46 



MAINE AGRICULTUR.\L EXPERIMENT STATION. 



1915- 



southern part of the State. However, knowing that Aroostook 

 conditions are quite different from those in the other parts of 

 the State the Station has not thought it best to make any recom- 

 mendation for the former region. 



The acquisition of Aroostook Farm opened to the Station 

 the opportunity to start experiments in this direction. Prehmi- 

 nary experiments were carried out this year (1914). It must 

 be understood, however, that these experiments must be re- 

 peated several years before trustworthy results can be secured. 

 That is, the results obtained this year may not hold good another 

 year when the seasonal conditions are different. What we want 

 to know is — How much oats should be sown per acre to obtain 

 the best yield in a series of years? Consequently too much 

 reliance must not be put in the results of any single year. 



Six different rates of seeding were used this year, ranging 

 from two bushels to five. Six plots of the same size were laid 

 out in as uniform a piece of ground as could be found. It is 

 to be remembered that this is the first year the Station has had 

 the farm and little is known of the former management of any 

 of the land. This piece was in potatoes in 1913. Of the treat- 

 ment and the yield in that and preceding years there is no record. 

 The plots were all of the same size but were less than an acre 

 each. The seeding was done with a large disk drill. The seed 

 used was the Prosperity variety and was grown at Highmoor 

 Farm in 1913. It was planned to run these plots in duplicate 

 but owing to the lateness of the season before the seeding could 

 be done this had to be abandoned. 



The following table gives the results for the year 1914. 



Rate of Seedeig in Pecks. 



Pounds of straw per pi ot. 



Bushels of grain per plot. 



8 



2464 

 2403 

 2916 

 2768 

 2758 

 2600 



48* 



10 



50* 



12 



65 



14 



58 



16 



70 



20 



68 







♦These two plots were slightly injured by colts which broke through a neighboring 

 fence. 



These results undoubtedly indicate that the higher rates of 

 seeding gave better results this year. The first two plots were 

 slightly injured a short time before harvest. On this account 

 the yields were doubtless somewhat higher than found. It is 



