106 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE 



the Hy bettor tliaii the native sorts, though the insect has apparently 

 worked on them this spring fully as much as on the others. 



It is hoped to continue this experiment for several years. 



Oats. — In 1 !)()() seven varieties of oats were grown in comparative 



test with the following result: 



Name of variety. 



Scottish Chief 



Brown's Aiiierioan Banner 



Big Four 



American Banner 



R. r. lied Rust Proof 



Michigan Wonder 



Black Russian 



Weight 



per 

 bushel. 



Yields per acre. 



Bushels 



by 

 measure 



Bushels 



by 

 weight. 



56.66 

 63.40 

 67.7(5 

 65.64 

 64.87 

 55.ffi 

 48.25 



The seed of the Black Russian and Big Four came from a Kansas 

 seed house and had not been treated for smut. The Black Russian 

 was badly smutted, which fact may account for its light weight and 

 low yield. The Big Four had some smut, while the other five varieties 

 were practically free from it. The Scottish Chief, Michigan Wonder, 

 American Banner and Brown's American Banner were given the hot 

 water treatment for smut three years ago — this being the fourth crop 

 since the treatment and scarcely a trace of smut appeared. 



The R. I. Red Rust Proof came from seed i)resented by Mr. A. A. 

 Smith, of Woonsocket, R. I., who claims that this variety lias been 

 grown there for years and that it resists the attacks of the rust fungus. 

 Since practically no rust appeared on any of the above varieties, we are 

 unable to make comparisons in this direction. 



Trials of the formalin and other treatments for oat smut have 

 been made for the past three years with indifferent and inconclusive 

 results. Each trial was made by using smutted seed, but in no case has 

 the resulting crop shown the presence of any considerable (piantity of 

 smut from the untreated seed, and the yields have shown neither gain 

 nor loss from the several treatments. 



The variety test is in progress this year and all the seed sown has 

 received the formalin treatment for smut. 



Barley. — The department is testing several varieties of barley, both 

 from seed purchased from seedsmen and seed imported by the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture at Washington. 



Alinit. — A quantity of this material received from Farbenfabriken, of 

 Elberfeld Company, New York, has been applied to oats and corn and 

 Ijlanted in comparison with untreated seed. The trial is being made 

 in four localities, namely: Sandy soil, dark loam, sandy loam and 

 muck. It is, of course, too early yet to note any positive results. 



Hops. — Seven imported varieties of hops are being grown for the De- 

 partment of Agriculture at Washington. 



Clover Experiments. — As noted one year ago a trial to determine the 

 best time to sow clover seed had been begun. The experiment is now 



