142 MAIXE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. I914. 



fields. Further in certain fields there have been ledges coming 

 near the surface of the soil and these have interfered with the 

 yield of certain plots. However, these influences, which have 

 been comparatively slight, have not aft'ected the same variety 

 more than one 3-ear. Consequently the average of the four 

 year tests should give a fairly accurate measure of the capacity 

 of a variety to yield under the conditions at Highmoor. 



PREPARATIOX OF THE LAXD. 



In the following, paragraphs the methods of preparing the 

 land and the amount of fertilizer used are given for each year. 



The varieties tested in 1910 were sown on land that had been 

 plowed the previous summer and kept clean by working over 

 about once a week with cutaway and springtooth harrows. 

 Before the farm was placed under the management of the Sta- 

 tion this land had laid in sod for many years becoming quite 

 densely infested with witch grass. The summer fallow and 

 clean cultivation resulted in freeing the field from this weed. 

 Immediately before planting the soil was disked with a double 

 action cutaway harrow, going lengthwise and then crosswise of 

 the field. Following this, spiketooth harrows were used to 

 smooth and level the ground in preparation for the seed. At 

 the time of plowing 5|- cords of manure were put on each acre 

 and at the time of seeding 900 lbs. of a fertilizer containing 3.3 

 percent of nitrogen, 10 percent of available phosphoric acid and 

 7 percent potash were applied to the 31 tenth-acre plots in the 

 variety tests of this year. The location of these plots is shown 

 in Fig. 53. 



In 191 1 the variety tests of oats were carried out on land 

 which produced potatoes in the season of 1910. This land was 

 plowed in the fall of 1910 and at that time eight cords of 

 manure were added. This was thoroughly disked in. In the 

 spring of 191 1 the ground was again disked by means of cut- 

 away harrows, the harrowing being done crosswise and length- 

 wise of the field. To smooth and level the field, spiketooth 

 harroAvs were used. At the time of seeding fertilizer analyzing 

 4 per cent of nitrogen, 8 percent of phosphoric acid, and 7 per- 

 cent of potash was applied at the rate of 500 lbs. per acre. As 

 in the year 1910, seed and fertilizer were sown by means of a 

 erain drill. 



