228 . EXPERIMENT STATION KECOKD. 



its ert'ecl upon soil coiulitioiis. mid describes c-ooiterati\ e \vorlc of tliis Depart- 

 ment undertaken witli Htate exiierinient stations. 



Outlines anil plans of exjierinients in soil preparation and crop rotation are 

 presented. Tlie object of these experiments is to determine a system of cultiva- 

 tion which will best conserve the soil moisture for the uses of the growing crop. 

 Nine rotations planned are designed for the conservation of humus in the soil, 

 and nine 3-year rotations are designed to give an opportunity for comi)aring the 

 several rotations considered as units and also for comparing the several crops 

 grown in different rotations under different systems of soil preparation and 

 following dift"erent crops. 



Notes on dry farming', W. M. Jakdine [U. »S'. Dcpt. Ayr., Bur. riant Iiulufi. 

 Circ. 10, lip. 6). — These notes include a brief review of dry-laud agricultures in 

 Montana, Utah, and Colorado. 



lu the Yellowstone Valley of Montana at an altitude of 2,500 to o,000 ft., 

 with an average annual precipitation of 13 to 15 in., yields of 58 bu..of Turkey 

 Ked wheat, 2 tons of alfalfa, 250 bu. of potatoes, and 60 bu. of oats per acre 

 are recorded. The two principal varieties of wheat grown are Turkey Red 

 winter wheat and Kubanka durum spring wheat. The winter wheat is re- 

 ported as yielding 10 to 20 bu. more per acre than the best spring wheat known. 

 Observations made on plowing with gasoline traction engines are reported. 



In the Bear River Valley of northern Utah and the Malad Valley of southern 

 Idaho, regions with an annual rainfall of less than 13 in. and with an average 

 of less than 5 in. during the growing season, the author found that a yield 

 of 15 bu. of wheat per acre is secured with only an occasional rotation of the 

 crops or summer fallow. 



Orchard management on a dry farm near Denver, Colo., is briefly described. 

 In addition to orchard croi)s, currants, alfalfa, corn, wheat, and potatoes are 

 also produced. The alfalfa is reported as yielding annually from li to 24 tons 

 of liay per acre, while in 1907 Turkey Red wheat yielded over 40 bu. per acre. 

 The same season 40 bu. of corn per acre were produced on sod land plowed 9 

 in. deep. In discussing the cultivation of this farm, the advantage of using the 

 moldboard plow instead of the disk plow in dry-land farming is pointed out. 



Cropping systems for stock farms, W. J. Spillman ( U. S. Dept. .tgr. Year- 

 hook 1907, pp. 3S5-398). — In treating tills sul)ject the author gives examples 

 of simple and complex rotations and outlines cropping systems for special 

 types of stock farms, including a Mrginia horse farm, a northern dairy farm, 

 a dairy farm in a middle latitude, and a hog farm in a region a little south 

 of middle latitude. 



Results of cooperative experiments in agriculture, C. A. Zavitz iAini. lipt. 

 Ontario Agr. and Expt. Union, 29 {1901), pp. l-'f-32). — A report and discussion 

 of the work in 1907 is presented. 



The number of tests made of each crop, the leading variety, and its average 

 yield were as follows: Oats, 102 tests, Imi)orted No. 534, yield 37.44 bu. ; Six- 

 rowed barley, 42 tests, No. 21, 30.98 bu. ; Two-rowed barley, 3 tests, Fi'ench Cheva- 

 lier, 23.88 bu. ; Hulless barley, 6 tests. Black Hulless. 18.92 bu. ; Spring wlieat, 13 

 tests, Wild Goose, 20.05 bu. ; emmer and spelt, 5 test.s. common enimer, 44.20 

 bu. ; Winter wheat, 8 tests. Imperial Amber, 22.17 bu. ; AVinter rye. 2 tests, 

 .Alammoth, 26.43 bu. ; field peas, 42 tests. Early Britain, 20..53 bu. ; field beans. 

 12 tests, New Prize Winner, 20.59 bu. : corn for grain, 12 tests, Genesee Valley, 

 .33.21 bu. ; crop mixtures, 4 tests, Daubeney oats, 34 lbs. and Mandscheuri 

 barley, 48 lbs. per acre, 1,340 lbs. of grain ; mangels, 10 tests. Ferry Yellow 

 Leviathan, .36.77 tons; sugar beets, 8 tests, Bruce Giant White Feeding, 25.43 

 tons; swedes, 4 tests, Carter Invicta, 32.18 tons; fall turnii)S and kohl-nibi, 

 3 tests, Redtop White Globe fall turnip, 29..55 tons; carrots and parsnips. 2 



