1903.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 33. 107 



Early Rose, Gem of Aroostook, and Daughter of Early 

 Rose. It is significant that the old variety — the Beauty 

 of Hebron — outranks all other varieties ; while the still 

 older Early Rose is exceeded by only 6 out of the 31 

 varieties. 



XIV. — To determine the best nutritive ration in feeding 

 hens for eggs. The results of the year appear to indicate 

 that if materials carr3dng considerable fat are used in com- 

 bination with rations in which wheat and corn respectively 

 are most prominent, the wheat slightly surpasses the corn ; 

 but that if fat be not freely supplied in connection with 

 such rations, the corn is superior to wheat. Corn and 

 buckwheat compared, without materials furnishing any 

 considerable amount of fat, give results markedly favor- 

 able to corn. 



I. — The Relati\t: Value of Manures furnishing 

 Nitrogen. (Field A.) 



A full description of the plan of the experiment in this 

 field will l)e found in the twelfth annual report. The 

 object is to determine the relative value for various crops 

 of a few of the standard materials which may be used on 

 the farm as a source of nitrogen. The materials under 

 comparison are barnyard manure, nitrate of soda, sulfate 

 of ammonia, and dried blood. These wherever used are 

 applied in such quantity as to furnish equal amounts of 

 nitrogen. To three plots in the field no nitrogen in any 

 form has been applied. All the plots in the field receive 

 the same amounts of materials furnishing phosphoric acid 

 and potash and in liberal quantities. Barnyard manure is 

 the source of nitrogen on one plot, nitrate of soda on two 

 plots, sulfate of ammonia on three plots, and dried blood 

 on two. This experiment was begun in 1890, and the crops 

 which have been grown previous to this 3'^ear in the order 

 of succession are : oats, rye, soy beans, oats, soy beans, 

 oats, so}^ beans, oats, oats, clover, potatoes, and soy beans. 

 As the result of all experiments previous to this year, it is 

 found that the materials furnishing nitrogen have produced 

 crops ranking in the following order : — 



