FIELD CROPS. 147 



Of 4 varieties of winter rye, a strain selected at the station gave the largest yield, 

 33.13 bu. per acre. Among 29 varieties of oats, Selected Tartarian, which came from 

 the station plant-breeding nursery, gave the highesl yield in 1903, and the highest 

 average yield for the last 2 years, being, respectively, 77.:! and 70.6 bu. per acre. 

 The leading varieties of barley were Success, Manshury Minnesota No. 6, and High- 

 land Chief, yielding 45.3, 44.5, and 42.7 bu. per acre, respectively. The average 

 yields for 1902 and 1903 were in favor of Minnesota No. 100, Manshury Minnesota 

 No. 6, and Common Six-Rowed. A yield of 54.44 bu. of emnier per acre is reported, 

 and a comparison of the yields of different cereals for the last 6 years shows that 

 emnier heads the list in average yield, being followed closely by barley. The results 

 with flax show that the varieties introduced from Argentina, Russia, and Siberia are 

 not equal to the best common strains. The taller growing varieties all gave small 

 yields of seed. A strain selected by the station stood high in fiber production. 



Variety and culture tests were made with corn. The results indicated that among 

 the larger growing varieties under test North Dakota No. 100, Golden Dent, North- 

 western Dent, Minnesota King, and Acme, and among the flint-growing varieties 

 "Will Dakota, Will Gehu, Longfellow, King Philip, Triumph, and Mercer will prove 

 most satisfactory in the State. A comparison of planting corn in hills and drills, in 

 progress for 6 years, resulted in the largest average yields of air-dry fodder from 

 drills 6 in. apart. The stalks reached the greatest length in the 42-in. drills. Hills 

 22 in. apart produced a much better yield than hills 42 in. distant. 



The average yield of ears for 4 years from 9 different distances in the drill, varying 

 from 6 to 30 in., shows a gradual decrease as the distance between the plants in the 

 drill increases. The yield of fodder also diminished, but with less regularity. The 

 thinner plantings produced the largest ears. The results also show that in the aver- 

 age for 4 years 6 stalks per lull gave a higher yield of fodder and of ears than thin- 

 ner planting. In 1903 the percentage of ripe corn was reduced when more than 2 

 stalks were grown per bill. The 1, 5, and 6 stalk hills measured 55 in. in height, 

 while the 2 and 3 stalk hills measured 60 in. The diameter of the stalks diminished 

 with the thickness of planting. 



For 2 years corn was planted in 6 in. and 42 in. drills on 6 different dates from 

 May 18 to June 22, inclusive. The water content of the corn in the drills 6 in. apart, 

 determined September 16 when frost interfered with the growth, increased gradually 

 with the lateness of the planting. The green fodder from the earliest planting con- 

 tained 62.4 per cent of water, while that from the planting made June 8 contained 

 75.5 per cent. The corn grown in drills 42 in. apart reached the greater degree of 

 maturity. The water content on September 16 in samples of green fodder from 

 plantings made June 1, 8, and 15, was 71.5, 76.7, and 75 per cent, respectively. As 

 the corn in the 42-in. drills reached a greater degree of development and maturity, a 

 high moisture content in the later plantings did not affect curing for fodder to the 

 same extent as it did in the corn from the 6-in. drills. The wider planting admits 

 of cutting and curing in the ordinary way, while the 6-in. drills must be mowed and 

 cured in the swath. The average results for 4 years of a cultivation experiment 

 are in favor of shallow cultivation during the entire season. 



Turkestan alfalfa failed to pass the winter of 1902, but a second plat sown in the 

 spring of that year was injured but little during the winter. Grimm alfalfa lias given 

 better results than Turkestan. 



In the trials with red clover the strains obtained from Minnesota, Michigan, and 

 Tennessee produced the best yields of plump and valuable seed. A one-third acre 

 plat seeded with wheat as a nurse crop in 1902 produced at the rate of 3,615 lbs. of 

 hay per acre. The clover on this plat was 20 in. high when harvested June 25. It 

 is concluded from these results that in the Red River Valley clover should be sown 

 with wheat as a nurse crop at the rate of 15 lbs. of seed per acre and a crop of hay 

 harvested before plowing it under. 



