The Mena weekly star., 1909-02-04

Funks 90- day Special Is POOP Johnson Co. Yellow 16 19.44 Harmon No. 3l 17 19. .39 Farmers Favorite IS 1905 Sanders Improved IS 1905 Hill Corn 20 17SS Squaw Corn 20 1788 Cross Hogues. Reids Dent P ]749 Funks Leaning Yellow 23 1891 Silver King 24 1594 Reids Yellow Dent 25 15.36
 This test we think does justice to all the varieties excepting possibly the last, Reid's Yellow Dent. good stand was not obtained with this variety and we will require further tests before we are able to say definitely as to the merits of the different varieties. It may be ob- served, however that the variety Hil- dreth, which stood highest at Mena, all so yielded highest in our variety test at Fayetteville out of some forty-nine varieties tested. Parties desiring seed of any of these varieties may obtain the address of growers by applying to Prof. Martin Nelson; Dept. of Agronomy, Ar kansas Experiment Station, Fayette- .ville, Arkansas.
 VARIETY TEST OF COTTON
 Owing to the very unfavorable weather in the spring of 1908 we were unable to get our cotton planted as early as it should have been. As a conse- qucnce much of 1t did not open. Only a few of the very early varieties opened well and while the test was conducted with all fairness we feel that owing to the fact that much of the cotton of some of the varieties did not open in time to be picked that 1t would prove misleading to publish the yields which we obtained.
 Of the twenty-six varieties tested, Bigham's Improved and Kings Inn proved Native were earliest and conse- quently gave highest yields. Simpkin's s Prolific and Double Jointed were equal in point of earliness and also stood equal in yield. They took third rank in point of yield. Other varieties standing high on account of early opening tendencies were, Cooks Improved, Oklahoma Tri- named Further account of these va rieties will appear n hule tin form in the near future Parties desiring seed may obtain the addresses of growers by ap- plying to Prof Nelson as directed pre- viously in this article.
 VARIETY TEST OF COW PEAS
 The following varieties of cowpeas were tested as to yield. earliness and manner of growth at Mena during the season of 1908 Red Ripper, New Era, x Black Eye, Speckled Java, Calonis, Little Iron, Prolific Black Eye, Red Crowder, New Era, Early Black, Whip poorwill, Red Whippoorwill and Black Bunch.
 Of these twelve varieties tested Whip poorwill gave the highest yield; giving two thirds of bushel more grain than the Red Ripper variety which stood second. Little Iron stood third. yield ing only five pounds less than Red Rip per. New Era x Black Eye and Speck- led lava stood equal in fourth pace. yielding only few pounds less than the Little Iron Early Black and Small Prolific Black Eye stood equal in point of yielding, standing fifth, but some distance lower than the two proceeding them.
 The remaining varieties gave very low yields, so low in fact that if they do not show improvement during the sue ceeding tests they will probably be discarded
 In point of earliness the New Era va riety made most rapid growth and ma tured earliest Whippoorwill matured a few days later with Little Iron almost at the same time. Of the medium early maturing varieties Red Whippoor- will, Early Black. Black Bunch and New Era X Black Eye may be mentioned. Those maturing late were Calonis, Red Crowder, Red Ripper and Speclled lava The last named variety IS one of the latest, but IS very good variety, none the less.
 FORAGE CROPS
 Under the head of forage crops we will consider the millets and sorghums. These latter are of two classes, the Saccharine and Non-Sarccharrine. In the latter, which are represented by the Kaffir and Jerusalem corns, the stems are pithy and carry little or no sugar while in the stems of the saccharlne sorghums such as Early Amber and Orange Cane there is much sugar. All things considered the saccharine are the more desirable of the two in that as they contain much sugar they are more pal atable and thus very readily eaten | all kinds of stock Not only this, b. the actual food content is higher. The have disadvantage of not being SO easil3 cured as the non-saccherine and if tho are piled in large heaps before becomin thoroughly cured they are liable to fes ment and thus prove unsuitable as fooc
 The use of these crops is quite genera and they perform a function in farmin, operations which no other crop can As they grow very rapidly and make large amount of valuable forage 10 stock feeding their use is to be eneour aged. In view of the fact that thu make very rapid growth they can b. planted as late as the first of July an produce a crop of forage which W prove a valuable supplement to th winter ration for stock of all kinds.
 Some of the best known and most