52 



methods and the collection of data relating to tonnage, sugar content, 

 and seed yield. It is believed that these matters, as determined by the 

 work, will prove of great practical utility. 



For the purpose of testing agricultural methods in the production of 

 sorghum cane a field of 39 J acres, lying 2 miles west of Medicine Lodge, 

 was leased from Miller & Benedict. 



The field has a gentle slope to the south and is quite level. The soil 

 is a deep rich loam of great fertility. The land was properly prepared 

 by deep plowing and subsoiling and was divided by the surveyor into 

 thirty-two plots in conformity with the appended plan. The descrip- 

 tion of the planting and of the agricultural work follows : 



NOTES IN REGARD TO PLANTING. 



The experimental field at Medicine Lodge was divided into plats and blocks as 

 indicated in Fig. 4. Each plat of the shorter ones was 40 feet wide and 1,000 feet 

 long. Each plat of the longer ones was 40 feet wide and 1,089 feet long, containing 

 exactly 1 acre. Each block contains two plats, save block No. 5, which has three. 

 The blocks are separated by alleys 10 feet wide. 



Slock No. 1. 



This block was planted as follows, on the 28th of April : Four rows of variety 

 No. 131 from pedigreed seed heads from Sterling, Kans., of the following num- 

 bers and mean composition: Seed head numbers, 8972, 8992, 8950, 6687, 8948, 8937, 

 8201, 10051, 6683, 8971, 8993, 10008, 8977, 8945, 8960, 8173, 8978, 8333, 8331, 8951, 

 9011, 6702. Mean Brix, 20.33. Mean sucrose, 16.80 per cent. Mean purity, 83.79. 

 Next one row of Folger's Early, from a seed head from Sterling, Kans., with no ped- 

 igree. One row of Early Amber, planted with seed head No. 1233; cut August 21, 

 1890; Brix, 21.7; sucrose, 16.6 per cent; purity, 76.50. One row of No. 161, planted 

 from seed head No. 9002, from Sterling, Kans.; Brix, 20.18; sucrose, 16.96 per cent; 

 purity, 84.10; cut September 11, 1890. Next, one row of Colman without pedigree, 

 and followed by two rows of Black African from bulk seed. One row of Link's 

 Hybrid without pedigree; one row of Folger's Early without pedigree; one row 

 No. 161 without pedigree ; seed from Sterling, Kans. 



Block No. 2. 



This block was all deep plowed and subsoiled and planted with a drill on the 

 28th of April. The whole plat was planted with Black African seed in bulk, grown 

 on the experimental station at Sterling, Kans. 



Block No. S. 



This block was all deep-plowed and subsoiled. Beginning on the south side of the 

 block there were planted by hand on the 28th of April eight rows of Early Orange 

 from pedigreed seed, from Sterling, Kans., of the following numbers and mean com- 

 position: Seed-head numbers, 8775, 8723, 8804, 8713, 9248, 9280, 9285, 9287, 9292, 9295, 

 9296, 9301, 9302, 9340, 9381, 9392, 9525, 9531. Mean Brix, 20,27. Mean sucrose, 15.6 

 per cent. Mean purity, 76.98. 



