86 



(T) The superiority of beef breeds is largely in their early iiiatu- 

 rity, /. e., in their being well ripened at t^YO instead of three years. 



(8) " Early -maturing breeds may perhaps be sold with most protit 

 at one year if pushed at the start." 



(9) Care should be taken not to keep the early-maturing breeds 

 until they are overripe. 



(10) Shrinkage in dressing is not a measure of the value of tlie car- 

 cass to the butcher or the consumer. 



The necessity for continued repetition of tests is euiphasizcd. 'Jlie 

 Station has l)egun a second experiment with steer calves, which will 

 be slaughtered at the end of twenty-four or thirty months, on the 

 belief that " eai'ly maturity nuist be a prime factor in a profitable 

 producer." This is only one of a series of tests '' which shall give us 

 the average of results and thus ultimately lead to something like a 

 demonstration." 



BULLETIN No. 4.5 (COLLEGE), MARCH, 1889. 



Why >'ot plant a grove? AV. J. Beal, Ph. 1). (p]). 3-7). — In 

 this bulletin the attention of the people of the State is called to the 

 need and advantage of trees, and suggestions for plantiug are given. 



BULLETIN No. 46 (STATION), MARCH, 1889. 



Potatoes, roots, fertilizers, and oats, S. Johnson, M. S.. am) 

 II. T. French, B. S. {pp.' S-12.)— Potatoes (pp. 3-8). 



1. JV.s^'.s- of carieties. — The results of trials with 18 varieties grown 

 in 1887 and 1888 are given in a ta1)le. with details as to planting, 

 harvesting, yield per acre, and quality. Some of the standard varie- 

 ties grown on the college farm for several years, e. r/., Chicago Mar- 

 ket, White Star, Rural Blush, Burbank Seedling, Alexander's Pro- 

 lific, and White Elephant, were very uniform in size. In these trials 

 the last named gave the smallest per cent of small potatoes and ranked 

 high in aggregate yield. Chicago Market and Alexander's Pro- 

 lific were among the most promising of the medium early varieties, 

 and White Star and Dakota Red were the best of the late varieties. 

 Rural ])lusli yielded well, l)ut was comi)aratively poor in <inality. 

 Early Ohio was the earliest to ripen. 



2. Resiilti^; irtth different (i/nounts of seed. — Plantings were made 

 with (1) one eye, (2) two eyes, (3) one half-potato, and (4) one 

 whole potato. The results for four successive years (1885-88) are 

 summarized in a table. They serve to confirm the opinion of the 

 writer, that " a medium amount of seed is better than whole potatoes 

 or single eyes." The whole potatoes gave the largest average yield, 

 but also the largest average of small potatoes. The single eyes gave 

 much the smallest yield and next to the largest per cent of small pota- 

 toes. The three-eye plants were second in yield and gave the smallest 

 per cent of small potatoes. " There was a marked gradation in vigor 

 of growth from the one-eye up to the whole potato." 



