30 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



successfully grown in the Red River Valley. At the time of the second cutting 

 one-half of each plat was left to produce seed. The highest yield secured was 

 2 bu. 26 lbs. It was observed during this season that a clover seeding made 

 in the spring with wheat as a nurse crop did not suffer as much from heavy 

 rains as alfalfa. 



Alfalfa sown in 1901 and 1902 after 3 and 4 winter seasons still makes vigor- 

 ous growth. On June 27 of this year, when the first crop was cut. the Turkes- 

 tan variety was .36 in. high and formed 90 per cent of a stand, giving a yield 

 of 2.37 tons per acre. The second growth, which was as heavy as the first, 

 was allowed to ripen seed. Grimm alfalfa as compared with Turkestan had 

 finer stems and produced more branches and leaves. The first cutting of Grimm 

 alfalfa gave a yield of 3.24 tons per acre. 



I'orage crops, 1905, G. A. Billings (Neic Jersey f^tas. Rpt. 1905, pp. 

 3Jf9-37G. />/.s. 7rt).^The summer system of soiling was continued as in previous 

 years (E. S. R., 17, p. 353). With the exception of two weeks in July, summer 

 forage crops were fed to the station herd from May 1 to October 15, a period of 

 153 days. The average cost of production was .$1.93 ])er ton and the average 

 yield on 16 acres 12.3 tons per acre. 



In this connection a series of forage crop rotations was studied. This included 

 1 plat of corn for silage, 1 plat of wheat and winter vetch for the first crop and 

 v/hite flint corn for the second crop, and 1 plat of alfalfa for hay. A plat of 

 oats and vetch and 1 of millet suffered from dry weather, while oats and peas 

 began to mature when the dry weather set in and produced an average yield. 

 Five plats gave an average yield of 14.8 tons of forage per acre, while 3 gave 

 an average yield of only 7.3 tons. Excellent results were secured on the plat 

 on which wheat and winter vetch' were followed by corn. The wheat and winter 

 vetch produced 7.10 tons of forage per acre and the flint corn 108.7 bu. of ears 

 and 5.6 tons of dry fodder. It is stated, however, that the high price of vetch 

 seed makes its profitable use doubtful. General notes on rye, wheat, winter 

 vetch, crimson clover, and alfalfa are given, 



" Inoculation experiments were made, but weather conditions interfered with 

 the accuracy of' the results. The inoculating material consisted of 450 lbs. of 

 soil from an old alfalfa field and the same quantity from a field of sweet 

 clover. The plats so treated were compared with a plat receiving no inocula- 

 tion and one inoculated the previoii;-! year. Before inoculation the land received 

 20O lbs. of oyster-shell lime and about .300 lbs. of fertilizer per acre. Tlie 

 examination of the roots on all plats showed the nodules equally abundant. 

 They were most numerous where the soil was deep and the foliage green and 

 thrifty. On yellow spots with less thrifty plants the nodules were found in 

 more compact masses than w'here the plants were green. An examination by 

 tlie station bacteriologist showed that these masses alsd contained more of the 

 branched fornis of bacteria, w^hich are usually found on healthy, vigorous plants, 

 but in this case seemed so abundant on the sickly ones. This condition was not 

 due to lack of nitrogen, as an application of nitrate of soda at the rate of 100 

 lbs. per acre sliowed no lienefieial effect. This clustering of thv, nodules is 

 considered as possibly due to the ventilation of the soil or its pbrosity, soil 

 acidity, or different bacteria entering in to influence the form of the nodules. 

 Tbe results secured do not admit of giving definite conclusions, but it is sug- 

 gested that some time previous to seeding organic matter be incorporated into 

 the soil by a lil>eral application of barnyard manure or green manuring, and 

 that an application of at least 2,000 \hs. of stone lime be given at the time of 

 seledihg, or preferably, 2,000 lbs. a year or two before seeding and 1,200 lbs. at 

 the time the seed is sown. 



