EXPERIMENT STATION REPORTS. 189 



REPORT OF FARM CROPS EXPERIMENTER. 



Director R. S. Shaw: 



Dear Sir — I wish to submit the following report of the Division of 

 Farm Crops for the year ending Jmie 30, 1912. 



SOIL FERTILITY EXPERIMENTS. 



The soil fertility and rotation of crops experiments started in 1911 

 have been continued as originally planned. AAliile the unfavorable 

 weather conditions the past season have resulted in some cases in an 

 unsatisfactory stand of clover and a rather poor stand and growth of 

 some of the other crops, this condition is not more serious than should 

 be expected occasionally in a long continued experiment of this nature 

 and not more serious than experienced on the average farm of the state. 

 These experiments have not progressed far enough as yet to yield any 

 very pronounced results. 



CROP IMPROVEMENT. 



The crop improvement work has been continued along the same lines 

 as formerly and on about the same scale. Mr. F. A. Spragg, who has 

 had immediate charge of the work, reports the following in regard to 

 development of this work: **Those who have followed the work of crop 

 improvement on the Experiment Station know that a large number of 

 pure lines of wheat, oats and barley have been tested for quality and 

 yield. Thousands of individual plants of clover, alfalfa, timothy, beans 

 and soy beans have also been handled in this work. The most outstand- 

 ing fact in connection with this year's work is that the winter of 1911-12 

 was extremely unfavorable for the development of a good crop of wheat. 

 The fall was wet and cold, causing the fall seeding of grain to make a 

 slow growth and to be poorly developed when winter set in. The 

 ground was wet when it froze and during the winter we had a long 

 period below zero, which was as much as 2.5° and 30° belov/ zero at 

 times. While the severe winter has resulted in a vevj thin stand and 

 poor crop, it has enabled us to discard some of the less hardy varieties 

 of wheat and winter barley. The varieties of winter rye have survived 

 in good condition. 



On the basis of yield, quality and winter hardiness, several varieties 

 of wheat were selected as superior to all others. Among these several 

 wheats, between 3,000 and 4,000 flowers were hybridized during June, 

 1911. This was done in the hope that we may be able to combine the 

 desired qualities of several wheats in one. 



In the clover and alfalfa work there has also been a high percentage 

 of winter killing but as there are a few plants in most of the selections 

 which have survived the winter, it furnishes the means of developing 

 more hardy strains. 



The work of breeding the spring grains is progressing along the same 

 lines as formerly. The varieties of spring barley show the best appear- 



