41 



had a better color from the first, ami invariably the heads were much larger 

 ami the growth more uniform on both old and new ground. On tliese fer- 

 lilizcd plats and burned spots the grain stood well, and this dry season I 

 counted as many as IS large heads from one grain of barley and '2\i heads from 

 one grain of oats where the seed was scattered sparingly. New ground brolcen 

 and let lie to the weather one year gave very good returns even in this dry year. 

 (PI. IV. tig. 2.) It produced fully 1 ton of hay per acre, while third-year 

 ground alongside the sununer-fallowed new ground did not produce more than 

 half that amount. It should be said, however, that this sununer fallow was 

 very rich sod and more capable of holding moisture thau the old ground. 



For convenience in this report the several tracts seeded an* designated as 

 follows : 



Tract A. third-year ground, used last season as the main culture tract. The 

 soil is rather light and dry. 



Tract B, third-year ground on the same bench, but heavier soil. 



Tract C, new ground on a bench probably l.'jO feet higher than tracts .\ and R. 

 This soil is somewhat heavier than the majority of that on the lower bench, hav- 

 ing more of a clay subsoil. 



Tract I) represents the large field i)lats on either bench. 



On tracts A, K, and (" half of each plat or variety was fertilized at the time 

 of seeding with guano, at the rate of about .")(>() jtounds per acre. Tract A was 

 laid out exactly as last year in order to refertilize a portion of each plat, leav- 

 ing a portion of last season's fertilizing undisturbed, and fertilizing half of the 

 ground not fertilized last year, leaving the remainder unfertilized from the 

 beginning. The fertilizer used was the same kind and quantity each year. 

 There being no visible results from the fertilizing of last year on the present 

 crop, there is no mention of that fertilizing in my notes on this year's crop. 



Tracts A and C were seeded with a small hand drill. Tract B was seeded in 

 open drills by hand and covered with a hand rake. Tract D was seeded with 

 a horse drill unless otherwise mentioned. In tract D the summer fallow men- 

 tioned is a deep black soil on the willow ground, broken in the fall of lOO:^ and 

 not seeded last year. 



The results of the fertilizer experiment on tract C were in some measure 

 obscured, owing to the fact that the tract was new ground broken before the 

 small culture tract was selected, and unfortunately a portion of the tract had 

 considerable brush burned on it, the effect of which was in evidence as soon as 

 the grains were up a few days. Therefore, the unfertilized jiortions gave much 

 better results than they otherwise would have done, judging from the growth 

 over the main field. 



Kharkov Winter : Sown August 3, 1904, Seed germinated very quickly, mak- 

 ing a good stand, and covei'ed the ground with the vesture of an eastern wheat 

 field by the end of September. Spring growth started early in May. The fall 

 growth was nearly all dead, but by June 1 the drills were again thickly covered 

 and some stood 5 or 6 inches high. A few spots, however, were suffering from 

 drought and winter injury. .Tune 15, 8 to 10 inches of height had been gained, 

 and the grain looked well. .July 1, 16 to 18 inches high ; some heads showing ; 

 the soil getting very dry. July 15, graia 20 to 38 inches high ; the blooms fall- 

 ing and the grain forming. July 28, the grain well filled and nearly in the milk. 

 August 14, grain in dough and beginning to harden when injured by a heavy 

 frost. The straw was turning and ripened very rapidly after the frost. Sev- 

 eral severe frosts followed within a few days. This grain was cut for thrash- 

 ing, as it is thought some grains will grow. 



