FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 313 



RULES. 



The rules we make are very simple. 



First, The experiment should be performed by a paid-up member of 

 the county Institute society or by a member of his family. 



Second, The experimenter is asked to make a brief report to the 

 Agricultural College. Also to write up the results of his experiment in 

 a paper that will not take over five minutes to read, and read it or have it 

 read at the Institute held in the county next winter. If county societies 

 take hold of this matter in good shape, we can have a most interesting 

 session given up to the reports from these experiments and a discussion 

 of the same. 



Third, Wherever possible, the experimenter is to make an exhibit at 

 the Institute of the products grown under these experiments. 



THE EXPERIMENTS. 



NO. 1. CULTIVATION OF CORN. 



It is suggested that experiments be tried in the cultivation of corn in 

 the following lines, using at least one acre for each plat or section: 



(a) Harrow the ground, after planting, with a fine-tooth harrow, begin- 

 ning before the corn i^ up and continuing at intervals of at least every 

 five days, until the corn is too high to use the harrow without injury to 

 the corn. As opposed to this method, cultivate a pjat or section with 

 the ordinary cultivator in use, beginning after the corn is up so that the 

 rows can be seen. Follow this cultivation on one section with a one- 

 horse cultivator set to run at a depth not exceeding two inches, and 

 continue this through the season, never going more than two inches in 

 depth, and taking special care to cultivate immediately after a rain as 

 soon as the soil is dry enough to work. Cultivate a second section four 

 inches in depth, continuing through the season, and without being par- 

 ticular as to cultivating after rains, simply keeping the soil mellow and 

 killing weeds. Use, if possible, at least one acre of land for each section 

 and note accurately the difference in growth and yield. 



(6) We would suggest also a trial of early and late plowing for corn. 

 Plow one section as early as possible and keep it well harrowed until 

 planting, and plow a second section and plant immediately, planting both 

 sections at the same time and cultivating both in the same manner, 

 through the season. 



NO. 2. GROWING RAPE FOR SHEEP. 



Growing rape for feeding sheep has been tried to some extent and it 

 has usually been found valuable. Rape belongs to the cabbage family, 

 the stems and leaves being the part eaten by stock. It grows to the 

 height of two to two and one-half feet, and the stems have a large supply 

 of leaves. It requires a soil similar to that adapted to cabbage or tur- 

 nips. It can be sown in drills about twenty inches apart, sowing one and 

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