EXPERIMENT STATION REPORTS 103 



through last season and are being continued again this year. At Pearle, 

 an unfavorable season practically destroyed the entire experiment, 

 Mr. Todd has, however, lowered the ditches in the vicinity of the 

 experimental plots and we look for more indicative results this year. 

 The beets grown on this muck land in 1900, gave a higher per cent of 

 sugar than we have had before from similar soil. 



The Ferguson and Allen experiment gave in its preliminary returns 

 some results pointing to general exhaustion, though more particularly 

 to a deficiency of the mineral elements. The experiment will be watched 

 the coming year with greater interest in the hope of drawing some de- 

 finite conclusions. 



The Michigan Asylum farm, at Kalamazoo, is probably in better 

 natural condition than either of the other farms and therefore does 

 not respond so readily to applications of materials intended to add to 

 its store of plant food or its physical condition. 



In field No. l.'i of the College farm, about two acres have been fenced 

 off and used for experimental work the past three years. These results 

 have proven very satisfactory, and thus far point to wood ashes, barn- 

 yard manure, and upland soil as the best applications to make for the 

 improvement of this land. Here and in all the other muck experiments, 

 we have noticed in particular the indifferent effects of the action of 

 lime. The litmus test has shown a practically neutral condition, while in 

 one place on the College farm, a small quantity of marl was plowed up 

 two years ago. This latter fact would indicate a sufficiency in the 

 supply of calcium and if there is no acid condition to correct, the lime 

 could be of but little use. The entire report of the two years" experi- 

 ments will appear in bulletin form at the end of the present season. 



TESTING VARIETIES. 



Wheat. — In the fall of 1000 the following press bulletin appeared, 

 giving the result of our tests of varieties of wheat and a general formula 

 for the use of formalin and hot water as a preventive of smut: 



Press Bulletin Ao. 15. — Remedy for Smut in Wheat. 



Formalin Treatment. — Take one pound or pint of formalin — the drug- 

 gist may call it 10 per cent formaldehyde — and stir it into 5(» gallons of 

 water. This quantity will treat 50 or GO bushels of wheat. If a smaller 

 quantity is required less amounts may be used, by keeping the same 

 proportions, which are practically an ounce of formalin to three gallons 

 of water. The cost of formalin in small (piantities is about five cents 

 an ounce. 



Sweep clean a place on the barn floor and sprinkle well with the 

 formalin solution. Put the seed wheat on this sprinkled area and 

 sprinkle or spray the wheat with the formalin solution and shovel it 

 over until every kernel is thoroughly -wet. Do not be satisfied with 

 simply dam])ening the grain but apply the solution until every kernel 

 is visibly coated with water. Allowing it to stand in a compact pile 

 a couj)le of houis will insure the more com])let(^ action of the formalin. 

 If the grain is to be sown broadcast by hand at once it need not be 



