THE WORK OF THE SCOTTSBLUFF EXPERIMENT FARM IN 



1912. 1 



By Fritz Knork, Farm Superintendent, Office of Western Irrigation Agriculture. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The experiments conducted at the Scottsbluff Experiment Farm 2 

 are confined chiefly to the various crop and cultural tests under irri- 

 gation, but about 30 acres are reserved for dry-land experiments. 

 The dry farming is conducted by the Office of Dry-Land Agriculture 

 of the Bureau of Plant Industry and is confined to crop rotation and 

 tillage experiments and the testing of some of the dry-land crops to 

 determine their adaptability to conditions in western Nebraska. 



The experiments under irrigation include crop rotation, cultiva- 

 tion, methods of irrigation, the growing and testing of various crop 

 varieties in order to determine those best adapted to the local con- 

 ditions, and the testing of shade and fruit trees and of small fruits 

 and shrubs (fig. 1). 



During the year 1912 there were 662 plats on the farm, the size of 

 the plats ranging from one-fourth acre to row tests for corn, sorghum, 

 etc. Considerable land was devoted to the growing of trees from 

 seeds and cuttings. Vegetables were also tested in a limited way in 

 order to determine the best varieties for the locality. 



CLIMATOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 



The climatological observations at the farm are made in coopera- 

 tion with the Office of Dry-Land Agriculture and the Biophysical 



1 Issued Mar. 8, 1913. 



- The Scottsbluff Experiment Farm is located on the North Platte Keclatnation Project, 

 miles east of Mitchell and ahout 8 miles northwest of Scottsbluff, Nebr. The tract 

 consists of 160 acres of land irrigated from the Government canal. Though the entire 

 tract is irrigable, about 30 acres are devoted to dry-land experiments. The land was 

 withdrawn from entry by the Department of the Interior for use as an experiment farm, 

 and operations were begun in 1909. Three of the original buildings were erected by 

 that Department. The farm is under a superintendent detailed by the Office of Western 

 Irrigation Agriculture, U. S. Department of Agriculture. The work is supported by 

 Federal appropriation through the Department of Agriculture and by State appropriation 

 through the University of Nebraska. The buildings on the farm outside of the original 

 three structures have been erected from State funds. 



[Cir. 116] 11 



