EXTENSION DIVISION. 211 



Station and the cooperation of the Department of Farm Crops. The history 

 of this work has been given in previous reports and it is only necessary 

 to note here some of the important features of this year's activity. 



Rye: Rosen Rye easily ranks first in extent of grain standardiza- 

 tion. In many counties it has become the principal variety and the 

 chief problem now is one of maintaining a larger degree of purity of the 

 variety. All of the agents have had success with Rosen Rye demonstra- 

 tions and their reports show that an estimated increase of five bushels per 

 acre of Rosen over common rye is very conservative. On this basis the in- 

 creased yield due to the Rosen rye project in the State this j^ear is more 

 than 1,000,000 bushels. 



Wheat: The value of standardization as applied to wheat has also 

 been demonstrated largely through the merits of Red Rock. While unfav- 

 orable weather conditions seriously injured the crop of 1918, yet in several 

 counties this variety proved its superiority and a large acreage was again 

 sown. The most important fact in this relation is the increasing interest 

 of the farmers in better varieties and in the value of standardization of 

 those varieties when once thoroughly tested and found superior. 



Oats: Variety test of oats have been made under the direction of nearly 

 all the agents with the result of a growing interest in the pedigreed strains 

 that have been developed by the Experiment Station. The demonstrations 

 in practically all cases have shown the superiority of the pedigreed varieties 

 and the acreage, of these demonstrations, has been greatly increased. 



Corn: The extremely serious seed corn situation of last year resulted 

 in a much greater interest on the part of the corn growers in finding 

 the variety best adapted to local conditions. The more than 100 cars 

 of corn imported into the State for seed did much toward saving the 

 situation so far as seed was concerned, but the fact that it failed to ma- 

 ture in so many instances, even with a favorable fall, fixed the attention 

 of the farmers as nothing else could have done, on the value of variety. 

 Accordingly, the variety tests conducted by the agents this 5^ear have had 

 much attention and the foundation has been laid for excellent work in corn 

 varietj^ standardization based on local needs. 



Potatoes: Among the many valuable phases of the recent organized 

 movement of the potato growers, the rapidly growing interest in standard- 

 ization of varieties is notable. The experience in marketing coopei-atively 

 brought to the attention of the growers very forcibly the knowledge 

 that reduced prices and other important losses could be directly attributed 

 to the fact that 80% of the cars shipped were of mixed varieties. It was 

 the learning of these conditions by close touch with the marketing process 

 that fixed the attention of nearly all members of the potato marketing 

 associations on the Farm Bureau program of standardization, and led to the 

 adoption of the Rural Russet for the Southern Peninsula and the Green 

 Mountain for the Northern Peninsula. 



Barley: The seed corn situation of last year also increased the grow- 

 ing of barley, and here again was noticeable the large number of requests 

 made to the agents to secure pedigreed varieties and the degree of standard- 

 ization of this grain is probably second only to that of rye. 



Beans: The growing of beans shows the same increasing interest 

 everywhere in securing better varieties, the Early Wonder and the 

 Robust; being widely used by the agents in variety test work. 



