EXPERIMENT STATION REPORTS. 305 



BUILDINGS. 



The new Iiorse barn and the office building have been painted and an 

 addition built on the west side of the sheep barn, 24x100 feet. This 

 provides for the increase in the flock of sheep that is being maintained. 



In April, 1920, the Stranberg farm consisting of 40 acres of land with 

 the house and small barn located just west of the Station was purchased. 

 This addition gives a house for our crops experimenter and a much need- 

 ed increased acreage of land suitable for crops experimental work. 



The reports of G. W. Putnam, Research Assistant in Farm Crops, 

 and J. E. Kotila, Research Assistant in Plant Pathology, follow. 



Mr. D. L. McMillan, Superintendent, U. P. Sub. Station. 



I herewith report the experimental crop work at this station for the 

 year ending July 1st, 1920. 



In 1919 there were nineteen varieties of oats tested. These were 

 harvested on August 10th. The three highest yielding varieties were 

 Iowa 103, 60-day and Wis. Ped. No. 77. These oats were all of the 60- 

 day sort. The exceptionally dry weather during June and July gave a 

 season very favorable to the early oat. The Wolverine which is a medium 

 early oat compared very favorably with the other varieties tested and 

 gave the highest test weight per bushel of any. Wis. Ped. No. 14, a side 

 oat selection from" the Wisconsin Station gave the lowest yield per plot 

 and also the lowest test weight per bushel. 



There were ten varieties of spring wheat harvested on August 15th., 

 all of which were of very poor quality due to the dry weather in July 

 and also a severe epidemic of Black Stem rust (puccinia graminis). Of 

 the ten varieties tested a strain of Marquis from the Ottawa, Canada, 

 station gave the best returns. It, however, tested only 51 pounds per 

 bushel. The lowest yielding variety was a hybrid sort obtained from 

 the Wisconsin station. It tested 42 pounds per bushel. 



Three varieties of barley were tested. Oderbrucker, Michigan 2-row 

 and Michigan Black Barbless. The Michigan Black Barbless gave the 

 highest yield per acre, however, the season was very unfavorable for 

 barley. None of the barleys tested came up to the yield in an average 

 year. 



A cost account was kept of the production and harvesting of an acre 

 of rutabagas. With the labor situation of 1919, the figures given would 

 not apply to an average season. The total cost of production per acre 

 was 138.10 and tlie cost of harvesting and storing 134.50 making a total 

 of 172.60 with a yield of 20 tons per acre, making a cost of |3.68 per ton. 



One acre of sunflowers were grown for silage material. A yield of 

 approximately 20 tons was obtained. 



Two acres were devoted to experimental potatoes, Mr. J. W. Weston 

 and Mr. J. E. Kotila cooperating on this work. The following cultural 

 plots were harvested, not working before plants were up vs. working 

 every five days before plants were up, shallow to deep cultivation, vs. 

 deep to shallow, flat culture, vs. hill culture. Variety testing was con- 

 fined to five varieties, Green Mountains, Idaho Rurals, Rurals, Russet 

 Burbank and Early Ohios. Acid phosphate was applied at the rate of 

 500 pounds and 250 pounds per acre, vs. no application. Plots were 

 treated for scab and black scurf control with Mercuric chloride and for- 

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