212 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Fig. 15. 



A REPORT ON THE DAVENPORT ROTATION AND FERTILITY 



EXPERIMENT. 



In 1800, at the request of Eugene Daveni)ort, then Professor of Agri- 

 fultnre. Ihe State Board of Agriculture appropriated .|1,000 for drain- 

 ing and platting a series of plots for this experiment on the north side of 

 field n or directly east of the present site of the college baras. 



During the first five years of the experiment, 1891 to 189G, all the 

 plots ^vere devoted to uniform cropping as a means of comparing the 

 fertility of the several plots. Then for ten years, 180G to 1905 inclusive, 

 the plots were planted in different rotations of crops or received differ- 

 ent application of fertilizers and manure. After this ten year period, the 

 plots were planted in the same crops for five years,i 1906 to 1910, but the 

 barley which ^\as seeded in 1909 failed of a croj), because of a severe 

 attack of nematodes and the clover seeded in the spring of 1910 failed 

 to make a satisfactory stand. The small grain crops grown 1906 to 

 1908, however, would seem to give a fair comparison of the fertility 

 of the several jilots and are used for this ])ui'i)Ose in this report. 



Oats were grown in 1891,-'92-'94-'95 and wheat in 1893. Table I gives 

 the annual and total yields of the several plots and will furnish some 

 idea as to the relative fertility of the several plots when seeded to 

 small grain, mostly oats. >Vhile the yields vary considerably, the totals, 

 with one or two excei>tions, do not vary more than would be expected 

 on a Michigan soil of glaciated origin. 



