436 EXPERIMENT STATION KECOED. 



Variety tests at tlie Dominion e.vperim'Cntal farms — Continued. 



Main conclusions from the Poltava Experiment Field, S. Tretyakov 

 (Khutoryanin. 1909, No. ^2; ahs. in Zhur. Opytii. Agron {Russ. Jour. Expt. 

 La/iidiv.), 11 {1910), IVo. 2, pp. 285-287). — Local acclimated varieties of cereals 

 gave larger yields than varieties of western origin. The climatic conditions of 

 the Poltava government are not favorable for the cultivation of barley for 

 brewing. 



The yields of corn varied from 170 to 250 poods of grain per dessyatina 

 (from 2,271.2 to 3,340 lbs. per acre). The increase of the depth of plowing 

 from 5J to lOA inches raised the average yield by 27 poods, and an increase 

 from 7| to 10* inches by 17.4 poods. Manure increased the yield by 11.8 per 

 cent in the case of shallow plowing, and by 8.3 per cent in plowing 12 in. deep. 



The largest crops of potatoes were obtained from the varieties Emperor 

 Richter and Poltovka, containing 20.5 and 19.9 per cent of starch, respectively. 

 An increase of depth of plowing from 5i to 71 in. raised the yield of tubers by 40 

 poods, from Si to 10* in. by 153 poods, and from 7f to lOJ in. by 113 poods per 

 dessyatina. 



The best yields of fodder beets were obtained from Eed Oberudorf. ^lanure 

 applied under the crop preceding the beets gave an increase of 24.5 per cent. 

 Plovv^ing deep, 10* to 12 in., increased the yield on unfertilized plats by 11.8 

 per cent and on fertilized plats by 23.7 per cent. 



Clover gave yields up to 457 poods and on fertilizing up to 563 poods per 

 dessyatina, but is not hardy enough to stand the severe winters and frequently 

 perishes. Common alfalfa thrives very well, yielding up to 211 poods of hay. 

 Deep plowing and manure increase the yield considerably. 



Breeding- drought-resistant forage plants for the Great Plains area, A. C. 

 DiLLMAN (17. S. Dept. Agr., Bur. Plant Indus. Bui. 196, pp. 40, pis. 7/).— This 

 paper gives a progress report of the breeding of alfalfa, sorghum, millet, 

 smooth brome grass, and other forage plants for semiarid conditions, at Belle- 

 fourche, S. Dak., and Akron, Colo., in continuation of work already noted 

 (E. S. P.. 19, p. 131). 



The author states the climatic and other conditions at the experiment farms 

 and discusses the work with the 6 alfalfa strains, A-F. which were formerly 

 known as South Dakota Nos. 65, 66, 67, 150, 102. and 164. Tables show the 

 proportion of typical plants in each strain as well as the average dry weight 

 and seed yield per plant, the seed yield per 100 gm. of di*y matter, the total 

 number of plants harvested, and the winterkilling in 1908-9. The winterkilling 



