The Mena weekly star., 1917-01-25
THE UNIVERSITY
 ASSISTS FARMERS
Work Being Done By University of Ar kansas Experiment Station Worth
 Money to the Farmers


 farmer. The products are in the na- ture of facts tried and proven They contain information that helps the farmer to avoid costly mistakes and to do better with the means at his command. Thousands of inquiries from farmers are answered each month by the Experiment Station, while there are thousands upon thou sands of farmers who have no idea of the work of the station and its value to them. If you are dissatisfied with the results obtained on your farm or need any information, write to your university for help today.
 Here are a few things mentioned. merely as samples of the work being done by the Experiment Station.
 Hog Cholera Experiments.
 Among a number of experiments ander way to learn more about hog cholera, one is to learn what hold it has upon sucking pigs. From expert ments thus far worked out it seems that 93 per cent of pigs from immune mothers are immune to hog cholera by exposure as long as they are sucking the mother. When injected with hog cholera virus, that is, putting the dis ease into their blood, the per cent showing immunity was not quite as high as by exposure. There was also some variation in different filters, as certain filters showed much higher immunity than others. It is worth while knowing that little pigs can be protected in this way, but must be made immune as soon as they are weaned. T
 Soil Tests Interesting.
 The Experiment Station has shown for years that the soils in many parts of the state are in need of lime. Tn a careful study of samples taken dur. ing the past year, in Prairie, Pope and Washington counties, the upland soils were nearly all found to be acid This condition can be corrected only by the use of lime. The most econom- ical form of lime to use is crushed limestone, at the rate of one or two tons per acre. applied on land that is to be seeded to clover or alfalfa. The bottom land soils along the larger streams do not appear to be greatly in need of lime at the present time. The investigation is to be extended to all parts of the state as soon as funds are provided to continue the work.
 Experiment With Seventy Varieties
 of Potatoes.
 An Experiment with seventy varie- ties of potatoes has been under way for several years. The 1915 season was rather moist. and the past a rath- CT dry one. The size, shape, eyes and general appearance of the tubers have been studied Yields of marketable potatoes and culls per acre, at differ. ent dates during the season, have been secured. These yields at different pc riods were secured to determine the advisability of digging at the regular time for early market or of waiting for further maturity. Market reports have been kept to compare the prices at the different diggings.
 There are two striking things about our results so far;
 l. There are about twenty varie- ties outyielding the Bliss Triumph. the most popular commercial variety now being grown.
 2. About three-fourths of the high est yieldeFs have been white potatoes Of these varieties the best and most consistent yielder has been the Irish CobbIer
 The experiment was carried on at Fayetteville and Van Buren this year, and it is to be continued another year, at least
 sef-Feeder for Hogs Proves Valuable.
 Experiments with the self-feeder for hogs have shown that the self-feeder not only saves time and labor, but also makes larger, cheaper gains at an early age, due to each animal baiano- ing and increasing it's daily ration ac. cording to it's individual requirements The self-feedor is becoming very val. uable and useful in pork production, especially in this day and age, when with the present high priced feeds and labor pork must be grown as cheaply as possible. The selffeeder is adapted for sucking pigs and fat. tening shoats. The cost of the feeder is small; every farmer with a small herd could afford to build one. Cotton Variety Tests Give important
 Results.
 Cotton variety tests were made by the Experiment Station in 1916 at if. teen different points in the state. The tests served many purposes, but two things are of much importance.
 i. The value of ike seed and lint produced by some varieties greatly exceeded that of other varieties.
 2. Such varieties as Dixie and Gov. | ington Toole were very much more re. sistant to wilt than the ordinary vari. cites. and therefore proved much more profitable on land infected with wilt. l
 The work of the Experiment Sta, tion is for the benefit of the farmers | of the state. Requests for informa | tion are always welcome.
 Plan on having 8 garden and deter. i fn faLa oR