The Dickinson press., 1908-03-07

which we will give later, are full of prom.
Use, though they may have to be changed
somewhat in the future. So far they
have really had but two working sum-
mers, the first M of necessity being de-
voted to breaking and building, though
many trees were started the first spring.
The second season, 1906, was by many
deemed an unusual one, owing to gen.
orally heavy rainfall, it being FIVE inches
above normal, but last year was abnor-
NAL the other way, and was ornary in
several respects. The rainfall was very
nearly normal, but was not well distrib-
uted. The spring was cold and unusually
backward. Early in the growing season
it was dry, amounting to a touch OF gen.
uine drouth. There were hot winds, and
just before harvest they had hail which
did much damage, and several days of
steady and unusually high. winds that
whipped the ripening grain badly. And
yet, considering all adverse. conditions,
the figures do no look discouraging.
But Supt. Waldron wanted it understood
that what was given out was to be con-
sidered as being demonstration work,
and as not having much experimental
value.
1t would be impossible t o enumerate
all the experiments. In general, they
are of three classes, namely, rotation
experiments, fertility experiments and
variety tests. There are MANY side lines,
and there are places where the work OF
the several general divisions overlap.
The fertility experiments are conducted
by the department of agriculture who
maintain an experimenter at the station
and bear the expense. The department
has also co-operated with the station in
plant breeding.
Among the many. things witnessed,
none were more interesting than a
demonstration showing the possibilities
in increasing the carrying capacity of
that land. A plat of ground was left to.
grow native hay. This was cut and the
hay weighed and the air dry hay
amounted to 900 pounds per acre. That.
would be the normal feed yield of that
particular land without cultivation. An
acre of oats grown alongside this hay
plat yielded c9oo pounds of straw and
grain, both crops growing under exactly
the same conditions. The figures tell
their own story.
A test was made to ascertain what
narrowing would do for growing grain,
Grain was narrowed twice after. it was
up about three inches. Results were not
encouraging. Narrowing showed a
marked effect on the straw, it being
heavier and growing more luxuriantly in
every way compared with that not har-
rowed, but it had the effect of keeping
the grain green later, and the hot. winds
before harvest fired it. The yield of
barley was increased 2 bushels per acre
by narrowing, and oats IL bushels per
acre. Narrowing wheat showed a loss
of from l to ~ bushels per acre. The
popularity of the season may have
affected the narrowed grain ~unfavorably
and subsequent tests may change these
results. At least, it is we'll to await
further tests before forming positive con-
illusions.
The yields of durums compared with
bread iwheats, averaged as follows:
Seven varieties of blue stem and fife
wheats averaged 1873 bushels per acre.
Fourteen varieties of. durums averaged
26.8 bushels per acre. These wheats
were grown side by side and had identi-
cal treatment. The hot winds injured
the bread wheats more than the durums,
and the wind whipped them out more
thansit did the latter. The highest yield
ing variety of durum was the Kubanka,
which went $3.50 bushels per acre,
though this record was made in the rota-
ton plats where the soil is somewhat
better than it is where the variety tests
are conducted. The highest yielding
bread wheat was Girka, which went 1877
bushels per acre. =
In barley, the Maudschurie, a 6-rowed
variety yielded 1865 bushels per acre,
while the Hanna, a 2+rowed variety, went
SIS bushels per acre. All the barley
was badly whipped by the wind SO that
these yields are lower than they would
be under ordinary conditions. {
rate of 8I.25 bushels per acre; Swedish
Is. Some of the standard varieties, such
as Banner, Triumph, American Beauty,
did better than either Sixty Day or Kher-
son. Many of the oats, however, were
badly struck by the hail, some suffering
a loss of 50 per GER B
Hulless barley withstood the wind and
the hail better than did some other 'varie-
ties but fell below in yields.
Speltz yielded 224o pounds to the acre,
against oats 1860 pounds, and barley $500
pounds per acre. These are hardly COM
parable as they were 70 grown on
adjoining plats, and we're differently
affected by hail, wind and drouth. :.
What the west river country needs
about as much as anything to make it
truly habitable-and this applies to the
east river country tOo-is nor trees.
Scatter thrifty groves owe any open
prairie and the country is nc longer the
same. 1t takes trees to make homes, and
without homes no country can perma-
nently prosper. People will stay on
open w~ind-swept plains, but we doubt
whether anyone so situated really on
siders their habitation a home. Most of
them harbor the hope that sometime
they will be able to live where there are
trees and what goes with them of COM
fort and pleasure.
The first work done on the Dickinson
station ground was to set out trees, both
fruit and shade. Our illustrations show
what these paintings have done in 80
months. If nothing more had been
done at the station the showing of trees
is sufficient to warrant its maintenance.
| Settlers cannot continue to drive hY the