of winter protection will be followed. The results obtained will be given in future reports. A vineyard of one thousand Concord, and five hundred Delawares, has been planted upon lots D., 5 and 6, and the south half of E., 5 and 6. The season has been favorable, and the vines have made an excellent growth. The Concords were planted 10x8, 10x6, and 8x6 feet apart, the Delawares 8x6 feet. Each alternate row was trenched four feet in width to the depth of eighteen inches, the remaining rows being loosened only to the depth of ten inches. This will furnish an opportunity of testing the question which some have lately raised, whether the grape does best with deep or with shallow culture, keeping the roots near the surface that they may receive more of the sun's heat. Forty bushels of ashes to the acre were sown upon this ground in 1868. No other fertilizer has been used. Forty-five apple trees have also been planted upon these lots for the purpose of comparing the effects of a southward with those of a northward exposure in the orchard. The west half of lots 11, E, F and G, the east haif of 12, E, F and G, lots 14, E and F, and 15, E and F, have been cleared and plowed, and will be ready for cultivation another year. last re The farm house, which was being built at the time of my port, is completed, and has been occupied since January last by the farm superintendent. DONATIONS. The Experimental Farm has received donations during the past year as follows, exclusive of those to the State Horticultural Society: From Hon. M. K. Young, Glen Haven, Wis., 1 bbl. Early Rose potatoes, and samples of thirty-six varieties, among which is the White Rose, a seedling originating with Mr. Young. From "The Union Fertilizer Co.," of N. Y., 1 bbl. of their "Insect and Worm Destroyer, and Fertilizer." A report of the use of this as an "Insect Destroyer," will be found under Experiments. From Stephen W. Underhill, Croton Landing, Westchester Co., N. Y., the following seedling grapes: 3 'Senasqua, 2 Croton, 2 marked 8-12. The vine of the Senasqua has many resemblances to the Concord. The plants are healthy and have made a fine growth. The vine and leaf of the Croton appear much like the Delaware. The fruit of this variety is spoken of in the highest terms by those fruit committees who have had an opportunity to test it. The vines of 8-12 have made a strong growth, but the leaf shows a slight tendency to mildew.. From Slater & Hansen, Madison, Wis., one corn cultivator, which does excellent work. From Dean & Harriman, Madison, Wis., one Munroe's patent Rotary Harrow. This is an excellent implement, doing at least twice the work of an ordinary square harrow. EXPERIMENTS. A scheme of experiments for the year was prepared by me, and submitted to the Board of Regents, for their approval, at their meeting in February. From that list the Farm Committee chose the following as those best adapted to present facilities for conduct ing experiments. 1st. Wheat-To try raising winter wheat by protecting from winds by belts of timber. The trial to be made with both red and white varieties. 2d. Profits of Wheat and Corn Raising-Cultivate an equal quantity of ground in each, keeping an account of the cost and value of production; the value of crop to be the average of market values for five years in this market. 3d. Drill and Hill Planting- Try the comparative values of drill and hill planting with corn and potatoes. 4th. Potatoes-Let experiments of last year be repeated to verify results, and take the same in connection with amount of rain falling; to be continued throughout another year at least. 5th. Corn as a Forage Crop-Try a few acres by drilling, and the same quantity by broadcast sowing. In accordance with these instructions, the following experiments have been performed: WINTER WHEAT. Experiments are now in progress with the following varieties: Treadwell, white, seed from Michigan. White Winter Touzelle, imported from France, seed furnished by the Department of Agriculture at Washington. Profits of wheat and corn raising was necessarily omitted on account of the late date of receiving the instructions. DRILL AND HILL PLANTING CORN. The result of this experiment was as follows: Taking the product of drill planting as 100 for a basis of comparison, hill planting yielded 94.6, or 5.4 per cent. less than the drills. That planted in drills contained 11.4 per cent. of soft corn, that in hills 10.9 per cent. The general appearance of the corn in hills was much the best, the ears being larger and filled out better at the tips. CORN AS A FORAGE CROP. Equal quantities of land were sown to corn broadcast, and planted in drills three and one-half feet apart, in each case using seven bushels of seed to the acre That planted in drills gave the largest yield* of the best forage, That sown broadcast being much the coarser. Equal quantities of land were sown broadcast at the rate of eleven bushels of seed to the acre, and planted in drills with seven bushels as before. In this case the yield was in favor of broadcast sowing. *I am obliged, in these experiments, and in top dressing grass with ashes, to give the estimated results, as we have as yet no facilities for weighing such products. One reason of more seed being required with broadcast sowing is that the seed cannot all be covered with a harrow, so that birds and gophers are attracted to the field and carry away much that is uncovered. A better method for those having grain drills, is to sow nine bushels of seed to the acre, using each third tooth of the drill. POTATOES. The land upon which these potatoes were grown, was sward upon which no crop had ever before been raised, plowed in fall of 1868. Soil clay loam with clay subsoil. Marked with a plow three and one-half feet apart. Planted one foot apart in row, May 4th and 5th. The seed was covered uniformly three inches in depth, and was prepared as follows: Plat. Table 1. Method of preparing seed. No. lbs Large, whole, one in a place.. 2 Large, cut in 3 pieces, 1 piece in a place Small, whole, 1 in a place. 12345 4 6 7 Small ends, cut in 3 pieces, 1 piece in a place: Seed cuts of potatoes of ordinary size, 1 piece in a place 8 Single eyes, 1 in a place 1461 46' 58 121 26 102 441 13 June 1st, plants coming up. June 12th, cultivated once in a row and sowed on ashes at the rate of thirty bushels per acre. The same relative growth of tops was observed that was noticed in 1868, viz. No. 1 much the largest, Nos. 3 and 6 next in size. Cultivated second time, and hoed July 6th. Dug October 11th and 12th yielding as follows: No. 1 yields most per acre, yet gives smallest increase for one pound of seed. It will be noticed that generally, although not uniformly, as the yield increases, the rate of increase for one pound of seed diminishes. As in last year's experiment, the size of the seed seems to affect the size of the product but slightly. The single eyes gave the smallest yield, as before, but the difference was much less marked than last year. With the exception of Plat No. 1, which gave the largest potatoes, the size was very uniform throughout. No. 4 appeared to contain fewer potatoes that were very small than any other plat. The yield corresponds to the comparative growth of tops. No. 1 largest, No. 3 and 6 next in order. That there is a difference in the yield that cannot be attributed to the size of the seed, or the method of cultivation, will be seen by comparing Nos. 2 and 7, which were treated precisely alike, yet one yields twenty-six bushels per acre more than the other. This is a further proof of the difficulty of securing those uniform conditions in agricultural experiments, which will enable one to draw correct conclusions from a limited number of trials. In Table No. 3 will be found the per cent of yield given by each method of planting for 1868 and 1869, the means of Nos. 2 and 7 in each case being taken as a basis of comparison. |