FIELD CKOPS. 237 



have so far given the largest yields at the farm. The author reeoniinends not to sow 

 wheat on spring-plowed land. A yield of 22.9 ]m. j)er acre of winter wheat is 

 reported. 



The 6-i'owed vaiieties of barlej' have given the best results. Manshury, one of the 

 l)est varieties of this tyjje, averaged 24.9 Iju. jter acre for 7 years, and Champion of 

 N'ermont, the best 2-rowed sort, gave an average yield of 21.6 bu. per acre. 



The average length of the growing period for different grains as observed at tlie 

 farm for 7 years was as follows: Barley 93 days, oats 109 days, and wheat 113 days. 



The results Avith spelt, winter rye, flax, buckwheat, and beans are briefly noted. 

 Tlie experience with spelt was not encouraging. Winter rye gave good results and 

 during 6 j^ears was never injured by winterkilling. 



The results for grasses, clover, and alfalfa, grown alone and in mixtures, are tabu- 

 lated and comments on the value of the different crops for the region are given. 

 Red clover grown separately or in combination with grasses has given good results, 

 but alfalfa in 3 trials never survived the winter. Among the mixtures the high 

 yields, in each case over 4 tons of liay per acre, are recorded for red clover with brome 

 grass and timothy, red clover with redtop and timothy, and red clover with wheat 

 grass. 



Forage crops dealt with in this connection are corn, millet, and peas. In 1901 a 

 yield of 5.05 tons of corn fodder was obtained per acre. Dent corn varieties matur- 

 ing in southern Minnesota and northern Iowa are recommended for fodder in the 

 I'egion in which the farm is located. The results with a number of flint and dent 

 corn varieties are given. Of the flint varieties Squaw, North Dakota White, and 

 North Dakota Yellow ripened in the locality. The dent corn varieties usually did 

 not mature. Japanese was the most productive of the different A'arieties of millet 

 grown, but its coarseness is regarded as detrimental to its feeding value. The dif- 

 ference in yiBld between German, Common, Siberian, and Hungarian millets was 

 not very large. On light sandy soil in 1896 peas yielded from 8 to 13.5 bu. per acre, 

 and in 1898 on bottom land underlaid with clay the yield was from 15 to 28.8 bu. 



Potatoes at the farm grew best on light sandy or sandy loam soils. In a test of 48 

 varieties for 2 years Early Michigan led with a yield of 346.3 bu., and Salzer Million 

 Dollar, Avhich ranked last, i)roduced only 132.3 bu., or 214 bu. per acre less than the 

 best yielding sort. 



Of the root crops grown ruta-bagas have uniformly given the largest yields and 

 have shown themselves adapted to the largest range of soil conditions. The average 

 yield of 4 varieties in 1900 was 24 tons per acre, while 6 varieties of mangels, 2 of 

 sugar beets, and 4 of carrots averaged 17.6, 13.3, and 7.2 tons per acre, respectively. 

 Root crops, owing to weather conditions, have not been uniformly successful at the 

 farm. 



Outlines (if rotation experiments in progress and notes on the clearing of lands are 

 given, and the swamj) lands of the region are described. 



Other parts of this liulletin are noted elsewhere. 



Practices in crop rotation, G. K. Holmes ( U. S. Dcpt. Agr. Yearbook 1903, pp. 

 519-532). — A general review of jiast and present practices in crop rotation is given 

 and the more common rotations in which specified crops are grown in different 

 i-tates are outlined. Various factors affecting crop rotation are discussed. 



Crop rotation for South Dakota, E. C. Chilcott {South Dakota Sta. Bui. 79, 

 pp. 69, figs. 9). — In connection with an outline of the experiments conducted and a 

 report on the results obtained, chemical and mechanical analyses of soil from the 

 station plats and the meteorological records for the growing season for each year 

 from 1897 to 1902, inclusive, are presented. The experiments comprise 24 rotation 

 tests, and the results of each test are briefly discussed. The moisture and fertilizer 

 requirements of the different crops grown are compared. The average yield of all 

 wheat plats for 5 years was 14.47 bu. of gi-ain and 2,292 lbs. of straw per acre, and 



