FARM DEPARTMENT. 269 



White Giant of Normandy is also a rival. While the number of stalks 

 per rod, and ears per 100 stalks are not so large, it grew higher and the 

 average weight of a row is 200 pounds more than that of a row of Wisconsin 

 White Dent. The grain was not quite so ripe, but was good. 



Breck's Boston Market compares favorably with the two mentioned, except 

 in weight. This cannot be attributed to the fact that it was drier, for it was 

 the greenest of the three when cut. 



For convenience we will group Deitz Golden Yellow, Golden Beauty and 

 Learning Yellow Dent. A glance at the table shows that the height of the 

 three varieties was nearly the same. The number of stalks per rod varies 

 from 17 to 25, and of ears per 100 stalks from 62 to 71. The Learning, with 

 the greatest number of stalks, has the least number of ears. Golden Beauty, 

 the least number of stalks and more ears than the Learning ; fewer than 

 the Deitz. The Learning was the ripest, the Deitz the greenest. It will 

 be noted that the weight of a single row of the several varieties varies 

 considerably. 



The Chester County Mammoth, the Parrish White Dent and the Southern 

 Ensilage gave a small amount of grain. 



The Chester County Mammoth and Parrish White Dent, however, had 

 ears fairly filled and the grain was in the milk. Most of the ears on the 

 Southern Ensilage were just formed. 



It would be unfair, because of their later planting, to compare the B. & 

 W. and Sweet's with those mentioned, although the weights show that there 

 was a large quantity of fodder from these two varieties. 



The earing of the different varieties plainly enforces the value of thin 

 seeding to secure the best and largest product, of combined grain and stalk, 

 suitable for ensilage. 



From 17 to 21 stalks per rod, giving the greatest number of ears per 100 

 stalks, or from 68 to 86. And it will also be noted that the ears were more 

 mature than the others. 



The B. & W., with 31 stalks to the rod, gives only 4, but the lateness of 

 planting may be in a measure the cause of this. 



The Learning, with 25 stalks to the rod, gives 62 ears, while the Southern 

 Ensilage, the Chester County Mammoth and the Parrish White Dent, with 

 a less number of stalks to the rod, also give a fewer number of ears to 100 

 stalks. 



FORAGE PLANTS. 



The following forage plants were grown last season. Only small plats were 

 sown, as the test was mainly to determine how they would thrive on our soil 

 and in this climate. 



The soil was like that on which the corn was planted, and was prepared in 

 the same manner. 



Seed was sown May 19. Most of the seeds were received from the United 

 States Department of Agriculture. 



Serradella — This plant made very little growth, which may, perhaps, be 

 accounted for by the drought, as Dr. Goessmann, of the Massachusetts 

 experiment station, reports it as doing best on moist, deep, sandy soil. He 

 also reports it as yielding about ten tons of green fodder to the acre, of 

 which one-fifth was actual vegetable matter. Time of seeding and mode 



