2164 Farm Bureau Circular No. 6 



year, in most cases producing slightly more than the yield of a year ago. 

 The average yield for two years of the lower producers not discarded 

 at harvest in 19 13, was at the rate of 183 bushels per acre. All the yield 

 of the poorest-producing female parents in 19 13 was discarded at "har- 

 vest time. 



This year about 400 pounds per acre of a 4-8-4 fertilizer that was 

 mixed at home, was used. The nitrogen was supplied in nitrate of soda, 

 the phosphorus in acid rock, and the potash in muriate of potash. The 

 nitrate of soda was applied at two different times in order to give the 

 plants a steady supply of nitrogen for the entire growing season. The 

 potatoes were sprayed with bordeaux mixture five times, cultivated 

 six times during May and June, and hilled by horse power early in July. 



In addition to this experiment, cooperative spraying with bordeaux mix- 

 tiire for blight was undertaken in several other fields. The blight was not 

 serious this year, but the results of spraying were very evident. The 

 average increase in yield on six sprayed fields on five different farms in 

 three towns in the county was 53.9 bushels per acre as compared with 

 the yield from unsprayed fields. No rot was found in the sprayed fields, 

 but there was some in the unsprayed. The total cost of spraying five 

 times, from June until September, was about $7 per acre, allowing the 

 farmer $5 per day for himself and his team. Valuing potatoes at 50 cents 

 per bushel, the net gain is $19.95 per acre. 



The farm bureau assisted the New York Central Railroad Company 

 in running a potato train through the county. Potato schools were 

 held in several different fields, and considerable interest was shown by 

 the farmers. 



CORN 



In cooperation with Ray P. Snyder, a district school superintendent, 

 several seed com testers were sent to different schools. The bureau 

 planted a small area of com, approximately one acre, by the ear-to-row 

 method. The seed was tested, and the kernels of only those ears that 

 germinated more than 90 per cent, were planted. This work was started 

 in 19 13. Our seed was saved in 19 13 from ears grown from parents 

 that proved themselves to be of a high-yielding type. This seed was 

 preserved and planted separately in 19 14; in all cases the high producers 

 in 19 1 3 were high producers in 19 14. This demonstration was to show 

 that every farmer, without much trouble, could carry on a small breeding 

 plot where his own seed com could be secured. This com furnished 

 a mature stalk more than ten feet high, bearing an ear that matiired 

 the first w^eek in September. The yield per acre from some of the better- 

 producing parents was at the rate of 148 bushels of com on the ear. 



FERTILIZERS 



Several farmers have cooperated with the bureau in making fertilizer 

 experiments. Some of them used nitrate of soda as a top-dressing for 

 meadows with good success. This was applied at the rate of 150 pounds 

 per acre when the grass was four inches high; the cost was $3.90 per acre. 

 In one case where accurate records were kept, the yield was 4^ tons 

 per acre, making the average yield for two years on the same field 5 tons 

 per acre, or 1.7 tons increase, as a direct result of fertihzing wdth nitrate 



