1917J FIELD CROPS. 229 



ported seed. Meadow fescue showed promise as a grass crop for either hay or 

 pasture on muskeg. 



[Report of field crops work at the Morris substation] {Minnesota Sta., Rpt. 

 Morris Substa., 1915, pp. 5-12, figs. 3; abs. in Minnesota Sta. Rpt. 1916, pp. 73, 

 74). — Field experiments at the West Central substation at Morris for 1915 

 were confined to crop rotations, fertilizer tests, and variety and seeding trials 

 with the farm crops common to western Minnesota. 



A four-year rotation of corn, wheat, oats, and clover is being grown with 

 IS plats in each crop each year. These plats receive six different treatments, 

 including no fertilizer, rock phosphate alone, acid phosphate alone, manure 

 alone, rock phosphate with manure, and acid phosphate with manure. Two 

 seasons' crops have been harvested and the results tabulated, but thus far 

 have not shown sufficiently increased yields over the untreated plats to pay 

 the cost of applying the fertilizer. 



Yields of 21 strains and varieties of alfalfa being tested in nursery rows 

 are reported. The Grimm, Baltic, and Imported Turkestan varieties appear 

 to be sufficiently hardy to withstand the winters of this locality. 



Alsike clover has proved satisfactory on wet lands. 



Yields of 9 varieties of corn tested which failed to mature fully, 7 varieties 

 of spring wheat tested for rust resistance, and 3 varieties of barley damaged by 

 storms, are reported. 



Of 7 varieties of oats tested the yields varied from 64.2 to 100.5 bu. per 

 acre. Improved Ligowa gave the highest yield with the least lodging. Mar- 

 rowfat peas yielded 24.3 bu. per acre, as compared with 9.5 bu. from Early 

 Alaska. 



[The Woburn field experiments, 1915], J. A. Voelcker {Woburn Expt. Sta. 

 Rpt., 1915, pp. 1-15, 20-29; Jour. Roy. Agr. Soc. England, 76 (1915), pp. 817- 

 380, 334-844). — In continuation of work previously reported (E. S. R., 35, p. 

 80), this deals with the season of 1915, which was marked by heavy rainfall 

 during the winter and a prolonged drought^in the summer. 



In the wheat experiments the plat receiving farmyard manure gave the highest 

 yield, 24.4 bu. per acre, together with the most straw. The plat receiving rape 

 dust gave the second highest yield, 23.2 bu., while the average of the two un- 

 fertilized plats was 12.9 bu. With mineral manures alone the yield was about 

 1 bu. less per acre than on the unmanured plats, but there was rather more 

 straw. Ammonium sulphate used alone was unsuccessful, but upon the addi- 

 tion of lime increased yields were obtained. Nitrate of soda showetl, on the 

 whole, better results than sulphate of ammonia, probably due to the dry season. 

 The use of phosphates produced 1 bu. more per acre than the use of potassium 

 sulphate. The highest quality of wheat was obtained from the nitrate of soda 

 plats, that from the farmyard manure plat being graded as only moderate. 



In order to determine whether flax is a soil-exhausting crop wheat was 

 sown on two adjoining fields, from one of which flax and the other oats had 

 just been removed. The yield after flax was just double that after oats. 



In the barley experiments, determinations showed a higher moisture con- 

 tent on the nitrate of soda plats than on the ammonium sulphate plats. The 

 highest barley yield, 27.3 bu., was obtained from the plat receiving farmyard 

 manure, while the plat receiving mineral manures and 1 ton of lime in 1915 

 was second, with 19.1 bu. The average for the untreated plats was 10.2 bu. 

 The use of ammonium sulphate alone gave no crop, and when used with lime 

 inferior yields were obtained, but when mineral manures were added an 

 increased yield resulted. Sodium nitrate alone gave poor results, although 

 increased yields were obtained when used in conjunction with mineral manures. 



