FIELD CROPS. 229 



and 22 and sold at 90 cts. per bushel. " In addition to this crop of potatoes 

 with profits of over $30 per acre it would have been possible to have grown after- 

 wards a good crop of Mexican June corn or cowpeas, or other crops upon this 

 same land and to have followed these by some winter crop." 



The watermelon yields varied from to 600 melons per acre, or about 300 per 

 acre for the 15 productive plats recorded. The financial results varied from a 

 loss of $4.54 on half an acre to a gain of $85.83 per acre, with an average profit 

 of $25.41. 



The results of this first year's work lead to the conclusion that it is possible 

 to establish a system of diversification of advantage to the tenant and the 

 planter. 



A successful dairy farm, L. G. Dodge (U. f^. Dept. Agr., Bur. Plant Indus. 

 Bui. 102. pp. 19-23. pi. 1). — The system of management on this farm was studied 

 and is reported in this bulletin. The different points discussed are the rotation 

 followed, the harvesting of the hay, feed for cows and calves, butter production, 

 poultry production, and the results achieved. Half the land of this farm is in 

 permanent pasture and the rest nearlj^ all permanent meadow. A few acres of 

 meadow are broken up each year and sown to peas and oats with grasses and 

 clovers, or planted to corn for soiling which is to be followed by peas and oats, 

 grasses and clovers. The object of the bulletin is to explain a method of n^an- 

 aging permanent grass land to maintain its productivity. 



Planning a cropping system, W. J. Spillman (U. 8. Dept. Agr.. Bur. Plant 

 Indus. Bui. 102. pp. 25-31. flgs. 2).-— The value of a definite cropping system for 

 farms is discussed, and the farm selected to illustrate the methods used for this 

 purpose is described. 



In studying the requirements of this particular farm, it was found that 17.03 

 acres of corn, 45 of hay, 40 of pasture, and 0.52 of rape, or a total of 102.55 

 acres, would furnish the proper amounts of forage for the stock. The farm in 

 question contains 103 acres of arable land and 11.77 acres of woodland pasture. 

 It is pointed out that 25 acres of pasture for cows and 5 acres of clover pasture 

 for hogs are required. The woodland pasture is considered as sufticient for the 

 young stock raised on the farm. 



A consideration of the conditions specified led to the adoption of one 3-year 

 rotation as follows : First year, 7 acres of corn and 18 acres of peas and oats ; 

 second year, timothy and clover ; third year, timothy and clover. A second 

 .3-year rotation was arranged as follows : First year, corn in which clover is 

 sown in the last cultivation : second year, clover ; third year, peas and oats for 

 hay, followed by rape sown in midsummer. A 2-year rotation was also laid out 

 for two 5-acre fields of corn followed by fall-sown rye the first year, and rye 

 followed by soy beans the second year. 



The first 3-year rotation provides for the 25 acres of cow pastui'e, the second 

 for the 5 acres of clover pasture for hogs. 



The application of vegetative propagation to leguminous forage plants, 

 J. M. Westgate and G. W. Oliver {U. 8. Dept. Agr., Bur. Plant Indus. Bui. 102, 

 pp. 33-37, pis. 3). — This bulletin describes a method of propagating forage 

 plants by means of cuttings, which was worlved out chiefly in connection with 

 Mcdicago sativa and Trifolium pratense. Melilotus offlcinalis, M. alba, and 

 Trifoliitni repens have been also successfully propagated in this manner. 



The method as here described applies specifically to alfalfa, and slight modi- 

 fications may be necessary to apply it to other species. It is stated that at 

 least 95 per cent of alfalfa cuttings became well-rooted in pots. Where it was 

 necessary to transfer the plants to cold frames in midwinter the loss was as 

 high as 10 per cent, owing to the sudden change of temperature. " No losses 

 resulted on one occasion in the transfer of 1,800 plants to the permanent nursery 



