EXPERIMENT STATION REPORTS. 101 



October and November sowing of 1904 were entire failures, so were the 

 April, Mar, August, September and October sowings of 1905. On the 

 larger plots the seedings of May and June were very weak and unsatis- 

 factory. The July sowing was particularly^ fortunate in that the seed 

 was sown just before a damp and warm period. Kain fell in gentle 

 showers after the seed was sown and the weather kept moist long 

 enough to prevent the formation of a crust. Every seed seemed to 

 grow and the stand was very good indeed. Such conditions do not 

 usually obtain in July and the good seeding obtained must be counted 

 rather as an accident than otherwise. 



As to the seed from the different sources, the fact that none of them 

 made a good stand on the larger plots simply indicates that the ex- 

 periment must be tried over again to bring forth any results. Of the 

 foreign seed furnished by the department at Washington, several sorts 

 are promising, others are of no value whatever. The work will be con- 

 tinued through 1906 before any definite report can be made. 



The plots sown in the spring of 1903 had become so badly infested 

 with blue grass as to make comparison of yields of adjacent plots use- 

 less. It must be remembered that to prevent the invasion of blue grass 

 these plots have been treated for two successive years to crops of sugar 

 beets and kept absolutely free from grass and weeds, just prior to sow- 

 ing the alfalfa. 



The department is carrying forward a large amount of co-operative 

 work in a quiet way with various farmers, devoting this work to cer- 

 tain specific j)roblems. On some of the very sandy loams fertilizing 

 questions have been studied. The results will not be ready for publi- 

 cation until verified several times. So far commercial fertilizers have 

 not exhibited great values on this class of soil but it is too early to 

 speak with definiteness on the topic as the problem has not been studied 

 in all its bearings. With twenty selected farmers, variety tests of 

 corn and oats are going forward. With another class of farmers a study 

 of selected seed wheat is being made. With still another farmer there 

 is a fertilizer test with wheat. In this way studies are taken up which 

 cannot be made on the college farm. 



The station has begun with renewed vigor its selection with seed 

 corn, taking up more especially the question of the best ear of the best 

 variety. In this work it is receiving the aid of many co-operators in 

 various parts of the state. 



Respectfullv submitted, 



C. D. SMITH, 

 Director and Agronomist. 



Agricultural College, June 30, 1906. 



