268 AGRICULTURE OI' MAINE- 



a difference of many bushels in yield per acre. Similar differ- 

 ences are evident in the yields of wheats and barleys. All of 

 these varieties of small grains have proven themselves to be 

 of superior quality in actual tests. Any one of each type of 

 grain is recommended for use on Maine farms. However, a 

 more interesting test has been carried on at our own Experi- 

 ment Station on its Highmoor Farm. This test has proven 

 the Swedish Select oat to be an excellent late oat for Maine. 

 One of the interesting studies in oats and one which means a 

 great deal to Maine farmers is the study of the per cent of hull 

 of the oats grown. A glance at the figures of the per cent of 

 hull of the oats grown by the Experiment Station, those grown 

 by the Department of Agronomy and those grown on the indi- 

 vidual farms of many of the members of this association, will 

 bring out the importance of such a study. On the demonstra- 

 tion plots of the Department of Agronomy ten plots of oats 

 were grown, varying in hull from 22 to 40%. Almost equal 

 differences are noted in oats grown by the members of the 

 Seed Improvement Association. What does such a difference 

 mean to the farmer? Farmer A grows 1000 bushels of the 

 variety of oats which has 22% hull. Farmer B grows looo 

 bushels of the variety that has 41% hull. Farmer A has as a 

 result over 3 tons more feeding material in the shape of oat 

 kernel than has Farmer B in his 1000 bushels. Three tons of 

 feed are worth looking after! It is important to note that 

 over 80% of the members of the association are growing oats 

 that test over 30% hull. There is room for great improvement 

 yet. Equally important dift'erences in varieties of wheat and 

 barley could be pointed out, but we will leave this to another 

 occasion. 



Can we raise winter wheat in Maine? We believe it is pos- 

 sible if the following things are done: (i) If the land is well 

 prepared by (a) thorough drainage, (b) careful and thorough 

 tillage; (2) if the seed is planted early in the fall or in the late 

 summer — not later than Sept. i for most parts of Maine; (3) 

 if only seed of first quality is used. 



Now, why should Maine grow small grain? The 49th annual 

 report of the Maine Central Railway records that 271,541 tons 

 of grain — corn, oats, wheat and barley — were brought into the 

 State for distribution in 1910. Beside this 77,405 tons of mill 



