140 MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. I9I4. 



have shown that much more accurate results will be obtained, 

 as to the comparative yield of varieties, if each variety is 

 planted in several small plots located in different parts of the 

 field than if a single large plot is used. The reason is that 

 unless the soil is very uniform one of the large plots may lie in 

 very favorable soil, while another plot may lie in very poor soil. 

 Such differences in soil may more than outweigh any intrinsic 

 differences in the two varieties. On the other hand, if several 

 small plots of the same variety are placed in different parts of 

 the field there is much less chance of all of them falling in very 

 good or very poor soil. Consequently an average of the yield 

 of several small plots will give a better idea of the inherent 

 yielding capacity of the variety. 



Accordingly in 1913 each variety was planted in four one- 

 fortieth acre plots. Thus in all there was a tenth acre of each 

 variety grown but instead of being in a single plot it was in 

 four plots placed in widely separated parts of the field. The 

 results with this method have been very satisfactory for the 

 past season and it is proposed to use this method in future vari- 

 ety tests. 



The adoption of this method of planting has involved the use 

 of different methods of seeding and harvesting. These will be 

 discussed at the proper places in the following pages. 



Figure 53 shows a map of Highmoor Farm on which the Ioct- 

 tion of the oat variety test plots for the years 1910, 191 1, 1912 

 and 19 1 3 are indicated. It will be noted that in general these 

 oat varieties have not been planted on the same piece of land in 

 successive years. In 1912 that portion of the field east of the 

 buildings marked Ai had been in the 191 1 variety test. In all 

 other cases the land had not been in oats the preceding year. 



CHARACTER OF THE SOIL. 



The soil of Highmoor Farm varies from a light sandy loam 

 to a medium clay loam. The natural drainage of this land is 

 very good excepting in a few places where the hard-pan sub- 

 soil forms pocket-Hke depressions. With the exception of the 

 1913 plots the fields on which the oat tests have been carried 

 out are, in the main, a medium loam. The 191 3 field is a rather 

 sandy loam and very well drained. In the several years it has 

 not always been possible to avoid the few wet places in the 



