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STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



BARLEY. 



In 1901 none of the plots of barley were larger than one-twentieth of an acre. 

 The season was extremely wet and squirrels and sparrows abundant. These con- 

 ditions were especially hard on the "Success Barley" which is a beardless sort. 

 The other varieties were reported in the following table, which gives the yield 

 and dates of planting, heading out and harvesting: 



The seed for most of these varieties was produced at the Station the year 

 before. All varieties lodged badly althoush the Swan seemed to have a stiffer 

 straw than the others and ripened slightly earlier. The straw was 2 inches longer 

 than the average of the other varieties but the heads were covered with the usual 

 objectionable beards. 



In 1902 there were six varieties The Manchuria and Canada were six-rowed. 

 The variety No. 5799 is bearded and very short; the straw is much taller than with 

 the ordinary varieties, the seed heads loose and very long and the kernels elongated 

 often nearly a half inch in length. The variety seemed to have the same disease 

 that affected the Nicaragua wheat as fully 25% of the heads were withered for 

 half their length. The Manchuria variety gave the largest yield, — 41.66 bushels 

 per acre. This was followed by the Oderbrucker which yielded 30.83 bushels per 

 acre. This variety again, as the year before, taking lead, except the variety 

 named above, tested for the first time in 1902. Canada Six-rowed and French 

 Chevalier follow next with 25.5 bushels per acre to their credit, the Canadian 

 Thorp being one bushel per acre behind them. 



OATS. 



The oat plots in 1901 were as in the case of the other cereals too small to 

 allow a safe calculation of yield per acre, moreover the Silver Mine variety had 

 to be sown in a part of the Station grounds somewhat different from the other 

 plots, making it impossible to compare the yields. The Black Beauty will prove 

 a heavy yielder in the Upper Peninsula under favorable circumstances; it stood 

 up better than any other variety except the Daubeny, and it was only the rains 

 of late August that succeeded in lodging any of the plots, and moreover, it was 

 the only variety, except the Daubeny, which weighed more than 32 pounds to the 

 bushel. It must be remembered that with the oats, as with the other cereals, the 

 repeated handling of the bundles in the wet season of 1901 in the attempt to dry 

 them, shelled out no inconsiderable quantity of grain and seriously affected all 

 varieties, the later ones much more than those harvested earlier. Both the Black 

 Beauty and the Daubeny gave yields over 42 bushels per acre. The Silver Mine 

 came next with 33.33 bushels per acre. The Rhode Island Rust Proof was next 

 with 32.34 bushels per acre; the Lincoln, 30.62 bushels per acre, and the Columbus, 

 Dupauper, Scottish Chief. Big Four, Michigan Wonder, American Banner and 

 Black Russian with yields between 20 and 25 bushels per acre. 



Again in 1902, among the varieties of oats, the' good stand, thrifty appearance 

 and well filled heads of Black Beauty remained conspicuous throughout the entire 

 season. In measured yield Columbus surpassed the Black Beauty but this fact is 



