]?ii;i,D e;xpe;rimi;nts. 29 



5. The Senator oats (Plot No. 18) made a very rank growtli 

 in the field, and were to the casual observer before threshing the 

 best in the test. The straw was heavy, the leaves broad, and 

 the grains very large and plump. Because of the large per- 

 centage of hull, however, this variety proved upon threshing to 

 be next to the lowest in rate of yield of all those in the test. 



6. From the table it appears that but one plot ( No. i ) yield- 

 ed at a rate lower than 50 bushels per acre. Six plots out of 

 the 31 (Nos. 8, II, 12, 13, 15 and 26) yielded at the rate of 70 

 or more bushels to the acre. 



7. It is of some interest to examine the yields of the 4 plats 

 of Banner oats, because the seed from which they were planted 

 represents such a wide geographical range. It was thought at 

 the outstart that the New Brunswick seed (Plat 29) would be 

 likely to give a better yield than seed of the same variety from 

 the far west. The climatic conditions in New Brunswick are 

 very similar to those obtaining in Maine. As a matter of fact, 

 however, the two plats planted from seed from the Canadian 

 Northwest (No. 26, Cooldalc, Alberta, and No. 28, Creelman, 

 Saskatchewan) each produced at the rate of about 5 bushels 

 more per acre than plot No. 29 from New' Brunswick seed. 



It is to be understood that these statements are simply based 

 upon the experience in 1910. They are not offered as definite 

 conclusions regarding the relative merits of the varieties con- 

 cerned. To reach such conclusions it is necessary to conduct 

 such variety tests Over a period of years. It is expected that 

 these experiments with oats will be continued in 1911. 



High Riidge vs. Modified Ridge Culture for Potato Grow- 

 ing IN Aroostook County. 



The method of ridge culture is almost universally used by 

 potato growers in Aroostook County. Probably over 90 per 

 cent of the farmers practice what might be called extreme ridge 

 culture. The ridging begins at the time of planting. The plant- 

 er most used has a plow so constructed that it makes little more 

 than a mark on the soil unless it is very light, instead of a fur- 

 row, then the disks at the rear of the machine cover the seed 

 by throwing up a ridge perhaps 4 inches high so that the seed 

 at the very start is practically on a level with the surface be- 



