Agricultural Research in New Hampshire 49 



each pen. Another man, making 10 trips daily through the pens, walked 

 480 feet through each pen and 414 feet in doing the chores within each 

 pen. 



The study indicates that with good organization and well-planned 

 buildings, very little time is required for doing daily chores in handling 

 the laying flock. 



The project was carried out by Edward Piper under the supervision 

 of an informal committee consisting of the Agricultural Economics and 

 Poultry Department staffs. 



E. Piper and Committee 



SOILS 



Methods for Controlling Erosion on New Hampshire Potato Farms 



During the past year, measurable runoff at the Northwood Ridge 

 plots occurred 14 times with some soil loss occurring 10 times. The soil 

 losses from the non-green manured plots were again two to three times 

 as great as from the winter rye plots. 



For the third successive year the average yield of potatoes from the 

 winter rye plots exceeded that from the non-green manured plots, the in- 

 crease being 21.9 bushels. The largest yields of potatoes were obtained on 

 the clover-hay rotation plots, the average yield being 46.7 bushels greater 

 than that of the non-green manured plots. 



The average yield of the potato plots on the severely eroded area 

 at Strafford Ridge was only 53.3 per cent of the average yield at North- 

 wood Ridge. The three highest yielding plots at Strafford Ridge were 

 those receiving organic additions in the form of green manures, such as 

 rye grass, crimson clover, and winter rye. It is strongly indicated by the 

 results that restoration of organic matter to the severely eroded soil of 

 this experimental area is essential to obain adequate yields of potatoes. 



The study of topsoil-subsoil interrelations were extended to the field 

 on small plots 10 feet by 10 feet from which none, one-half, and all of 

 the topsoil were removed. Two each of these plots with different depths 

 of topsoil were fertilized and two left unfertilized. The fertilizer used 

 was equivalent to 1000 pounds per acre of a 5-25-5 formula. Vicland 

 oats were grown and yields of forage and grain were determined. 



The importance of preventing losses of topsoil was strikingly dem- 

 onstrated by the results for the unfertilized plots. On these plots virtual 

 crop failure resulted when 100 per cent of the topsoil was removed, with 

 a grain yield of only 7.8 bushels per acre, whereas with 0.0 per cent of 

 the topsoil removed the grain yield was 61.2 bushels. When 50 per cent 

 of the topsoil was removed the yield of total forage decreased 60 per 

 cent and the yield of grain decreased 65 per cent. 



The heavy fertilization increased the grain yield of 54.0 bushels on 

 the 100 per cent removal plot, to 86.4 bushels on the 50 per cent removal 

 plot, but only to 63.9 bushels on the 0.0 per cent removal plot because 

 the latter lodged severely from the excessive fertility. 



L. T. Karoos 



