FIELD EXPERIMENTS IN I914. 59 



from the Skiwing's Purple Top had 24 per cent black-hearted. 

 The White Egg was 100 per cent black hearted. 



There is, little warrant in drawing very definite conclusions 

 from this trial. It seems fairly clear that there is a difference 

 in strains as to susceptibility to the trouble, for one variety 

 grown was entirely free from black hearted roots. As the 

 trouble has, so far as we can learn, never been reported else- 

 where it evidently is not due primarily at any rate to seed and 

 is perhaps somewhat climatic. The addition of stable manure 

 materially reduced the percentage of black heart an all four 

 plots. Stable manure carries many active ferments, bacteria, 

 and fungi. These may be a factor in control. These trials sug- 

 gest that a crop free from or with low per cent of black hearted 

 roots is more likely to be obtained when farm manure is used. . 

 It is hoped to conduct further cooperative studies in 191 5. 



Are Sheep Profitable in Maine.? 



an experiment undertaken at high moor farm. 



At the spring meeting of the Station Council the following 

 facts were presented by the Director: 



As is well known, the sheep industry in Maine, as well as the 

 country over, has greatly diminished. Apparently the sheep 

 industry in Maine reached its maximum in 1880, at which time 

 there were in round numbers 565,000 sheep in the State. In 

 1890 this number had become reduced to 370,000 and in 1900 to 

 248,000, in 1910 to 125,000. Between 1910 and 1912 there has 

 been a slight increase as the number of sheep reported by the 

 State assessors, exclusive of lambs, for that year was about 

 134,000. 



Attention was called to the facts : — that at Highmoor Farm 

 there are about 100 acres in pasture at present unutilized; that 

 there is barn room which with very small expense could be 

 made to carry 150 sheep; and that there has never been perma- 

 nent agriculture without animal husbandry anywhere in the 

 world. The facts brought out in Bulletin 224 relative to the 

 lack of profit in the sale of hay, because of the large amount of 

 fertilizing material removed from the land in a hay crop, were 

 referred to and it was also pointed out that Highmoor Farm 

 now annually sells considerable hay. 



