764 EXPEKIMENT STATION RECOKD. 



of drilling given an application of 180 lbs. per acre of commercial rock phosphate 

 with 14 per cent of available phosphoric acid. 



The average yield of the 13 smooth varieties was 32.09 bu. and of the 7 bearded 

 varieties, 32.33 bu. per acre, the extremes in yield being 26.90 and 35.37 bu. The 

 bearded varieties gave 237 lbs. of straw more per acre than the bald varieties, and 

 also weighed 1.67 lbs. more per bushel. This season Forty Fold or Golden Coin 

 stood first in yield and Fulcaster fourth, while among the varieties now under test 

 for 14 years Fulcaster leads in yield of grain and straw and weight per bushel. 



Land was plowed March 21 and given cultivations with a spring-tooth harrow at 

 different times before April 20, when it was rolled and oats were drilled at the rate 

 of 8 pk. per acre. An application of 160 lbs. of South Carolina rock with 14 per 

 cent of available phosphoric acid was made at this time. The 20 varieties under 

 experiment ranged in yield from 47.52 to i>4. 60 bu. per acre, with an average of 57.58 

 bu. The weight per bushel varied from 29.71 to 33.41, the leading variety being 

 Long White Tartar. The 3 most productive varieties for the season were Czar of 

 Russia, Japan, and Silver Mine. Japan also produced the heaviest yield of straw, 

 .'.,447 lbs. per acre. This variety has been grown for 13 years, with an average yield 

 per acre of 49.66 bu. and an average weight of 32.08 lbs. per bushel. 



The land for potatoes was treated with 8 tons of barnyard manure per acre and 

 plowed about 8 in. deep on April 3, and the planting was done on May 5 and 6. Of 

 the 4.'! varieties tested, Carman No. 3, Early Rose, Eureka, and Thorborn yielded 

 over 200 bu. per acre, the yields being 270.2, 250.2, 227.1, and 202.2 bu. per acre, 

 respectively. The lowest yield, 21.8 bu. per acre, was obtained from White Moun- 

 tain, which was considerably injured by blight. The average yield of all varieties 

 for the season was 135.7 bu. per acre. Early Rose gave the highest yield of mer- 

 chantable tubers, while in percentage of marketable potatoes Heath Medium Late 

 Surprise ranked iirst. Among the varieties grown for 9 years Carman No. 1 and 

 Freeman led in productiveness. 



Miscellaneous work, J. Withvcombe (Oregon Sta. Rpt. 1904, pp. 28, 29). — The 

 results of silage investigations showed that steamed corn silage contained much less 

 acid than unsteamed, and that the cost of steaming was more than repaid in the 

 improved quality of the silage. Whole clover or vetch silage was more expedi- 

 tiously handled than cut silage, but it required more space for a given weight. The 

 moisture, dry matter, and protein were determined in 6 varieties of barley, and are 

 given in a table. At the station the common field pea and alfalfa have been success- 

 fully grown without irrigation. 



Studies of the influence of the soil on the protein composition of crops, 

 A. R. Whitson and C. W. Stoddart (Wisconsin Sin. Rpt. 1904, VI'- 193-199). — As in 

 similar experiments previously noted (E. S. R., 14, p. 955), the protein content was 

 determined in plants grown in the plant house and in the field. The crops under 

 test were corn, rape, and sorghum. 



In the plant house the crops were grown on 3 sand plats and on a clay loam plat 

 extremely rich in nitrates. The first of the '■> sand plats was watered with lake 

 water containing no nitrates, the second with the same water containing a small 

 quantity of sodium nitrate, and the third with water containing double this quantity. 

 Enough fertilizer was used to keep the second plat moderately fertile and the third 

 very fertile with reference to nitrates. On the second and third sand plats and on 

 the clay loam plat the corn plants produced contained 25, 37, and 44 per cent more 

 protein, respectively, than those from the plat receiving no nitrates. 



Rape sown April 1 on the 3 sand plats contained 1.41, 1.46, and 1.76 per cent of 

 protein, respectively. The rape from seed sown with corn on July 15 contained 

 approximately 5 and 10 per cent more proteid nitrogen in the plants from the second 

 and third plats, respectively, than those from the first. The sorghum on plat 1 con- 

 tained 0.778 per cent of proteid nitrogen; on plat 1', 0.822 per cent, and on plat 3, 

 0.849 per cent. 



