122 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Press Bulletin No. 12, on "Treatment of Seed Wheat for Smut," was is- 

 sued and distributed to the farmers, millers and newspapers. 



Experiments with Wheat Smut— Owing to the general prevalence of the 

 stinking- smut and the pressing demand for simple remedies for its de- 

 struction, a quantity of badly smutted wheat has been purchased and 

 experiments begun to test the relative efficiency of the various remedies 

 now in practice. These experiments involve the use of corrosive sub- 

 limate, copper sulphate and formalin, used in various degrees of strength 

 and quantity. It is also proposed to try some experiments this winter 

 upon the feeding value of badly smutted wheat. 



OATS. 



Tests of varieties of oats in connection with field crops were conducted 

 in Fields No. 8 and 15, with the Scottish Chief, American Banner, 

 Brown's American Banner and Michigan Wonder varieties, resulting 

 in vields in the order given. 



Oat Smut.— Under Professor Wheeler's direction, a small area in Field 

 No. 3 was sown to oats to test the efficiency of formalin, corrosive sub- 

 limate, copper sulphate, and hot water as remedies for oat smut. Obser- 

 vations on the untreated plots in this experiment and on several oat 

 fields in this locality revealed the fact that the oat smut is becoming 

 extinct in the neighborhood of the College. This may be due to the un- 

 favorable conditions of the season for the development of the smut 

 fungus, but is more than likely a result of former treatments of seed oats 

 by the farmers in this vicinity and the growing of oats from treated seed 

 sent out by this department. The absence of the smut on the untreated 

 plots, while gratifying in one respect, detracted somewhat from the value 

 of the experiment. 



CORN. 



In Field 11, experiments on various methods of planting and drilling 

 corn were tried with a view to determine by which method the farmer 

 can produce the greatest amount of dry matter and nitrogen free extract. 

 In Field G a test was made with thirty common varieties, the results of 

 which are being prepared for publication in bulletin form. 



OTHER FORAGE CROPS. 



The east end of Field G was devoted to the growth of oats and peas, 

 sorghum, rye, Kaffir corn, sowed corn, and winter vetch, to be used as 

 summer feed for the College herds of cattle. Each of these crops pro- 

 duced a normal growth and came to proper feeding state at the right 

 time to keep up a continual supply of green feed throughout the dry 

 season during July, August and early September. The winter vetch 

 (vicia villosa) was sown in August, 1897, and was ready to cut by June 

 10. Although the cattle did not relish this as green feed, its abundant 

 growth and the particular date at which it attained its full size recom- 

 mend it as a crop for winter covering and green manuring. Seed of the 

 winter vetch was sown last spring in the Curiosity strip, in rows three 

 feet apart, and produced a dense growth by October 1, at which time 

 it was in blossom and completely covered the ground. 



