Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-03-10
AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE ExPER.
lMEhT STATION DOING GREAT
\ VARIETY OF WORK.
PRODUCES OATS SEED
WHICH INCREASES YIELD
Six Million DoIIars Annually May Be
Added 70 In Oats Alone by Planting
Of Proper Varieties - Self Feeding
For Swine Another Iowa ldea-Ex-
pertinent Stations Aid Inventors.
special to Times republican.

Special to Times-Repupllcan.
Ames, March 10. - II every acre OF
land In iowa now producing common
varieties Of oats were seeded to one
OF the new varieties originated by the
Iowa agricultural experiment station,
the increase in yield Of this one crop
would be worth practically $6,000.00o a
year.
That is just one Of the extraordinary
facts that may be found In the annual
report of the experiment station just
issued.
These two new varieties of oats
which promise to do so much for oat
growing, Iowa 1903" and Iowa 100.
have fully demonstrated their merit IN
the past three years Of field trial,
When grown alongside the best other
varieties, they have on the average
outyielded the others at least hve
bushels per acre. These practical tests,
numbering many hundreds, have been
made in almost every county OF the
state, on small fields and big, on rich
ground and poor, high ground and low
in unfayorable years and favorable
and the experiment station oats nave
shown their. superiority. The news OF
their value has spread rapidly and this
wear there Is demand from every di-
rection for seed. Five years ago the
available supply was measured IN
pecks: now it is measured In tens OF
thousands OF bushels and it may be
found with hundreds OF farmers. me
time seems near when Iowa 103" and
Iowa 105" will be grown on nearly all
OF the 100000 acres OF oat fields IN
the state. When that time comes.
five bushel per acre increase Will cas-
ilyr mean s6,000.00o.
Another Iowa Idea.
This piece Of work with oats -
matched by the work done in the AMI
NAL husbandry field. for here the ex-
perlment station Is showing the way to
meet the new conditions under which
beef and pork must be produced IN
! Iowa. & Self-feeding FOR swine has been
demonstrated and promoted so Vigor-
ousIy by the animal .husbandrymen at
Ames that 1t is widely known as an
other lows idea." In beef growing,
economies have been worked out at
the station which means the saving
of the industry and guarantee OF
fair profit. Sheep have been urged SO
actively that the sheep census IS GER
tain to grow rapidly in the state In the
coming few years and that will mean
heavy increase in wool production
unless the sheep-killing dog Is not
dealt with vigorously. Thru the SCRUB
COW experiment, the way to build up
GOOD dairy herd without unreason-
able investment has been made easw
md clear to Iowa farmers and the
value OF better feeding methods Is
Transforming losses into profits IN
thousands Of dairy herds. 1t Is diff
cult to estimate what these Items
rneanto the state in dollars and cents
but IT, is certain that they mean
better and surer meat and milk supply
and no doubt millions OF added wealth
thru the years to come.
Station Puts Out Inventions.
The ingenuity Of the experiment sta
ton is manifesting itself In invention
as we'll as In other kinds OF improve
ment. From the farm crops section
has come the devising OF seed
scratching machine which has been
given to the people, and which Will IN
time save enormous wastes In clover,
alfalfa and other hard coated seeds. IN
the past these seeds have not sprouted
satisfactorily In the ground. because
their coats are so hard and tough that
water can not get thru them and stir
tho germ to life. The waste suffered
by Iowa farmers in this way may be
understood when It IL known that
often these seeds have lost 20 per
cent termination in the soil, and that
many millions Of pounds OF expensive
seeds are used annually at heavy cost.
The work that has just been started
In soil surveys and In determining
lust what needs to be done for those
soilsw hich are losing their original
fertility, can not be estimated In value.
Several counties have already been
covered; others will be as soon as
money is available. For each county
complete report will be published.
showing In detail what the soil has,
what 1t lacks and suggesting what
should be done. In many sections. soils
are acid; these have been located and
lime prescriptions urged. and that
means the restoration OF millions OF
acres to fullest productivity.
Work Of Wide Scope.
In all, the experiment station last
year mad under way 159 different or
Eanized experiments, dealing with
agricultural botany entomology. bac-
teriology, chemistry and with farm
management as we'll as the other mem
toned lines. The fight against insect
pests and plant diseases Is VITAL be-
cause pests and diseases have made
farming much more difficult than II
was in the early days before the In
PRODUCTION Of these problems. Farm
management investigation Is compare
lively new at the station, but 1t Is
showing It's Importance because more
ana more tho problem ii Iowa becomes
one OF good business methods. In the
year closing June 30. 1915. the station
published nearly half a million circu-
lars and bulletins, practically all OF
which were distributed thru the state.
It's work has been carried also by the
college and by the extension depart
ment, for Its Investigations furnish the
material for the teaching and the short
course work conducted by the college.
3S -----.---------------.--
SEIZE CARLOAD OF ORANGES.
Shipment Made Contrary to National
Pure Food Law Seized at Dubuque.