Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-06-16
EXPERIMENTS IN PROG:
RESS AT AROOSTOOK FARM

orono, Ne. June 15.-(special.- The
following story on the experiments at
Aroostook farm has been made public
today by Chas. D. Woods, director of the
Maine Agricultural Experiment Station:
The last legislature appropriated
small sum Of money for use in conduct
sSAg experiments on Aroostook Farm. The
rNmount provided is not sufficient to carry
on the work in the way the Experiment
Station desires. or in the way the agri-
cultural importance of the county de-
nnands. However. the station is bending
every effort to do the best that the
means at its disposal will allow.
The experimental work for this year
is now all under way and it is the pur-
pose Of this letter to point out briefly
the lines of work that have been started.
In later letters we will indicate more In
detail the purpose of individual expert
rnents.
Visitors are always welcome on any
week day and it is hoped that many will
avail themselves of the opportunity to see
TIC experiments IN the HS1O. ne
is new and many things are not vet ar
ranged as We would like Many of these
things will be remedied as time goes on
Potato Experiments. The United States
department of agriculture has about u
acres of potatoes on the farm. The ex-
periments which they are conducting in
clude. first. the testing of several hun
dred potato seedlings. Mos, of these
seedlings have been selected with the OBJ
ject of obtaining disease resistant
strains Second. an extensive collection
Of different varieties of potatoes. look
ing towards the proper classification and
Identification of the various commercial
varieties. Third. selection studies. in
Guiding both tuber and hill selections
are being carried on. These selections
are mostly from the Irish Cobbler va
riety. Fourth. a study of whole versus
cut seed This also includes the compari
son between different size tubers. planted
both whole and cut. Fifth, the COMPARE
son Of northern versus southern grown
Irish Cobbler seed.
The work of the Experiment Station
itself with potatoes is confined to fertil-
izer and other field experiments. These
experiments are: % A comparison of
nitrate Of soda and ammonium sulphate
as source of nitrogen for potatoes 90
A study of the methods of applying fer
tilizers. This includes the application of
all the fertilizer at time of planting:
part at planting and part when the po
tatoes are up: part broadcast before
planting and part when the potatoes are
up; and finally the application of all the
fertilizer hrpadcacf beFOra ,lIaOfipp IA
A study of the amount of potash necessa-
ry to produce a potato crop. Plots are
planted in which the potash ranged from
none to : per cent.
Oats Experiments A variety test is
being conducted to determine which Of
the more popular commercial varieties
are best adapted to Aroostook conditions.
Fifteen different varieties of oats are
being tested here. 90 a rate of seeding
experiments designed TO aid in finding tha
aEksA1t of seed which viii give the best
yieN under Aroostook conditions Six
different rates of seeding are being test
ed in duplicate plots. These range from
S pecks to 20 pecks per acre. 49, The test
of a preparatory product known as in
oculin" for oats. This substance is being
widely advertised in certain parts OF the
country and it seemed desirable that the
Experiment Station undertake to either
prove or disproye the claims made for it
before any considerable number of our
farmers have been induced TO purchase
it. ca An experiment to test the fertiliz-
ing ability Of raw, ground Florida phos-
phate rock for oats in Aroostook.
Dat Breeding. In addition TO the field
experiments listed above, the station is
starting considerable work with the OBJ
ject Of breeding varieties OF oats better
adapted to Aroostook man those now
known. z An oat garden mas been estab-
lished in which the offspring of single
plants are beiYg tested in separate rows
and in small plots. A :ew small plots,
lao acres in area, are sown with pure
lines which seem to possess some of the
qualities necessary for an Aroostook oat.