26 MAJNii AGRICUIvTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. I91I. 



As a preliminary to definite breeding operations it is neces- 

 sary to determine some of the varieties which are best suited * 

 to Maine conditions. Accordingly during the past season a num- 

 ber of varieties have been tested. Thirty-one plots were plant- 

 ed, each containing one-tenth of an acre. Twenty-five different 

 varieties were used. In the case of the Kherson, Regenerated 

 Swedish Select and Banner oats two or more plots were planted 

 with the same variety. In these cases, however, each plot rep- 

 resented seed from a different source (cf. Table p. 27). The 

 iand selected for the test was to all appearances very uniform. 

 It was a light sandy loam soil sloping gradually towards the 

 east. The land had been summer fallowed the year before to 

 kill out the witch grass. It was disked twice in the spring be- 

 fore the oats were sown. This gave an excellent seed bed. 

 The grain was put in with a disk grain drill and sown at the 

 rate of 2 bushels (by measure) per acre. Commercial fertilizer 

 carrying 3.3 per cent of nitrogen, 10 per cent available phos- 

 plioric acid and 7 per cent potash was applied at the rate of 

 300 pounds per acre. The field was rolled after the grain was 

 sown. Notes were taken on each plot during the growing sea- 

 son. The grain from each plot was cut and threshed separately. 



Before planting the seed oats were given the formaldehyde 

 treatment for smut. As a consequence the entire field was free 

 from smut, except for one small patch in one of the plots, where 

 some untreated seed was planted by hand to fill out. Here smut 

 appeared. It is impossible to give accurate figures regarding 

 the matter but the annual loss to the State from oat smut must 

 be large.- This loss is entirely preventable. One needs only 

 to treat the oats with a weak solution of formaldehyde before 

 planting. Full directions for carrying out this treatment have 

 been published by the Station as a circular bearing the title 

 "Oat Smut and Its Prevention." A copy of this will be sent to 

 any resident of Maine upon application to the Director of the 

 Station. The treatment is simple and easy of application, and 

 costs almost nothing. One pint of commercial formaldehyde 

 should cost not to exceed 20 cents anywhere in the State, and it 

 will treat 50 bushels of seed. 



