352 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



vested October 15 or 4 days after what is termed a killing frost had oc- 

 curred. Tlie field notes show that the stalks and two-thirds of the leaves 

 showed no effect from the frost, that 75 per cent of the ears were ripe 

 and the kernels of the others well glazed and hard. The total yield 

 gave 20 pounds of which 25 x>er cent, or 5 pounds, were rejected, leaving 

 15 pounds as the yield of the plot, or at the rate of 29.17 bushels per 

 acre. 



Corn in .1906. — ^The weather conditions, especially at about ripening 

 time during the forepart of September, were more favorable for corn 

 than during any preceding season. All varieties ripened well, though 

 there was more or less soft corn from such late varieties, as Ninety 

 Day, Rustler, Golden Ideal and Minnesota 13. 



The seed of one of the most valuable varieties which have teen tested 

 so far, was kindly donated by M. S. Joiner of Benzonia (Mich.) who 

 stated that for a number of years he had been selecting the earliest 

 ri[)e ears for seed, l)ut forgot tlie name of the variety. The ears showed 

 that the variety has ripened in the immediate neighborhood of some 

 Avhite Dent, but those with red cobs and a color nearly uniform resemble 

 the flolden Dent with the ears somewhat longer, the color a deeper 

 golden yellow, and during this first test rijjened at about the same 

 time with two ears to each stalk. The name ''Joiner'' will Im used here- 

 after for this variety. 



The fertilizer experiment with coarse manure and clover seed was 

 continued. In this test a minimum amount of both was used, and the 

 deficiency was supplemented by adding a commercial fertilizer at the 

 rate of 800 pounds per acre. The amount of manure was probably less 

 than two tons per acre, for there was not enough to completely cover 

 the ground when spread out thin. The clover and manure y)lot was 

 fully three-ffuarters grass sod, for the plot had been j)lanted with Alsike 

 clover in May, 1002, and most of the clover plants have been gradually 

 run out since. The clover plot had been ])lanted with crimson clover 

 dui'ing the j)receding season, hence there Avas no sod left when the ydot 

 was jilowed during the following sj»ring, nor have any nodules ever been 

 found hei-e ujton the roots of crimson clover. The commercial fertilizer 

 contained no filler and was composed of 185 pounds dried blood, 150 

 ])Ounds Mi<'higan Carbon Works precipitated phosphate and 100 pounds 

 suljihate of potash. It therefore contained 5.1 per cent nitrogen, lO.'U 

 j)er cent j)hosphoric acid mostly available and 11.5 per cent ])Otash. 

 One-half of the fertilizer was applied at planting time, and the other 

 half when the corn was about four inches high. For the purpose of 

 better observing its effect, it was apj)lied on one-half of each plot only. 

 Th(? jdowing, as during the ])ast season, was done during late si)ring, 

 and the planting was done May 25 in hills 4 feet apart each way. 

 Either owing to the smaller amount of the plowed under coarse material 

 or to tlu^ <lrv wi'alliei- of tlu^ f<)r(q)art of the season Avhich no dou])t r(!- 

 tarded the decom[)(jsil ion of the sod and manure, the difference in the 

 time of tasseling, silking and rijiening was much less than during the 

 past season. At no time during the entire season was it possible to 

 observe the slightest differenee between the half j)lots which received the 

 commercial fertilizer and the other halves which received none. There 

 was a very slight difference on the plot where nothing was plowed under, 

 but this wa8 bo small and so far from beinjj uniform that it was at- 



