Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-06-20
FARMERS ON VISIT
TO j. OF |.;;STUDY
'AC.' RESULTS THERE
LOCAL DELEGATION SPEND
DAY LOOKING OVER CROPS
GROWN BY UNIVERSITY Ex-
PERTS.

|. S Brooks, who served as general
issimo to an expeditionary force OF La
Sale county farmers, who visited the
University of Illinois last Friday. to
day made the following report on The
experience of the delegation on the
excursion:
In spite of the good weather which
put many to plowing corn who wanted
to go. there was good number took
the trip to the university last Friday.
The rotations of corn after corn Tor
80 years corn and oats, and corn,
oats and clover on the morrow plots
were showing the usual differences in
growth The average acre retnrns
per year for ten years have been
81 40 for corn after corn, $l69S for
the corn and oats rotation. and so co
for the corn, oats, and clover rota
ton These are the returns which a
good rotation may be expected to
make over a poor one.
On the Davenport lots a rotation OF
corn, oats, clover and wheat Is prac-
ticed, with fifth field in alfalfa to
be brought into the four crop rotation
when the alfalfa is plowed tor corn
once in five years With no soil treat
ment these plots made an average re-
turn of $23S6 per acre per year. but
returned an average of $36.07 per acre
per year on the plots whce organic
matter, limestone. and phosphorus
were provided. On these plots the
wheat was doing exceptionally well
! where straw had been applied last fall
/ The above figures were based on SOC
q bushel for corn. i0c for oats. 81 fOl
wheat and soy beans, $40 for clover
seed. and $40 ton for hay. On the
/ basis of present high prices the re
turns would he roportionately great
er
On the $40 acre south farm we had
only time for a glance at the alfalfa
orchard. round barns, calf feeding ex
periments poultry plant, horses, hogs
sheep and cattle.
Here were also comparative tests OF
many varieties of spring grains. win
ter wheats and beans One plot had
corn planted at different distances
apart. Up to the present time Il
inches by 40 inches with 2 stalk pei
hill has given best average results.
On another plot test Is being car
ried on of different tools for corr
cultivation. Any tool which is no
run more than inches deep give
satisfactory results.
The fertility tests show a yer.
scantgrowth of oats where no phos
phorus has been used. as compares
to where it has In all the fertilit
/ work, grain farming and livcstoc
, farming are compared for keeping II
/ the supply of plant food Where GRO
z
clover. with limestone and roc
!, phosphate are returned to the soil tn
| returns are practically the same n
L where manure, as much can be pr,
u duced from the crops grown, linn
I stone and rock phosphate are apple,
% The increase on the crops from tn
: use of phosphorus the first rotatio
I, after applying 1t was $11.S0 per acr
= The second rotation the increase fro
y phosphorus was Sl609 per acre ar
the third rotation $2697 This WI
!, fgured at the same price for crol
q as stated above
:, The yearlng Percheon colts attrat
70 ell attention, especially since two
the best of them had been'purchas'
n from NJ G. Hodgson a. Sons OF %
n. county. At twelve months old the
"A colts averaged 1000 pounds each. II
e. best of them weighed 1900 pount
I'd Last winter they were allowed to +,
in and out of the barn at will, a
were fed all the alfalfa hay tn
would ct; 2 lbs. straw per head r
: da, and pound grain, corn and GA
u per 100 pounds weight of anima
The colts were large, growthy a
h. showing what good feeding Will
49, !. TO the kind Of stock our farmers raj
~ II may pay to winter an aged Stt
-, cheap by allowing him to lose sol
ar in weight, but too many have
10 erroneous idea that the same meth
ON of feeding is profitable with colts q
he calves. keep' the youngsters grt
in Ing as rapidly as they can II you
we pect them to make you proht. ~
them properly balanced ration
they may eat lots of feed and
grow satisfactorily either
M Whf1e the men we're seeing