424 Twi^xTv-iiiGiiTii Annual Report 



was such that it was impossible tu leave the sides smooth. Cement 

 plaster was applied directly to the rough earth, however, and the 

 resulting job is almost flawless. This clearly demonstrates the 

 practicability of plastering pit silos even where extremely rough 

 dirt walls are encountered. Two silos were already on the i)lace ; 

 the first, a pit silo ten feet in diameter and thirty-two feet deep, 

 and the second, an overground silo ten feet in diameter and twenty 

 feet high. These three silos, with a capacity of one hundred and 

 fifty-five tons of ensilage, were filled with crops from slightly less 

 than thirty-five acres of land. 



SULPHUR SPRING VALLEY DRY FARM 



In the main, two projects have been carried on at the Sulphur 

 Springs Valley Dry Farm near Cochise; namely, an extensive trial 

 of dates and rates of planting, and an attempt to standardize a 

 ' commercial crop rotation for that region. Results this year have 

 been very unfavorable, since the ground was very dry from early 

 spring imtil midsummer and crops planted after summer rains 

 began were only fair. 



In the first project four winter crops, Marquis wheat, Ten- 

 nessee Winter barley, Texas Red oats and White sweet clover were 

 planted at varying rates on four dates ; early in September, Octo- 

 ber, November and December. Four summer crops, Mexican June 

 corn. Club-top sorghum, Dwarf Kiifir and 'J'e])ary beans were 

 planted at varying rates early in March, April, May and June, late 

 in July, and early in August. Due to the subnormal moisture con- 

 ditions, the results are somewhat contradictory and not of very 

 great value. 



COMMERCIAL ROTATION PROJECT 



Approximately forty acres of the Sulphur Spring X'alley Dry 

 Farm were divided into four fields of nearly equal size. On the 

 first field Mexican June corn was planted early in April for ensi- 

 lage. A very poor stand was obtained, the ground being so dry 

 that it was necessary to plant too deeply. Continued drought lim- 

 ited the growth of the corn very materially. The average yield was 

 only 2100 pounds of green fodder per acre. 



Sudan grass was sown in March in the second field, but very 

 few seeds came up and the crop was a failure. Te])ary beans fol- 



