542 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



The cultivated grasses most commonly found in the meadows and 

 pastures of this region are timothy, redtop, Kentucky blue grass, 

 smooth or Hungarian brome grass, meadow fescue, and orchard grass. 



"The millets and the various small grains are quite generally grown for summer 

 forage and for hay and grain, and the sorghums, both saccharine and non-saccharine 

 varieties, are occasionally grown for fodder. Nearly all the common clovers are suc- 

 cessfully grown in some part of the region, alfalfa and red clover being in most 

 general cultivation. . . . Almost without exception they are irrigated, at least for 

 a portion of the season. . . . There are about 270 species and varieties of grasses 

 known to be indigenous to this region. . . . The most valuable species are quite 

 widely distributed, although occasionally a species of but local occurrence may be 

 of considerable importance in its particular locality, as is the case with some of 

 those occurring in the mountains." 



Besides the grasses a number of native clovers, vetches, lupines, 

 rushes, sedges, sages, and other forage plants are discussed. The 

 native meadow and hay grasses are considered under two groups: 

 Those growing on low-land meadows and mountain meadows, and the 

 native pasture grasses, as those growing on the plains and on the foot- 

 hills and mountains. 



Leguminous forage crops, J. G. Smith ( U. 8. Dept. Agr. Yearbook 

 1897, pp. 487-508, Jigs. 8, pi. 1). — This article gives a short historical 

 sketch of the cultivation of leguminous crops and discusses their value 

 for feeding and fertilizing. Eed clover, alfalfa, cowpeas, sqja beans, 

 crimson clover, Florida beggar weed, field peas, Dakota vetch {Lotus 

 americanus), ground plum (Astragalus crassicarpus), Metcalfe beau, 

 (Phaseolus retusus), and the Stolley vetch are considered at some length 

 with reference to their culture and value. 



Some Irish potato experiments, 0. L. Newman (Arl-ansas Sta. 

 Bui. 50, pp. 21-34). — These experiments consisted of culture and variety 

 tests of potatoes and the use of second-crop potatoes for seed. 



For 3 years experiments were carried on with second-crop potatoes 

 for seed and with northern-grown seed of the same varieties. The 

 first year 2 varieties were grown, the second year 4, and the third year 

 7. The varieties planted for these trials were Beauty of Hebron, Bliss 

 Triumph, Crown Jewel, Early Rose, Freeman, Puritan, Wood Earliest, 

 and Peerless. Each set of plats contained the same number of plants. 

 The results for each year are given in tables. The average results give 

 northern seed the advantage in yield and earliness. The following 

 table gives the average of each year's average for the entire series of 

 experiments: 



Second-crop seed compared with northern-grown seed — average of 3 years. 



Character of seed. 



Northern-grown seed 



Second-crop seed 



Difference 



Percentage difference 



Yield of 



mer- 

 chantable 

 potatoes. 



Bushels. 

 94.91 

 81.29 



13.62 

 16.75 



Yield of 



culls per 



acre. 



Bushels. 



11.19 



' 16.04 



4.85 

 43.34 



Total 



yield per 



acre. 



Bushels. 

 106. 10 

 97.34 



8.76 

 9.00 



Number 

 of days 



from 

 planting 

 to ma- 

 turity. 



108. 54 

 111. 67 



