103-1 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



purity and 1(!.9 in sugar content. At Ashland, Swedish Select oats yielded If! 

 bu., weighing .30 lbs. per bushel, and at Superior 9 bu. per acre, also weighing 

 30 lbs. per bushel. The yield of barley at Ashland was 1G.5 bu., with the weight 

 per bushel 40.2 lbs. 



Keport of experimental work on the Randolph County farm, 1906, G. I. 

 Christie {Iiitliana ^ta. Circ. 5, pp. .'/). — This is a report on the work conducted 

 at the Randolph County farm, recently established as a county farm experiment 

 station. 



Twenty-eight varieties of corn were under test. The results of the first year 

 suggest that the farmers of the county possess some valuable strains of varieties 

 of corn for their locality, that imported varieties do not jirove as satisfactory 

 as home-grown varieties, and that many farmers are growing strains or varie- 

 ties not of the highest producing power. 



Field experiments, A. R. Whitson, E. .J. Delwiche. and E. R. Jones ( TF/s- 

 conshi 8ta. Rpt. 1906, pp. JSl-20(), figs. 3). — Soil improvement experiments are 

 in progress on sandy, marshy, and red clay soils. 



On sandy soil, at Sparta, the best crop of oats was secured where eitlier barn- 

 yard manure or peat, potash, and acid phosphate was applied. The results 

 indicate that the chief lack in the soil for this crop is nitrogen. Peat, with 

 phosphoric acid and potash, was not equivalent to barnyard manure in growing 

 corn. A yield of 38.7 bu. iter acre was obtained on the manured plat, while 

 the check plat 3uelded only 7 bu. For potatoes the effect of the fertilizers 

 applied was similar to that with corn, with the exception that peat did not seem 

 so beneficial. The application of phosphoric acid and potash is considered of 

 little use on this soil until its nitrogen content has been increased. 



The chief problem on the field at Iron River, as on that at Sparta, is the 

 retention of a sufficient supply of humus to give the soil a good water-holding 

 capacity. The largest yield of marketable potatoes was secured on the plat 

 receiving peat, phosphoric acid, and pcjtash, and the smallest yield on the 

 plat receiving no fertilizers. The yield of corn on the different plats varied from 

 28.3 bu. to 51.5 bu. per acre, but the variation in the natural fertility of the 

 field makes the yields on the different plats of little value. The effect of peat 

 and manure on oats was very noticeable. 



In reclamation work on marshy soils at Marinette it was found that phos- 

 phoric acid is the element most needed, and that potash is also beneficial. 



Notes are also given on cultural work carried on at different points. On the 

 red clay lands near Superior the best stand and the best yield of corn was 

 obtained where tile had been placed 40 ft. apart. Larger distances between 

 tile lines gave less satisfactory results. 



Experiments with grains and forage plants, 1906, R. A. Moore anti A. L. 

 Stone {Wisconsin Sta. Rpt. 1006, pp. 2JfO-2o8, figs. S). — Of 27 varieties of oats 

 under test Sixty Day and Kherson, which gave good results last season, again 

 produced good yields. The Sixty Day showed its characteristic earliness, 

 but was weak and lodged badly. Swedish Select continues to- give good yields 

 and to prove most satisfactory on high and lighter soils. 



Sixty-four varieties of barley were compared at the station this season, 

 and a cooperative test of Oderbruck barley was carried on by members of the 

 Wisconsin Experiment Association. At the station the beardless, hulless, and 

 2-rowed barleys showed weakness of straw and did not fill out well. The best 

 yields of grain were produced by Silver King, Manshury, and Oderbruck, the 

 yields being G1.3, GO.G, and GO.l bu. per acre, respectively. These 3 varieties 

 matured in 08 days. 



In the cooperative test with Oderbruck barley an average yield of 41.8 bu. 

 per acre was secured on fall plowing, and 35.9 bu. on spring plowing. Drilling 



