98 MAINE AGRICULTURAL LXPLRIMLNT STATION. I909. 



Check plot to the north : merchantable 118 barrels 



small 4 barrels 



Total 122 barrels 



The average merchantable potatoes on the two check plots 

 was 120 barrels ; and on the fungicide 103 barrels or a decrease 

 in yield, which in my judgment is entirely due to the fungicide, 

 of 17 barrels. The areas north and south of the fungicide were 

 sprayed with Bordeaux and on the same days on which the fun- 

 gicide was applied. Sprayings were made every 10 days during 

 the growing season, beginning early in July. 



As I stated above, there was no late blight in the County. 

 Early in August, the fungicide plots began to show signs of vine 

 injury and later they developed a good deal of early blight. The 

 field sloped gently to the East so that the field was in sight as 

 one drove on to the farm, for perhaps half a mile, and there was 

 no time after the loth of August but what anyone could have 

 picked out the fungicide plot at that distance. In my judgment 

 the decreased yield was due to this vine injury, and to its failure 

 to protect from early blight as thoroughly as Regular Bordeaux 

 Mixture." 



Alfalfa. 



The Station began experimenting with alfalfa in 1903. The 

 reports for the work of the year 1904-5 are given on pages 35 

 and following of bulletin 126. A number of cooperative experi- 

 ments were entered into in 1906, with seed specially furnished 

 by the Bureau of Plant Industry of the U. S. Department of 

 Agriculture; and at the same time three-quarters of an acre was 

 planted with the same seed by the Experiment Station on the 

 farm of John Watson at Houlton. A number of the experi- 

 menters reported that they obtained a fair stand and in some 

 instances the alfalfa went through the winter of 1906-7 in very 

 good shape. So far as we have been able to learn by corre- 

 spondence, however, in no case was a permanent stand obtained. 



The experimental field at Houlton gave the best stand of any 

 that has been obtained in the State, so far as the writers know. 

 Notes made in September 1906 show that the field was in good 

 shape, there was a very uniform stand that had been cut twice 

 with an estimated yield of i^ tons in the two cuttings. At that 



