The Portland daily press., 1888-12-06
STUDYING THE SCIENCE OF FARMING.
What Is Being Done at the Maine Ex-
pertinent Station.
Solving Questions Which Have Both
cred the Farmers.
How to Secure Big Crops and Raise
Fine Cattle.
Especial to the PRESS ]

AUGUSTA, Dec. 5.-The forthcoming an
nual report of the Maine Experiment Station
will be one of the most interesting ever is
sued, especially as the establishing of the
station provided for by the appropriation of
the Hatch bill passed by Congress two years
ago has been in progress, and Professor w.
ii. Jordan and his assistants arc getting their
work well under way. 1t will be several
months before the report will be out and the
following interesting information CONCERN
ing the, operation and equipping of the sta
tion, largo rart of which will appear in the
report, will De of interest.
The new building. is now nearing compile
tlon and will furnish excellent accomm0da-
tions for the laboratory and office work of
the station. 1t is of brick, trimmed with
granite, heated by steam and supplied with
gas and water. Its location is convenient
for obtaining samples of feeding stuffs, milk,
ETC., which must be analyzed in connection
with the experiments in the field and feed
ing.
Space in the new barn will be allotted and
specially fitted up for experimental feeding
and experiments relating to dairying are to
be conducted in dairy room adjoining.
Twenty acres of as good land as can be
found on the larm have been set aside for ex-
periments in crop production, and 10 acres
divided into two and 0ne-half acre lots are
now under treatment to ascertain If the fer
tility of the farm can be permanently and
proftably maintained by the use of CONNER
cial fertilizers.
To Lot is to be returned the manure pro-
duced from the crops grown on it, or the
equivalent OF this in the shape of manure
from other crops; Lot 2 is to receive COM
merclal fertilizers in such quantities and
combinations as shall at least replace the
plant food removed by the crops; to Lot 8
VIII be applied commercial fertiliziDg ma
terlals in the crude cheap form, such as
ground undissolved rock phosphates, etc.
and Lot will not be manured at all, being
simply cultivated in manner similar to the
other plots For the first one or two years
these plots will be given similar treatment,
and their production will be taken as a
measure of their fertility, before beginning
the different methods of manuring. Besides
these large plots there are in use 36 smaller
ones, on which questions pertaining to the
profitable combinations and quantity of COM
mercial fertilizers are being studied. 1t will
require Sc, eral years before results can be
reached which will furnish safe basis for
conclusions. For shree years, this, and the
former station, have been testing over a
hundred varieties of grain, potatoes, etc..
and summary of the facts obtained will be
printed in the report for 1888.
The station will also do a considerable
amount OF experimental feeding of cattle.
Some feeding experiments are already in OBJ
Grafton. One is with six Thoroughbred
steers, two Herefords, two Shorthorns and
two H0lSteins. These steers are nov from
SIX to eight months old, and are good speci-
mems. They are all receiving the same
amount OF grain, and are eating very nearly
the same amount of hay, both hay and grain
being accurately weighed. While the weight
of grain is the same In each case, the combi-
nation differs. Three steers. one of each
breed, are being feu mixture of equal parts
OF corn meal, ground oats and wheat bran,
while the other three are eating mixture of
equal parts Of cotton seed meal, ground oats
and wheat bran. This experiment will be
continued until the steers are at least two
years old, and will, it is hoped, add to knowl-
edge on several points, among others the rel
atiYe growth OF the three breeds, the rela-
i've value OF the two ratiOns, and the rela-
tive growth at different ages.
Inc most laborious investigation that the
Station has so far undertaken, is one involv-
ing a study of the characteristics of four
oreeds OF cows as dairy animals, Holstein,
Shorthorn, Ayrshire and Jersey. While
with so few animals it is not expected to Sc
cure thoroughly reliable figures as to the rel
atlve cost OF production with the four breeds,
IL Is possible to learn something in this di-
rectlon. 1t is expected that information
VIII be gained ON the following points:
l. Relative yield of milk and butter.
z. Composition of milk.
3. Thoroughness with which the butter fat
separates from milk.
.. 4Percentagel of fat in milk which finds its
way INTO me butter NOT only with different bree $,
claimed by some that there Is less waste of butter
lat when cows eat green foods, such as ensilage.
8. Relation of amounts of cream and butter to
amount of milk.
Z. Quality Of butter as to melting point, firm
ness, flavor, etc.
These COWS will be used also to test the
efficiency of different food combinations and
methods of preparing foods. to the extent
10 n0U Iand hon b. lnfsN
the COWS to unlike conditions of feeding.
For instance, is pound of digestible nutri-
ents in ensilage of more value than a pound
OF nutrients from dry food, simply because
in the one case the material eaten is green?
An effort Will be made to answer this ques-
tion.
just now twelve pigs are being fed expert
mentally, such questions as the effect of the
amount OF drink and the value of nitrogenous
foods in pork production being considered
Last spring three varities of corn, Southern
white, common field, and sweet, were planted
on equal areas for the production of fodder
TO be put into he,silo, and the yield of dry
matter and its composition and digestibility
are being determined for the three cases.
The composition and digestibility of
several species OF grasses and other plants,
and the digestibility of dried corn fodder as
compared with that of the same material
ensilaged, are being ascertained. Samples
of our commercial cattle foods have been
collected, such as brans, line feed, &c, and
are being analyzed.
During the past season Prof. Harvey has
made large number of observations in re-
gard to the life history of the apple maggot,
which is such curse to apple producers, and
while the facts so far secured seem to be
somewhat discouraging, yet it is hoped that
another seasons study will suggest means OF
preventing, to some extent at least, the raw
ages of this pest.
Dr. Russell, who is now at Johns Hopkins
University, studying the germs of anima
diseases, is to take up his veterinary work
for the station early in February.
So soon as the somewhat large expendi
lures for the equipment shall have ceased
the work of the station can be enlarged
The present time is obviously one of or
ganization and preparation. A building il
being erected and equipped, apparatus ant
books are being purchased, and the grounC
is being cleared and foundations laid for fu
ture work.