260 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE 



CROPS WORK 



BY H. R. PETTIGROVE. 



The progress of the Crops Experimental work at the Upper I'en- 

 iusula Experiment Station for the year ending June 30, 1923 was as 

 follows : 



A^arietal testing of small grains was continned as before including 

 oats, barley, spring wheat, winter wheat, and peas. Another series was 

 added to the list to include flax and combination grains of flax, oats, bar- 

 ley, and wheat. There was also a series of cond)ination g-rains includ- 

 ing oats and peas at ditterent pro]»ortions of each. 



A rate of seeding tests was carried on with the English Field peas and 

 the Cloverland ,Soup pea. 



Cultural work in potatoes Avas continued as in previous years. Hill 

 unit selection of different strains were compared and yields obtained. 

 Distance of spacing of the White Rural, Irish Cobbler, Early Ohio 

 and Green Mountain were compared for yield. White Rurals were used 

 in comparing the size of s'.hmI piece as affecting yiehl in different spac- 

 ings, the nund)er of potatoes and their size as well as the area occui»ied 

 being a constant. 



Sunflowers were teste<l for distance of spacing and rates of seeding. 



A series of Red Clover strains were tested to determine the relative 

 merits of seed coming from states in the United States and foreign 

 countries. 



The annual hay crops were continued as previously with the addition 

 of a rate of seeding of the oats and peas condiinations and a seeding of 

 millet and pea, also millet and vetch condiinations. Late seeding of 

 oats usually rusts badly with the resultant loss of most of the leaves 

 and panicle, it being jtossible that the millet may substitute for the 

 oats. 



A series of alfalfa cuttings was begun to determine yield and effect 

 of time of cutting u\:ou the stand and the plants over a period of years. 



The increases consisted of potat<!es, oats, barley and peas. The 

 potato increase was small. The oats covered a sulpliur plot of the year 

 previous that sanijiles might be obtained to determine the effect of sul- 

 [diur upon the oats. The plot was also seeded to clover. The pea in 

 crease consisted of a fe^^■ Alaska and the rest of the English Field peas. 



Co-operative work was continued on the Wetmore sands and th(j 

 Seney muck soils. The former to develoj) a rotation or system of farm- 

 ing to build up the sands and the latter to hud stable crop for the muck 

 lands. 



Xevv trulv vours, 



D. L.' McMillan, Supt. 



