506 



STATE BOARD OF AGRIOTJLTURE. 



eludes the use of tlie fanning mill to remove (1) light undeveloped 

 kernels which if planted would result in weak plants, (2) to remove 

 dirt and chaff that would influence the rate of seeding and possible 

 clogging of the drill. 



The germination test will insure seed of high vitality. This is very 

 important in some seasons when the weather has been such that grain 

 may not have become properly fertilized or may have become damaged 

 in the shock, stock or storage bin. Seed grain should be treated with 

 formaldehyde to control smut. It is estimated that from 10 to 15 per 

 cent of our cereal grain crops is lost each year on farms that do not 

 treat grain for smut. In 1918, a demonstration on Budd Wilbur's farm 

 in Haight twp., Ontonagon county, gave the following results with 

 oats : 



Treated area, yield per acre 50 bushels 



Untreated area, yield per acre 37.5 bushels 



Increased yield on treated area 12 . 5 bushels 



In this case, the loss from untreated seed with 25 per cent. The 

 cost for treatment is so slight (3 to 5c per bushel) that it is one of the 

 cheapest insurance policies that can be carried on any farm. 



TIME TO sow SPRING GRAINS. 



Early sowing is an essential practice to high production in the Upper 

 Peninsula. It takes from 85 to 100 days from time of planting until 

 harvest to produce a crop of oats, barley, or spring wheat in this sec- 

 tion. The first 55 to G5 days is utilized in developing the plant up to 

 the heading stage, the remaining 25 to 10 days is utilized in developing 

 and ripening of the kernels. The exact number of days in the different 

 stages will vary with the variety grown and the character of the sea- 

 son. A glance at the weather report (table 7) from the various sections 



Fig. 10. Alfalfa ig weU adapted to many sections of this country. This picture was taken 

 in September after a crop of barley had been removed in August. 



