AGRONOMY 



G. E. Thompson'. R. S. Hawkins 



During the period covered by tliis report G. Iv Thompson 

 has been in charge of the Department of Agronomy. On January 

 1, 1919, R. S. Hawkins joined the department as Assistant Agrono- 

 mist, and on October 1, 1919, S. P. Clark joined the department 

 with the title of Extension Agronomist, but with the understand- 

 ing that one-half his time would be given to the regular work of 

 the department. 



The strictly experimental work of the department is organized 

 under projects. These projects cover the various ])hases of crop 

 work under investigation and are placed in the different agricultural 

 regions in the State but are located principally on the Experiment 

 Farms of the Salt River Valley, the Yuma \'alley. the Sulphur 

 Spring Valley, and on the Dry-Farm near Prescott, Arizona. The 

 various projects with a brief history and report of progress are 

 listed below. 



1. A CONTINUATION OF STUDIES AT PRESCOTT DRY-FARM. 



In the general work of the Prescott Dry-Farm we desire to 

 determine the agricultural practices necessary by means of which 

 the dry-farmer with limited land can make a reasonably good liv- 

 ing. Consequently, the work of this farm includes not only the 

 testing of the various crops adapted to the climatic conditions of 

 the Prescott district and the methods of planting, cultivating, and 

 handling these crops, but it also includes the putting up and feeding 

 out of silage, and minor* investigations and observations of other 

 farm practices. During the summer of 1919 the farm was divided 

 into five principal fields, the arrangement of the fields permitting a 

 rotation of crops from year to year and permitting the economical 

 handling of farm help, machinery, etc. 



No grain yields of importance were secured except from dwarf 

 milo maize. This crop planted in early summer and given good 

 care, made a very satisfactory and profitable grain crop. 



From the silage standpoint, Papago sweet corn was the most 

 satisfactory crop grown on the Experiment Farm. The field on 

 which this crop was planted received some run-off water from 

 higher ground above, thus giving it an extra opportunity to produce 

 a larger yield. Weights taken at the time the crop was cut and 

 placed in the silo showed a yield from the best part of the field 

 slightly in excess of 25 tons of silage per acre. The corn matured 



