630 EXPERIMENT STATION BECORD. 



varieties Grimm alfalfa continued to lead in hardiness and yield but alfalfa 

 from native seed and from Montana seed gave nearly as good results. Tests 

 with grain crops seemed to indicate that Oderbrucker barley, Marquis spring 

 wheat, Early Mountain oats, and Buffum No. 17 winter wheat are well adapted 

 to high altitude conditions. 



North Dakota wilt-resistant flax also seemed well adapted to high altitudes 

 and yielded at the rate of 20 bu. per acre as compared with 11.5 bu. for local 

 seed. Japanese and Silver Hull buckwheat yielded at the rate of 26 and 24 

 bu. per acre, respectively, and it is believed that in ordinary sea.sons buckwheat 

 can be grown at most altitudes of the State where farming is done. 



Sweet clover seed when scarified showed a germination of 78 per cent, and 

 when treated with sulphuric acid 89 per cent, while only 48 per cent of un- 

 treated seed sprouted. An experiment with barnyard manure in progress for 

 four years showed that the manure produced cumulative rather than immediate 

 results. The applications made the first tvvo years increased the crops to only 

 a small extent but the applications made during the entire period showed a 

 noticeable effect on the physical conditions and the fertility of the soil. The 

 best barley increased from 51 bu. to 96 bu. per acre in 4 years ; the best oats 

 from 67 to 92 bu. in 3 years ; the best wheat from 29 to 54 bu. in 4 years ; and 

 the greatest increase came in the last two years. 



Notes are al.so given on the culture of potatoes, root and other forage crops, 

 and pasture and meadow grasses. Four series of crop rotations entered upon 

 in 1915 are outlined. Feterita, Sudan grass, sorghum, and Kafir did not prove 

 successful at the altitude of the station and it is believed that these crops 

 should not be planted at altitudes over 5.000 ft. A mixture of peas and oats 

 yielded 3 tons of cured hay per acre and proved valuable as a source of silage. 

 A plat of brome grass producetl seed at the rate of 312 lbs. per acre, and a 

 meadow mixture of alfalfa and timothy gave a yield of 6,840 Ib.s. of hay from 

 3 cuttings, the last 2 being largely alfalfa. Notes are given on the improve- 

 ments made on the agronomy farm and the seed distribution carried on during 

 the year. 



Forage crops for the Colorado Plains, A. Kb:zeb {Colorado Sta. Bui. 214 

 (1915), pp. 3-25, figs. 7). — This bulletin treats in a popular manner of the 

 culture of forage crops without irrigation on the Colorado Plains. The climate, 

 topography, soils, dry-farming methods, and general farm practice and man- 

 agement for the region are discussetl and directions for growing alfalfa, corn, 

 sorghum, broom corn, millets, sweet clover, stock melons, peas, peanuts, cow- 

 peas, and .soy beans are given. The culture of the small grains and of certain 

 native plants for hay and pa.sture is also noted. 



Chemical analyses of maize and oats cultivated in eastern Uruguay, J. 

 PuiG Y Nattino (Min. Indus. [Uruguay], Insp. Xac. Ganaderia y Ayr. liol. 

 H (1915), pp. 29, figs. 3; abs. in Intcrnat. Inst. Ayr. [Rome], Mo. Bui. Ayr. 

 Intel, and Plant Diseases, 6 {1915), Xo. 10, pp. 1332, i5.55).— This article notes 

 the efforts to improve the native yellow corn by crossing with the North 

 American Gold Dent in order to increase the size of kernel, decrease the size 

 of cob, and in general to increase the yield. Chemical analyses of maize and 

 of oats grown in eastern Uruguay are given, together with the digestible 

 nutrients. 



[A study of blue grass] (Kentucky Sta. Bicn. Rpt. 191^-1915, p. 70).— This 

 gives the results of a study of the conditions affecting the viability and germi- 

 nation of blue grass seed grown in central Kentucky. 



Samples taken from fields and barns showed that the lapse of a few months 

 rather improves the germinating power of the seetl, but that if it has been sub- 

 jected to a high temperature during the process of curing in the rick the vitality 



