336 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



decidedly injurious and that sodium l^romid used at the rate of either 1 or 2 cwt. per 

 acre was also injurious, l>ut when applied as a top-dressing did not injure the crop 

 any more than the same amount of sodium chlorid applied in the same way. 



3[t.^celIaiu'ous pot-ndture crperiments. — This work consisted of experiments with 

 wheat and barley on thick and thin sowing, and the use of large and small seed, a 

 study of hard and soft wheat, an investigation on wheat smut, and several fertilizer 

 tests. The results of thick and thin seeding are presented in the following table; 



Results of pot experbnents on thick vs. tlibi sowing of wheat. 



On May 4 the average number of shoots per plant was 6.1 for the thin seeding, 

 and 3.5 for thii-k seeding; and on June 6 there were 7 and 2.6 shoots per plant, 

 respectively. With barley thick seeding did quite as well as thin seeding. The 

 experiments with small and large seed showed practically no difference in the results, 

 and this was the case with wheat as well as barley. 



The test of hard and soft wheat indicated that soft wheat does not necessarily pro- 

 duce starchy grain, or hard wheat glutinous grain, and that there are other deter- 

 mining factors with a more powerful influence in this direction than the seed sown. 

 The dry grain from hard wheat was found to contain 2.57 per cent of nitrogen and 

 the grain from soft wheat 1.94 per cent. 



The results further indicate that heavy soils produce a more glutinous wheat than 

 light sandy soil. In these tests soft wheat was sown on heavy soil but the produce 

 was entirely hard wheat. 



The investigation on wheat smut consisted of a comparative test of the ordinary 

 smut remedies. Nitrate of soda containing 2.15 per cent of i)otassium i^erchlorate, 

 applied at the rate of 1 cwt. per acre, had no injurious effect on barley as compared 

 with nitrate of soda free from perchlorates. The use of "Martellin," a silicate of 

 potassium fertilizer, had no beneficial effect on red clover. 



Report of the agriculturist, R. S. Shaw {Montana Sta. Bui. 28, pp. 10-13). — 

 Yields of wheat, oats, and liarley grown under the Campbell system and under 

 general methods of culture are given. The author concludes that "the Campbell 

 system will not compete with methods of irrigation, though it may hold an impor- 

 tant place in crop producing in arid regions where water is not available." Yields 

 of wheat, oats, barley, clover, peas, and sugar beets grown in rotation experiments 

 are also given. Results of feeding experiments with steers, sheep, and pigs reported 

 in Bulletin 27 of the station (E. S. R., 13, pp. 270, 271, 273) are briefly summarized. 



Grain and forage crops, J. H. Shepperd and A. M. Ten Eyck {North Dakota Sta. 

 apt. 1900, p>p. 59-97). — The work here reported, covering the seasons of 1899 and 

 1900, is largelj' in continuation of experiments described in a previous liulletin 

 (E. S. R., 11, p. 331). The results obtained are shown in tables and briefly discussed. 

 Wheat. — Sixty-three varieties of wheat were grown in 1899 and 51 in 1900. In 

 1899, 15 varieties yielded over 24 bu. per acre. The leading sorts were: Pererodka 

 U. S. No. 2954, and Kubanka U. S. No. 2953, yielding 34.9 and 30.1 bu. per acre, 

 respectively. Bolton Blue Stem, Experiment Station Fife, Red Fife and Glyndon 

 (774) yielded on the average for 6 successive years, 24.2, 23.5, 22.8 and 22.8 bu. per 

 acre, respectively. Many of the wheats tested were originated by the station or 



