FIELD CROPS. 131 



Forage plants at the Highmore substation, 1906, W. A. Wheelek and S. 

 Balz iSoiith Dakota Sta. Bui. 101, pp. 131-153, fifis. 5).— The seasons of 1905 

 and l!>(t(> wei-e favorable to the production of hirge crops of corn and forage. 

 Of the different alfalfa plants tested Nos. 162, 164, 167, and 240 have been 

 found hardy and of high forage quality under conditions at Highmore. Nos. 

 162 and 1(>7 started earlier in the spring and i)roduced a stronger first crop 

 than Xos. 164 and 240. These 4 numbers have been tested from 8 to 10 years 

 and vith the exception of No. 240 have gone through several generations of 

 seed. About 20 numbers of strains grown in the breeding plats as well as in 

 ordinary field tests are described. 



It was observed in the pedigree rows of 1906 that plants from the same 

 selection had a general tendency towards uniformity, and that some rows 

 exhibited exceptional forage qualities as compared with plants in other rows, 

 while other pedigree rows sh(Aved great seed-bearing tendencies. Five kinds 

 (if alfalfa sown in 1905, of which Montana, Arabian, and Turkestan survived 

 the following winter, produced 2,860 lbs. of hay per acre. In this set Oasis and 

 Tripoli were killed out entirely, while Arabian sustained a loss of 75 per cent 

 through winterkilling as compared with only 5 per cent for the other 2 varieties. 



Of the different varieties of millet, Kursk, introduced by this Department, 

 appears to be as well adapted to South Dakota as any other variety tested, and 

 some of the pedigree stocks from this source are very promising. Of the 

 broom corn or proso millets, Voronezh or Black Turkestan and Tambov have 

 given the best yields and appear to be well adapted to the region between the 

 James and Missouri rivers in South Dakota and possibly west of this region. 

 Seed of Red Orenburg and Black Voronezh grown at Highmore yielded better 

 than seed from other sources. 



The results with 1(5 varieties of corn under trial show that Minnesota No. 

 13 still leads in quality and yield, although Golden Ideal in 1906 produced 3.7 

 bu. more per acre than this variety. Golden Ideal, however, required 6 days 

 longer for maturing, had a larger percentage of cob, and contained more water. 

 Of the Dent corn varieties tested at Highmore in 1906 only Minnesota No. 13, 

 Early White Dent from North Dakota, and Brown County Yellow Dent seem 

 worthy of extended trial. 



Notes are also given on the value of 3 sorghums tested for the past 3 years, 

 but owing to a poor stand in 1906 no comparisons were made. 



Report on the northern substations for 1906 [Field crops], E. J. Del- 

 wiCHE ( ir/.sco».s/M .S7fl. BuL l.'tl, pp. 1-1.1, 20-21,, 27-/,S, figs. S).— This bulletin 

 contains the report on the first season's work carried on at the substations 

 located at Ashland, Iron River, Bayfield, and Superior. The Ashland and Supe- 

 rior experiment farms are located on red clay, and the Iron River farm on red 

 sandy soil typical of much of the sandy soils of northern Wisconsin. The 

 purpose of these experiments is the introduction and examination of farm crops, 

 the dissemination of suitable standard seeds, the determination of varieties 

 adapted to the region, and the development of such agricultural industries and 

 practices as are adapted to the conditions. 



At Iron. River, Oderbruck barle.y was sown at the rate of 5 pk. per acre on 

 April 30. A crop of 26 bu. of grain per acre was threshed in September, the 

 weight per measured bushel being 49.2 lbs. Nine pecks per acre of Swedish 

 Select oats was sown May 1, from which a yield of 27 bu., weighing 38.6 lbs. 

 per measured bushel, of oats of a fine quality was secured. Early Yellow Dent 

 corn iilanted from June 2 to 7 was harvested .the first days in October. The 

 yield of the 2 acres first planted was 47.7 bu. of shelled corn per acre, and the 

 total yield of green corn was 18,500 lbs. per acre. 



