')8 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE 



It is gratifj'ing to report that there have been no changes in the work- 

 ing force of the Station during the period covered by this report except 

 that Mr. M. W. Fulton, who has had charge of the worlc in soil physics, 

 left the Station in December, 1898. to take charge of a dairy farm near 

 Detroit. 



In nearly all of the divisions of the Experiment Station the continued 

 work planned in the years previous has been carried forward, if not to 

 completion, certainly to advanced position. In the Agricultural Division 

 the experiments with Indian corn testing the influence of thickness of 

 planting were repeated. The former work is reported in Bulletin 154. 

 The same distance apart of rows was used in this test, viz.: in Plot 1, 

 eeven inches apart, the plot being sown with a grain drill every tube sow- 

 ing; Plot 2, fourteen inches apart, each alternate tube of the drill sowing; 

 Plot 3, twenty-eight inches apart; Plot 4, forty-two inches apart; both 

 latter plots being put in with a grain drill; Plot 5, in hills forty-five by 

 forty-five, and Plot 6, rows forty-five inches apart and hills twenty-two 

 and one-half inches apart in the row. The yields per acre both of green 

 forage and of dry matter, and finally the yield of protein per acre are 

 given by plots in the table below. 



The gradual and important increase in the yield of both dry matter and 

 that most important element, protein, as the distance between rows and 

 between individual plants is increased is significant. It confirms similar 

 results obtained in the past two years and with them goes far to demon- 

 strate the proposition that to obtain the greatest yield of valuable 

 nutrients it is wise to plant corn in rows fully three and a half feet apart, 

 either in hills equally distant or in continuous row, the kernels being 

 between six and nine inches apart in the row. It is folly to drill in corn in 

 rows so close together that the ground can not be cultivated nor the sun 

 gain free access to each plant. 



The test of the grade herd still continues. The economic success of last 

 year's operations was reported in Bulletin IGG. It was shown that al- 

 though the herd was brought together quickly without opportunity to 

 select individuals from a large number offered, still the average yield 

 was over six thousand pounds of milk and three hundred pounds of 

 butter per cow for the year. The herd is improving in physical condition 

 and good results may be expected from it this year. 



The establishment of several costly beet sugar factories in the state in 

 1899 calls for renewed energy in the experiments related to beet growing. 

 In 1898 the work of the preceding year was continued as far as sending 

 out beet seed, furnished by the Department at Washington, was con- 

 cerned. In addition careful account was kept of the expenses of grow- 

 ing a crop and the net profit therefrom. 



In the matter of the introduction of new and valuable plants, mention 



