The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1905-02-24
FAVORS EXPERIMENT STATIONS
STATE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE TAKES
UP ALARIGHTs IDEA.
Experiments With Standard Crops in the
West win Result in sure Crops
and Increased Production
Bill for Legislature.

/ Inc lnQuStrialiSt, the OnC1al organ
! Of the State Agricultural college, at
( Manhattan, has an article on the county
/ experiment station, in which it favors
the plan by which the farm department
of the college might undertake some
experiments in the growing of crops IN
! cooperation with the county poor
farms In different parts of the state.
Such plan has been proposed, -
/ says the Industrialist, "and the farm
| departments already preparing samples
! of seeds for this purpose. However,
no definite arrangements have been
made by which these experiments shall
/ be carried out.
The purpose IS to introduce a bill in
/ the present legislature, authorizing the
counties to undertake experiments at
| the county poor farms in cooperation
with the state experiment station. The
| originator of this bill Is Mr.. Z. W. Al
| bright, one of the students in the short
course, whose home IS near Brewster,
/ Kan. He IS working with some of the
western representatives and has gather
ed information and has been largely
instrumental IN preparing the bill which
will presently be introduced into the
| legislature
Anticipating the passage of such a
bill, the farm department Is making
preparations noted above, and letters of
inquiry have been addressed to the su-
perintendents Of poor farms all over the
state relative to their equipment and
fitness to undertake crop experiment
work. This station viii be able to CO.
operate with only limited number of
counties during the coming season, and
as no provision has been made for this
work AMI no funds will be available
until after July l, providing the legista-
ture passes the measure introduced
The county experiment station has
already been partially introduced in
Iowa, although in that state no act has
been passed by the legislature giving
the counties authority to engage IN ex-
peTimental work. Such work, however,
IS being carried on in Iowa, at the Op-
ton of the counties and the state ex-
pertinent station.
1T IS very desirable that experiments
be undertaken in different parts of the
state IN testing the adaptability of the
different varieties of the standard crops
to different soils and climatic cOndi-
tons AT this station, in 1903, stan
dard" varieties of corn varied in yield
from 80 to So bushels per acre, when
grown IN the same field and under ex-
aCtly the same conditions, indicating a
wide difference in varieties in their ad-
agitation for growing at this station.
Another desirable phrase of this CO.
operative experiment work viii be the
introduction of new varieties of grains,
grasses, etc, and the breeding by care
ful selection of crops better adapted for
| growing IN different sections of the
state. Altogether the plan offers great
| opportunity for great Improvement IN
/ the production of crops, and expert
ments carefully planned aud carried out
| for a series Of years viii result In larger
| average yields of the standard crops
| grown IN the state, and will eventually
| add materially to the financial prosper
/ ity of Kansas. The plan should receive
/ the hearty support of everyone interest
1 ed IN the welfare of Kansas.
/ ''lt may be added that this article,
advocating county experiment stations,
was quoted IN part and received some
! favorable comment in the Wallace Far
mer, of Des Moines, Ia, and the sug-
] gestiOn seems to have been taken up by
/ the Iowa experiment station, resulting
| IN the cooperative experiments which
are now being carried on at many OF
/ the POOr-farmS Of that state, and which
seems to be proving a success, and
are receiving the highest appreciation
| on the part Of Iowa farmers