FIELD CROPS. 



American Banner, yielding I7.'», 16.25, 12.5, and 10 bu. of grain per acre, respec- 

 tively. The lowesl yield of straw, 2,280 lbs. per acre, was produced by University 

 N<>. 6, and the highest, 5,920 lbs., by American Banner. 



The most productive varieties of barley were Champion, Manscheuri 6-rowed, 

 University No. l () ">, and Chevalier, the corresponding yields being approximately 

 48, 4<>, 39, and 35 bu. per acre. While Hulless barley gave the lowesl j ield of grain 

 and the highest yield of straw . Dawson Golden Chaff winter wheal yielded over 25 

 bu. p«r acre, and Saskatchewan Fife and Velvet ( Ihaff spring u heats aboul 20 bu. A 

 plat of spell or emmer yielded at the rate of 70 bu. of grain and 2,800 lbs. oi stra* 

 per acre. 



Buckwheat was very successful; the leading variety, known as Rye buckwheat, 

 gave a yield per acre of 36 bu. Of the different varieties of field peas tested, French 

 June has given the best results, the yield this season being at the rate of 30 bu. of 

 peas and 2,440 lhs. of straw per acre. Canadian Blue and Scotch also gave good 

 yields. The varieties of corn giving greatest promise of success were Will Dakota, 

 Gehu, Golden Dent, and Early Adams. 



Notes are given on the growth of lentils, (lax. and hemp, and a list of grasses and 

 leguminous forage crops. The heaviest yields per acre among the forage crops were 

 as follows: German alfalfa 11,280 lbs., alsike clover 6,800 lbs., meadow fescue 6,720 

 lbs., Siberian millet 6,400 lbs., Hungarian millet 6,080 lhs., and tall meadow oat 

 grass 5,680 lbs. German and American alfalfa gave better results than either French 

 or Turkestan alfalfa. 



Of 21 varieties of potatoes Dolsen ranked lirst, with a yield at the rate of 290 bu. 

 per acre, and Carman No. :'.. Sir Walter Raleigh, and Northlight ranked next. Pota- 

 toes planted June 6 yielded 4,106 lbs. and those planted November ti, 4,111 lhs. of 

 tubers per acre. A culture test resulted in favor of level cultivation by 277 lhs. per 

 acre. Spraying with Bordeaux mixture gave slightly better results than no treatment. 



The sugar content of Fri ••driehswerther Elite and Jaensch Yictrix sugar beets, 

 grown in 1903, was 14.1? and 15 percent, respectively. Sugar beets left unharvested 

 in 1903 began to blossom the next season on July 13, when the plants were about •"» 

 ft. high, and the first seed ripened the latter part of August. The plants continued 

 to grow and blossom and were about 7 ft. high when injured by frost September 22. 

 In 1904 Jaensch Yictrix yielded at the rate of L'0,:;l'S lhs. per acre, and of 1' samples 

 analyzed, one showed a sugar content of 1S.S percent and the other of 15 percent. 



In addition to sugar beets, carrots, turnips, rutarbagas, parsnips, kohi-rabi, man- 

 gels, ami garden beets were grown. The approximate yields oi the leading varieties 

 in bushels per acre were as follows: .Maud S. carrots 1,082, Yellow Stone turnips 

 1,540, Prize Winner ruta-bagas 1,115, .Marrowfat parsnips 771, Purple Vienna kohl- 



rabi 968, Improved Dignity Red mangels 484, and Improved Long Dark I'd 1 beets 



420. A number of varieties ol each crop are briefly described. 



Root systems of field crops, .1. II. Sheppehd i North Dakota Sta. Bui. 64, />/>■ 525- 

 6 'i'K figs. 10). — This study of the root growth of plants is in continuation of previously 

 reported work ( E. S. II.. 12, p. 516). 



The root systems of corn, potatoes, uintei rye, wheat, barley, oats, emmer, flax, 

 brome grass, slender wheal grass, red cloVer, crimson clover, and alfalfa are presented 

 in the illustration-, and the manner ol preparing the samples is described. The corn 

 root samples secured at the station and at the Edgeley Substation showed that at 

 Edgeley the roots did not penetrate the soil so deeply as at Fargo, which is considered 

 as probably due to an underlying strata of shale. The observations made again point 

 to the necessity of shallow cultivation. The potato root studies also indicated that 

 shallow cultivation must he practiced. 



The roots of the winter rye sample, taken July 7. reached a depth of only ."> ft., 

 ami their development was smaller than in other samples of cereals generally. It is 



4393— No. 1—05 :; 



