, and COYT WILSON. 1945.
No. 23 Alamalt - Its Properties and Uses. 
MILDRED S. VAN DE MARK.
1945.
No. 24 Seed Treatments for Peanuts. COYT WILSON, 
H. R. ALBRECHT, and
I. F. REED. 1946.
No. 25 Further Experiments with Detoxification 
of Cottonseed Meal for
Hogs. W. E. SEWELL and D. M. TURNEY. 1946.
No. 26 Control of the Peanut Worm. L. L. ENGLISH. 
1946.
No. 27 Summary of Results from Operation 
of a Cotton-Hog Farm Man-
agement Unit, Monroeville Experiment Field, 
1942-45. J. W.
RICHARDSON. 1946.
No. 28 Growing Lespedeza Sericea on Sand 
Mountain. R. C. CHRIS-
TOPHER. 1946.
No. 29 Significance of Hog-Feed Price Rations 
in Alabama. ROBERT L.
TONTZ and ALBERT H. HARRINGTON. 1946.
38 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT 
STATION
Miscellaneous
54th and 55th Annual Reports, 1946.
Articles in Scientific Journals
COPELAND, D. H., AND SALMON, W. D. The Occurrence of Neoplasms in
the Liver, Lungs, and Other Tissues of Rats as a Result of Prolonged
Choline Deficiency. Amer. Jour. Path. 22: 1059-1079. 1946.
ENGLISH, L. L. The Velvetbean Caterpillar on Peanuts: Control Experi-
ments. Jour. Econ. Ent. 89: 531-533. 1946.
ISBELL, C. L. A Continuous Supply of Fresh Sweetpotatoes for Table Use
on the Farm. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. Proc. 45: 891-894. 1945.
Propagation of Cabbage by Root Cuttings. Amer. Soc. Hort.
Sci. Proc. 45: 341-344. 1945.
Further Observations on the Application of Propagating
Cabbage by Leaf Cuttings. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. Proc. 47: 885. 1946.
KUMMER, F. A., AND PARKS, R. Q. A Report of the Progress on Soil Porosity
Measurements at the Tennessee Valley Substation. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer.
Proc. 11: 74-76. 1946.
MAYTON, E. L., SMITH, E. V., AND KING, D. F. Nut Grass Eradication
Studies: IV. Use of Chickens and Geese in the Control of Nut Grass,
Cyperus Rotundus L. Jour. Amer. Soc. Agron. 87: 785-791. 1945.
RICHARDSON, E. C. The Effect of Fertilizer on Stand and Yield of Kudzu on
Depleted Soils. Jour. Amer. Soc. Agron. 37: 768-770. 1945.
SOMMER, ANNA L. Copper and Plant Growth. Soil. Sci. 60: 71-79. 1945.
STEWART, E. H. AND VOLK, N. J. Relation Between Potash in Soils and
That Extracted by Plants. Soil Sci. 61: 125-129. 1946.
STURKIE, PAUL D. The Effects of Low Incubation Temperatures on the
Expression of Rose and Duplex Comb, Crest, Muffs, Frizzled, Naked
Neck, and Triple Spurs in the Domestic Fowl. The Amer. Nat. 129:
286-288. 1945.
, AND WILLIAMS, A. G. Studies of Pre-Gastrular Develop-
ment, Early Embryonic Development, and Hatchability of Prematurely
Laid Eggs of the Hen. Poultry Sci. 24: 546-554. 1945.
SWlNGLE, H. S. Improvement of Fishing in Old Ponds. Trans. 10th. N.
Amer. Wildlife Conf. 299-808. 1945.
TIDMORE, J. W., AND VOLK, N. J. The Effect of Plowing Under and the
Time of Plowing Under Legumes on the Conservation of Nitrogen.
Jour. Amer. Soc. Agron. 87: 1005-1010. 1945.
VOLK, GARTH W. Response to Residual Phosphorus of Cotton in Con-
tinuous Culture. Jour. Amer. Soc. Agron. 37: 330-340. 1945.
56th and 57th ANNUAL REPORTS 39
40 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
VOLK, N. J. Nutritional Factors Affecting Cotton Rust. Jour. Amer. Soc.
Agron. 38: 6-12. 1946.
I AND TmMORE, J. W. Effect of Different Sources of Nitro-
gen on Soil Reaction, Exchangeable Ions, and Yields of Crops. Soil
Sci. 61: 477-492. 1946.
AND MEADOWS, D. T. Supplements to
High-Analysis Fertilizers with Special Reference to Sulfur, Calcium,
Magnesium, and Limestone. Soil Sci. 60: 427-435. 1945.
WARE, L. M., AND JOHNSON, W. A. Effects of Fertilizers, Animal Manures,
and Green Manures on the Yield of Vegetable Crops on Light Garden
Soils. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. Proc. 46: 319-322. 1945.
41
Officers and Staff
AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
Alabama Polytechnic Institute
December 31, 1946
Trustees
His EXCELLENCY, CHAUNCEY SPARKS, Chairman-------------Ex-Officio
E. B. NORTON, State Superintendent of Education ------------- Ex-Officio
FRANCIS W. HARE (First District) --- -- Monroeville
EARL M. MCGOWIN (Second District) ------ -------------- Chapman
T. D. SAMFORD (Third District) ---------- -Opelika
S. L. TOOMER (Third District) -------------------------- Auburn
WALKER REYNOLDS (Fourth District) -------------------------- Anniston
W. B. BOWLING (Fifth District) ----------------------------- Lafayette
ROBERT K. GREEN (Sixth District) ---------------------- Greensboro
PAUL S. HALEY (Seventh District) J---------------------- asper
EDWARD A. O'NEAL (Eighth District) -------------------------- Florence
FRANK P. SAMFORD (Ninth District) ------------------- Birmingham
RALPH B. DRAUGHON, Secretary of Board, Auburn
Administration
LUTHER NOBLE DUNCAN, M.S., LL.D., President
M. J. FUNCHESS, M.S., D.Sc., Director
E. V. SMITH, M.S., Ph.D., Assistant Director
W. H. WEIDENBACH, B.S., Assistant to Director
K. B. RoY, B.J., Agricultural Editor
C. H. CANTRELL, A.B., M.A., A.B.L., Director of Libraries
NINA HALL, A.B., Agricultural Librarian
Agricultural Economics
B. F. ALVORD, M.S. ------------------------ Head of Department
M. J. DANNER, M.S. ------------- Associate Agricultural Economist
B. T. LANHAM, JR., M.S.....-------------Associate Agricultural Economist
J. H. BLACKSTONE, M.S.-------------------Assistant Agricultural Economist
E. E. MANSFIELD ----------------------------------- Statistical Assistant
J. H. YEAGER, B.S. ---------------------------- Graduate Assistant
Agricultural Engineering
J. H. NEAL, Ph.D.---------------------------------------Head of Department
F. A. KUMMER, M.S. ------------------------------------- Agricultural Engineer
I. F. REED, M.S., A.E....-------------Agricultural Engineer (Coop. USDA)
R. E. JEZEK, B.S. -------- Associate Agricultural Engineer (Coop. USDA)
D. A. PARSONS, B.A.......----------------Project Supervisor (Coop. USDA)
J. L. BUTT, B.S... _...........-------------------------------Graduate Assistant
56th and 57th ANNUAL REPORTS
Agronomy and Soils
C. F. SIMMONS, Ph.D.--------------------------------- Head of 
Department
A. L. SMITH, Ph.D.-------------------- Pathologist 
(Coop. USDA)
R. Q. PARKS, Ph.D.----------------------------- Soil Chemist (Coop. 
USDA)
D. G. STURKIE, Ph.D.-----------------------------------------Agronomist
J. T. WILLIAMSON, B.S. -----------------------------------------------
Agronomist
L. E. ENSMINGER, Ph.D. ---------------------------------------- Associate 
Soil Chemist
R. W. PEARSON, Ph.D. -----------------------------
Soil Chemist
HOWARD T. ROGERS, Ph.D.---------------------------------Associate 
Soil Chemist
T. HAYDEN ROGERS, M.S.----------------------------------------Associate 
Agronomist
A. L. SOMMER, Ph.D.-------- ------------------ 
Associate Soil Chemist
H. B. TISDALE, M.S. ------------------------ ---- Associate 
Plant Breeder
H. W. REUSZER, Ph.D ---------------- ------ Agent 
(Coop. USDA)
H. R. BENFORD, M.S.------------------------------------ 
Assistant Agronomist
F. E. BERTRAM, B.S. (Prattville) ----------------------
Assistant Agronomist
W. V. CHANDLER, M.S.--------------------------------------- 
Assistant Soil Chemist
P. B. GIBSON, M.S. -------------------------------------------- 
Assistant Agronomist
E. C. RICHARDSON, M.S.---------------- ---------
Assistant Agronomist
J. W. RICHARDSON, B.S. (Brewton) ----------------------
Assistant Agronomist
E. F. SCHULTZ, B.S.-------------------------------------- 
Assistant Plant Breeder
E. H. STEWART, M.S. ------------------------------------------ 
Assistant Agronomist
J. I. WEAR, M.S..------ ---------------------------- -----
Assistant Soil Chemist
B. L. COLLIER, B.S.------------------------------------------Graduate 
Assistant
E. D. DONNELLY, B.S.------------------- 
----- Graduate Assistant
F. S. McCAIN, B.S. --------------------------------------------
Graduate Assistant
Animal and Poultry Husbandry
J. C. GRIMES, M.S. ----------------
Head of Department
W. E. ALSTON, JR., B.S.---------------------------------------Animal 
Husbandman
A. E. CULLISON, M.S.--------------------------------------- 
Animal Husbandman
D. F. KING, M.S. ----------------------
Poultry Husbandman
W. D. SALMON, M.A..............--------------------------Animal 
Nutritionist
R. W. ENGEL, Ph.D. --------------------------
Animal Nutritionist
C. J. KOEHN, Ph.D. --------------------------
Animal Nutritionist
W. C. SHERMAN, Ph.D.-----------------------------------Animal 
Nutritionist
G. J. COTTIER, D.V.M. ---------------
Associate Poultry Husbandman
J. G. GOODMAN, M.S.---------------- 
Associate Poultry Husbandman
D. H. COPELAND, B.S.. ....---------------------
Assistant Animal Nutritionist
G. R. INGRAM, B.S..........--------------------Assistant 
Poultry Husbandman
A. H. QUINN, M.S.--------------------------Assistant 
in Animal Husbandry
Botany and Plant Pathology
J. L. SEAL, Ph.D. --------------------------
Head of Department
CoYT WILSON, Ph.D. --------------------------- Plant Pathologist
Horticulture and Forestry
L. M. WARE, M.S. ------------------------- 
Head of Department
C. L. ISBELL, Ph.D. ------------------ 
------------------ Horticulturist
42 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
43
E. W. MCELWEE, M.S.---------------------------- Associate Horticulturist
T. B. HAGLER, M.S - ----------------------- Assistant Horticulturist
HUBERT HARRIS, M.S..-.-.. Assistant Horticulturist (on leave for one year)
F. E. JOHNSTONE, Ph.D. -------------------- Vegetable Breeder
J. C. MOORE, M.S.--------------------------Assistant Horticulturist (Coop. USDA)
T. P. WHITTEN, M.S. (Atmore) ---------------- Assistant Horticulturist
FRANK GARRETT (Fairhope) --------- Part time Assistant in Horticulture
W. A. JOHNSON, M.S. ---------------------------------------- Laboratory Technician
R. H. WESTVELD, Ph.D. ----------------------- Forester
W. R. BOGGESs, M.F --------------------------. Associate Forester
H. E. CHRISTEN, M.F.-------------------------Associate Forester
WILBUR DEVALL, M.S. --------------------------- ---- Associate Forester
F. F. SMITH, M.F., M.A. ----------------------- Associate Forester
R. R. NEWMAN------------------ ---------- ------------- Assistant in Forestry
RUDOLPH STAHELIN, M.S. ---------- Associate Forester (Coop. USDA)
Zoology-Entomology
J. M. ROBINSON, M.A. ----------------------- Head of Department
F. S. ARANT, Ph.D. ------------------------------- Entomologist
H. S. SWINGLE, M.S.----------------------------Fish Culturist
A. M. PEARSON, Ph.D. --------------- Associate Biologist (Coop. USDI)
J. W. WEBB, M.S. ----------------- Superintendent of Ponds
J. M. LAWRENCE, M.S.-----------------------------------Assistant Fish Culturist
E. E. PRATHER, M.S. ------------- ------ Assistant Fish Culturist
J. R. SNOW, B.S.---~_---_- ------- Graduate Assistant in Fish Culture
Substations
BLACK BELT, Marion Junction, Dallas County
K. G. BAKER, B.S. --------------------------- Superintendent
W. B. KELLEY -------------------------------- Assistant Superintendent
GURF COAST, Fairhope, Baldwin County
OTTO BROWN, M.S...........-------------------------- Superintendent
H. F. YATES, B.S............----------------------Assistant Superintendent
PIEDMONT, Camp Hill, Tallapoosa County
E. L. MAYTON, M.S. -------------------------- Superintendent
J. W. McCLENDON, B.S.......----------------Assistant Superintendent
SAND MOUNTAIN, Crossville, DeKalb County
S. E. GISSENDANNER, B.S. --------------------- Superintendent
B. W. APPLETON, B.S. --------------------Assistant Superintendent
TENNESSEE VALLEY, Belle Mina, Limestone County
FRED STEWART, B.S.---------- Superintendent
JoHN BOSECK, B.S........ Assistant Superintendent
UPPER COASTAL PLAIN, Winfield, Fayette County
W. W. COTNEY, B.S. ------------------------- Superintendent
WIREGRASS, Headland, Henry County
J. P. WILSON, B.S. --------------------------- Superintendent
C. A. BROGDEN, B.S. ------------------- Assistant Superintendent
56th and 57th ANNUAL REPORTS
ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
CHANGES in STATION STAFF
1945 Appointments
R. H. CLARK, M.S. ---------------------------- Associate Forester
E. L. MAYTON, M.S. -------------------------. Superintendent, Piedmont Substation
E. E. PRATHER, M.S. -------------------- - Assistant Fish Culturist
1945 Resignations
JAMES E. BRYAN, JR., B.S. ----------- 
Assistant Forester
J. F. DUGGAR, M.S.-----------------------Prof. Spec. Investigations (deceased)
K. B. MCCLINTICK, M.F.---- ------------------- Associate Forester
W. E. SEWELL, Ph.D. ----------------------- Animal Husbandman
A. G. WILLIAMS, JR., M.S. -------------- Assistant in Poultry Husbandry
1946 Appointments
W. E. ALSTON, B.S. ------------------------ Animal Husbandman
B. W. APPLETON, B.S. _Assistant Superintendent Sand Mountain Substation
J. H. BLACKSTONE, M.S.--------------Assistant Agricultural Economist
J. L. BUTT, B.S.-----------------------------Graduate Assistant
H. E. CHRISTEN, M.F. ------- ------------------ Associate Forester
B. L. COLLIER, B.S.---.--.--------- Graduate Assistant
A. E. CULLISON, M.S ------------------------ Animal Husbandman
WILBUR DEVALL, M.S ------ ------------------- Associate Forester
E. D. DONNELLY, B.S. ------------------------- Graduate Assistant
J. G. GOODMAN, M.S.-------------------Associate Poultry Husbandman
W. B. KELLEY -------------------. Assistant Superintendent Black Belt Substation
J. M. LAWRENCE, M.S. --------------------- Assistant Fish Culturist
F. S. McCAIN, B.S. --------------------------- Graduate Assistant
J. W. MCCLENDON, B.S.- Assistant Superintendent Piedmont Substation
H. A. NATION, M.S. ----------------------- Assistant Horticulturist
R. R. NEWMAN ------ ----------------------------------- Assistant in Forestry
C. F. SIMMONS, Ph.D. ------- Head, Department of Agronomy and Soils
F. F. SMITH, M.F., M.A.-----------------------------------Associate Forester
J. R. SNow, B.S. ----------------------------- Graduate Assistant
R. H. WESTVELD, Ph.D. ------------------------------- Forester
J. H. YEAGER, B.S. --------------------------- Graduate Assistant
E. T. YORK, JR., B.S. --------------------------- Graduate Assistant
1946 Resignations
R. H. ALLEN, B.S. ----------------------------- Research Assistant
O. A. ATKINS, M.S......-------------Assistant Horticulturist (Coop. USDA)
H. R. BENFORD, M.S.------------------------------------Assistant Agronomist
R. O. CHRISTENSON, Ph.D...........--------------------Associate Parasitologist
R. C. CHRISTOPHER, B.S. -------Superintendent Sand Mountain Substation
R. H. CLARK, M.S. --------------------- Associate Forester
A. W. COOPER, M.S.---------------------- Associate Agricultural Engineer
44
56th and 57th ANNUAL REPORTS 45
L. L. ENGLISH, Ph.D. ------------------- ---------- Entomologist
R. P. GOGGANS, B.S. .--------- Assistant to Superintendent, Wiregrass Substation
A. H. HARRINGTON, M.S.......-----------------_Associate Agricultural Economist
J. N. MAHAN, M.S...............------------------....-Associate Agricultural Economist
C. C. MORGAN, JR., M.S......--------------.Assistant in Agricultural-Engineering
J. A. NAFTEL, Ph.D. ------------------------------- Soil Chemist
H. A. NATION, M.S.......................----------------------------.Assistant Horticulturist
HOWARD T. ROGERS, Ph.D.................------------------------.Associate Soil Chemist
MILDRED S. VAN DE MARK, M.A.... Assistant Horticultural Specialist in Foods
E. T. YORK, JR., B.S- ------------------------------ Graduate Assistant