The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1913-07-11
South Dakota Changers Visit
Agronomy Experiments at
State College

members or the TRANCE were eSpe-
cially interested in the work of the
agricultural departments.
Among the features of the institu-
ton which seemed to be of consider
able interest to the visitors were the
experiment demonstration plots of the
agronomy department. The visitors
were first conducted by members Of
this department 10 the East Farm"
On the East Farm" one of the fea-
lures of special interest is the COM
plete fertility test. The crops included
in this test, both oats and barley, at
the present time form a striking dem.
o~nstration of the principles involved.
On one plot of land in this test no
plant food has been applied. On the
next plot nitrogen has been applied
in the form of sodium nitrate. The
plots which received sodium nitrate,
both oats and barley, are making a
much better growth than those which
received nothing. But il was stated
by members OF the agrOnomy depart.
ment who explained the growth of
the plots to the visitors, tina in past
years the cost of the sodium nitrate
applied has been greater than the re-
suIting increase of crop would war
rant.
Another pair of plots had received
applications of phosphorus as a plant
food. 1t was remarked by the visit.
ors that these plots showed not only
a better growth than plots receiving
no plant food, but also a better growth
than plots receiving nitrogen alone.
The best looking plots of all were
plots that had received both nitrogen
and phosphorus. 1t was explained,
however, that these nitrogen phos-
phorus plots nave not been the most
profitable ones because it does not
pay to buy nitrogen for ordinary farm
crops.
1t was further explained that on
these plots the use of phosphorus as
a plant feed has given greater finan-
cial returns than the use of any other
element or elements.
Phosphorus is at present the limit.
ing element in crop production at
Bookings.
The average value of crops produced
at Brookings for five years was 81
per cent greater where phosphorus
was applied than where no phosphorus
was applied. The guests of the col
lege and station seemed a good deal
interested in the propositions demon
strated and most of them expressed
a desire to receive copies Of the South
Dakota Experiment Station bulletin
No. 145, entitled "A Report of Prog
ress in Soil Fertility Investigations"
The new bulletin is just going to press.
1t is a summary of five years results
and has been prepared for printing by
Professor j. G.. Hutton.
These bulletins are mailed to citi-
zens OF South Dakota by requests adj
dressed to Director Experiment Sta
ton, Brookings, South Dakota.
Alfalfa.
The Changers We're also interested
In observing the growth of the many
different kinds of alfalfa. These are
also IN the East Farm" of the agron-
omy department. Practically every
kind Of alfalfa growing in South Da-
kota or any other part Of the United
States is being tested out here on
these plots. Where so many kinds
of alfalfa are being accurately tested
not very much space can be given
to each kind, but that makes it all
the easier for visitors to get a com
parative view of the various kinds.
Some Of the Medicago medals are
very interesting to see just now be-
cause they are in blossom. Among
the blossoms of the many different
plants, one finds almost every color
between white and purple. This is
due to the fact that the media is sup
posed to be a cross between ordinary
purple lowered alfalfa and yellow
lowered. The visitors not only saw
these media alfalfa in the nursery
plots, but also yellow lowered, or ST.
berian alfalfa.
These latter were growing in great
profusion and just now they present a
beautiful golden color, because many
of them are in blossom INT all OF
the blossoms are bright yellow.
But the thousands of yellow flow.
cred plants in the nursery are very
different in their manner of growth.
Some of them are spreading and some
of them more or less upright. The
agronomist explained that the more
upright plants are being selected and
also those having the greatest leaf
ing space as well as those bearing
the most seed.
These good plants will be increased
as rapidly as possible.
When the company went over to
the "West Farm they found some
larger plots of yellow lowered alfal.
fla. These plots were growing abun'
dainty and were especially noticeable
for their thickness of growth and fine
ness of stems. They learned that last
year these plots had made high yields
of hay but that they gave only one
cutting. They made much less after
math than other alfalfas.
Among all the common alfalfas