Agricultural Research in N. H. 2S 



yield; then the grain was threshed out by a "header". The grain was then 

 bagged, dried, and cleaned in the laboratory by a new mechanical cleaner. 



The 1946 oat yields were about the highest since the trials were started 

 in 1943. There was some disease present, and Victory, which is not disease- 

 resistant, was at the bottom on grain yield per acre. For the first time, Hel- 

 minthosporium Blight attacked the varieties of Victoria parentage, namely, 

 Vicland, Boone, Forric and C. I. 4301. Once again the Bond crosses, Clin- 

 ton, Benton, Bondu, Eaton, and Mohawk, gave excellent results. 



The forage weights and yields do not measure strictly uniform dry 

 weights, and there were some differences in maturity. They indicate, how- 

 ever, relative yields for forage. This is significant because forage oats are 

 important in New Hampshire. 



L. J. HiGGINS 



Barley 



Six of the fifteen original barley varieties were grown in three replica- 

 tions along with the oat trials. As the two-row Alpha, Wisconsin Barbless 

 No. 38 and Velvet have been grown in New Hampshire for many years, they 

 were used as standard checks. Once again Alpha gave good yields and Wis- 

 consin Barbless the least. The sensitivity of barley to soil conditions and sus- 

 ceptibility to disease makes barley returns somewhat questionable. Every 

 row showed considerable disease during the growing season of 1946. 



L. J. HiGGINS 



Experiments with Small Grains in Northern New Hampshire 



Fifteen varieties of oats and two of barley were grown on the Coffin 

 Field near Colebrook, in 1945. This was the sixth year of these trials. Dur- 

 ing this period, some oat and barley varieties have been eliminated because 

 of weak straw, low yield, or for other reasons, and others have been added as 

 new promising varieties appeared. 



Tests have been conducted near Colebrook at an elevation about 1,700 

 feet. At this elevation, crown rust and stem rust do not appear to be serious 

 menaces to oat production, with the result that two of the older varieties. Up- 

 right and New Victory, have given higher yields than some of the new strains 

 like Vicland or Clinton that have been bred for disease resistance. Moreover, 

 the new disease-resistant oats are shorter, softer strawed, and do not stand 

 up as well or make as much forage. The only reason, then, for Northern 

 New Hampshire farmers to produce Vicland or Clinton is for seed purposes, 

 for sale to farmers father south where oat diseases are a serious factor. 



Of the new strains tried, Cornell 484a and D69x Bond, have proved out- 

 standing. The Canadian varieties (all tall strawed sorts) Erban, Vanguard, 

 Ajax, and Erban- Vanguard cross have done well. New Victory and Upright 

 (both old, non-disease-resistant, tall strawed varieties) have been the best 

 yielders. New Victory, however, exhibited 30 per cent smut, and is the only 

 variety in which smut has appeared in quantity during any year. 



Barley varieties have given disappointing yields in these tests. Barley 

 is sensitive to soil deficiencies. Therefore, since these tests have been con- 

 ducted on potato land, lime and other soil amendments favorable to barley 

 have not been applied. 



