10 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 347 



farm storages are operated at a temperature a few degrees above freezing during 

 the loading period. 



Low-lift Pumps for Cranberry Bogs. (C. I. Gunness.) In the last annual 

 report it was stated that tests had been conducted on a low-lift pump designed 

 particularly to meet the needs of cranberry growers. During the past summer 

 additional tests on this same pump were made at different speeds. The data 

 obtained from these latter tests serve to aid the grower in the selection of speeds 

 to meet his needs as affected by available power and head and capacity require- 

 ments. 



DEPARTMENT OF AGRONOMY 

 Walter S. Eisenmenger in Charge 



Tobacco Projects. (Walter S. Eisenmenger and Karol J. Kucinski.) 



Cropping Systems. Tobacco grown following other crops is frequently infected 

 with a disease known as brown root-rot. Studies have shown that the chances 

 for serious infection are much less following certain crops than when tobacco 

 follows certain other crops. It would seem, therefore, that the most satisfactory 

 control for the disease on tobacco grown in rotation is to precede tobacco with a 

 crop which will reduce the chances of serious infection to a minimum. Since the 

 last report, the tobacco crop of 1936 has been sorted, and additional information 

 has been obtained as to the qu£-lity of the tobacco. 



The yield and quality of the tobacco grown on manure was better than that 

 grown with any of the different cover crops. The cover crops used, however, 

 were not injurious to the yield and grade of tobacco. From general observation 

 it was found that tobacco, when it was planted following a 2-year-old hay sod, 

 did better with respect to yield and quality than when it followed a 1-year-old 

 hay sod. 



Spacing Experiment. The experiment to determine the comparative effects of 

 different spacing of plants upon the yields and quality of tobacco produced by a 

 larger-growing strain and by a smaller-growing strain of Havana seed tobacco 

 was continued in 1937, according to the plan of experiment used for the purpose 

 in 1936. Planting distances of 36, 39, and 42 inches between rows were used in 

 combination with 12, 15, 18, 21, and 24, and 27 inches between plants. For 

 both years in every combination of planting distances, the larger-growing strain 

 produced a greater yield per acre and the crop index was substantially better. 

 It was found that the quality of the tobacco was perhaps a little better when the 

 plants were planted 24 inches apart in the 36- and 39-inch rows, and 18 inches 

 apart in the 42-inch rows. On the other hand, the crop index, which is the product 

 of both the yield and quality, showed up favorably and nearly equal when the 

 tobacco was planted with 18 inches between plants and 36 inches between rows; 

 15 inches between plants and 39 inches between rows; and 12 inches between 

 plants and 42 inches between rows. From the data collected, field observations, 

 and practicability of handling of the tobacco in the field, especially with the larger- 

 growing strain, it seems that perhaps the most favorable results could be obtained 

 when the plantings are made with 18 inches between plants and 39 inches between 

 rows. This conclusion is drawn from only 2 years' experimentation. 



This experiment should be carried out for a longer period of time before any- 

 definite conclusion can be stated. 



