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NOTES FROM THE DIFFERENT REPORTS.

Miami County.-"Wheat was sown after potatoes, ground not thoroughly harrowed and rolled. Clover in 1883; no manure used; yield up to the average, but all had about equal chance."

Seneca County.-"All plots were somewhat injured by ice during winter. Velvet Chaff, straw strong, stooled well, good berry. Finley stood up well, early, white caps, hurt appearance of grain; ground was treated with ordinary coat of manure.'

Miami County." Wheat sown after clover, no manure. Rocky Mountain stood well, and plump grain. Valley: eleven bushels were sown instead of the small quantity sent by the Station, and yield is given from it accordingly." Sandusky County.-"York White Chaff was tall and late, but very fine heads." Date of harvesting not given.

Portage County.-"Oat stubble well manured."

Wood County." Clover sod, both varieties wintered well. Finley some rusted and Velvet Chaff badly so, late seeding possible cause; yield better than other varieties sown."

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Trumbull County.-"Egyptian complete failure from winter killing; Fultz here yielded thirty-five bushels per acre and Finley fourteen."

Highland County.-"Sowed after sweet corn, manured twenty loads per acre, sowed broadcast."

Allen County.-"Oat stubble dressed with horse manure and rotten chips; fifteen loads to the acre."

Seneca County.-"Finley was as nice wheat as I ever saw; straw strong but not harsh."

GENERAL NOTES ON WHEAT CULTURE.

The total wheat production of the United States for the year 1885 was 30 per cent. less than that of 1884, the average yield per acre being about 10.5 bushels.

For the first time in many years the average yield per acre in Ohio has fallen a little below the average for the whole country. This decline is mainly due to the unusual severity of the winter of 1884-5. Specially favored as Ohio is for wheat production, the possibilities being shown by the remarkable average of 19.5 bushels per acre in 1880, it is doubtful under the present system of cultivation whether an equally high average will ever again be reached.

The results following similar methods in other States may be summarized as follows:

In New York during twenty years the average yield has declined from 13 to 10.3 bushels per acre. In Indiana during ten years the decline is from 14 to 10.4 bushels. In Illinois, for the same period, from 14 3 to 10.4 bushels.

These facts are significant if not startling. How is this tendency toward diminished production to be overcome?

There is but one way: Greater care in the selection of seeds; a more thorough preparation of the soil, including better drainage; a careful saving and more generous application of manures. This, and this only, can preserve to Ohio, the rank she now holds as a wheat producing State.

Of the crops usually cultivated and sold in this country, wheat is the most exhausting, yet it may be one of the most profitable.

"In view of the low prices, cheap land and facilities for transportation, would you advise me to give up wheat culture for the present ?" is, in substance, a question frequently asked. The Station's answer has invariably been as follows: If your farm yields good crops of wheat, averaging larger now than

they did ten years ago, such erops will rarely fail to return a profit. If your land is too poor to raise a good crop, don't throw away time and money by growing poor ones.

In these times of over production and consequent low prices only good crops will pay. If, baring accident, your wheat crop has regularly increased from year to year, better continue, even though the profit at present is small.

The low prices and general depression in wheat culture mainly affects those who are starving the goose that lays the golden egg. You can't continue to take eggs to market if you will persist in taking the hen along.

As a rule, the risks attending the raising of wheat are greater in other countries than in our own, and in all probability our surplus will soon be needed to make up for failures abroad.

EXPERIMENTS WITH CORN.

In the work with corn the Station has sought to deal with the same general subjects as heretofore. The work has been extended somewhat, especially with varieties. With fertilizers, and in methods of culture, the object has been to study those points of greatest interest from a practical standpoint. For several years the Station has been making a careful study of varieties of corn, but the question of what are varieties is found to be a very perplexing one. That there are five distinct races of corn, as Dent, Flint, Sweet, Pop, and Soft corn, all are well aware. These divisions are quite plainly marked, and can usually be determined with ease by inspection of the ears, and to a certainty, by the structure of the kernel. Whether these divisions should be recognized as species, and the numerous forms and types of ears under each considered as varieties, is a question difficult to answer.

It is true, that these divisions lack some of the points of difference which constitute a species among natural orders of plants, but they have strong points of difference, which, to the agriculturist, makes them in reality species, or possibly the better word is races. They must be considered as dintinct species or races it one is to use the term variety when speaking of the different types of each. That there are differences of type and character of growth under each of these five divisions which are worthy of being considered varieties, no one who has studied the subject will doubt. We cite as variety differences the characteristics of color which are found to differ through each race or species, furnishing red, white, and yellow ears, with various mixtute of these colors; also eight rowed and many rowed samples, which invariably produce ears true to their type when kept from other varieties. But whether we are to go further with variety differences than is indicated in the above is extremely doubtful. The Station has grown a large number of varieties of corn, and examined carefully many varieties grown elsewhere. Among these there have been many samples of large yellow dent ears, all bearing names, some few of which were well known, but mostly of purely local significance. It is safe to say that out of the large number of so called varieties examined not one half dozen samples could have been selected which could be described as different varieties. What is said of this might be said with equal force of other types. This lack of characteristic differences between so called varieties has led to the desire to put the nomenclature of corn on a better basis. Just how this is to be accomplished is not so easily determined, but the following scheme which has been outlined in previous reports is again presented:

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Under the division of types there is ample scope for variety names, but these should not be applied except to those sufficiently marked to be easily recognized and accurately described.

It is hardly necessary to state that Indian corn is a member of the natural order Graminca or grass family, and belongs to the genus Zea, and to the particular species called Zea Mays. Under the classification as given above, we consider the five divisions previously mentioned as races of this species. With the study of varieties comes another and perhaps more important idea than an attempt at proper nomenclature. It is this: what are the points of an ideal variety and their value? This matter of establishing a standard of excellence would seem on careful thought to be of first importance in the study of varieties.

In attempting such a standard it is but natural that there should be a considerable difference of opinion as to the prominence certain features of a type should have. In setting forth a perfect or ideal ear no reference can be had to characteristics of growth, as ears to stalk, ease of husking, etc., etc.; these are points of the perfect plant, and should, so far as possible, be combined with the perfect ear. The first and prime point in an ear of corn is the nutri tive substance that it contains. Hence, an ideal variety should contain a proper proportion of protein carbo-hydrates and fat. From the volume of "Statistics of Agriculture," collected by the tenth census, we copy the following figures:

ANALYSES OF MAIZE KERNEL-DENT VARIETIES.

Albuminoids.

(Protein.)

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These analyses doubtless fairly represent the composition of Dent corn, and this discussion is intended to apply to this race only.

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In an ideal variety it would be desirable to maintain the maximum amount of albuminoids given in the above table, though it should be done at the expense of the carbo-hydrates. In fact it would seem to be desirable to make corn, which is the great stock food of the country, a more evenly balanced ration. In what measure this could be effected by selection, remains to be Doubtless something might be realized from this source. The Flint varieties, and also the Sweets, show a higher nutritive ratio than the Dents. The determination of the nutritive value of corn is a matter for the chemist and cannot be determined by inspection, but as indicative in this line the kernels which contain the greatest amount of corneous matter are considered to be richest in albuminoids. Passing the matter of chemical composition, let us notice the ear. The matter of first importance here is that it yield as great a per cent, of kernel as is possible without injuriously weakening the cob. Around this should be grouped the lesser points, which may all be said to culminate in this one. Yet for the purpose of outlining the ideal ear, we ex

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tend the number of points. The values here given are comparative, and if they apply at all are equally suited to corn in Maine or Ohio. Yet, when expressing their values in numbers, it would be necessary to use a different standard for the several great sections of our country which produce corn.

From our examination and study of the Dent corn here at the Station, these values in numbers may be expressed as follows:

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This scale might be considerably extended, but this would be a needless division of the separate values attached to each. This division is ample for all comparison, and all points of interest can be included under one of the above heads. Chemical composition is not included, for the reason that this cannot be determined by inspection. High value is given to the physical character of hardness, with the belief that with this quality goes that of a large per cent. of protein. All analyses which we have studied teach this.

In giving value to the above points, or, in other words, completing our standard for this section, the data is furnished from experience derived at the Station.

We do not take into consideration the matter of color, for it is well proven that chemically there is no difference between these two classes of the Dent race; however, there may be a decided difference observed between two samples grown under unequal conditions, but none on the general average of analyses of samples.

In giving value to those points which relate to the dimensions of ear we must be sure to take dimensions within a given size, which will mature in this latitude. In applying these dimensions to the general crop of any locality, the variations allowed from the standard should be above for localities having longer seasons, and below for those having shorter ones. For this latitude it is safe to assume 110 days for the average corn season, the facts from meteorological observations showing that this is rather below than above the average

season.

We here present the accumulated evidences of our study, from which the points of size, etc., for the standard type of ear are selected.

There were forty-four samples of Dent corn used in the Station tests the past year belonging to the white and yellow classes, as follows, 20 of the former and 24 of the latter.

The different points of comparison are best shown by a table:

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In the first instance, the average date of ripening is a little late, being 111 days from vegetation, the extremes of ripening being September 6th and 24th. (Only yellow and white Dents are included in the comparison.) Comparisons can now be made to eliminate this difficulty of date, and also to ascertain the points of greatest development. For example, the comparison of the many rowed sorts with those having fewer rows. This shows the fewer rowed sorts to have generally the longer ears, to yield less per acre, and to have above the average weight of cob, and the ripening to be but one day earlier than the average coming just within the limits of 110 days. Per contra the many rowed sorts have a trifle shorter ear, a marked increase in average number of rows, a slight increase in yield, nearly one pound less cob per bushel of shelled corn, and to ripen two days later. This comparison does not bring out the strong points sought for in a division, which shall show wherein lies the best typical variety for selection. Hence, the comparison as to date of ripening; as the basis of this we take the date just 110 days from vegetation, and put all which fall within it in date of ripening into one class, and all which ripen later in another. This comparison brings out the strongest points of any. The aver age length of the earlier ripening sorts is slightly below the average of all samples; the rows are equal in both divisions of this comparison; the yield of the earlier sorts is considerably less, but this is in part accounted for by the greater dryness of the samples. The weight of cob to shelled bushel is very much less than in the later sorts, and the date falls three days within the limit of time. Examining this group which ripens within the limit above mentioned, we find the following points of excellence: McCoy corn shows the lowest weight of cob to bushel of corn of all varieties tested; Clarage shows the least weight of stalks to one hundred pounds of corn of all varieties; Munn shows an actual yield of ninety slx bushels per acre, or, corrected to perfect stand, one hundred and seven bushels per acre. In all but yield, this group embraces all of the best individual points of any in our test, hence we combine its best results for particular dimensions of ear as follows:

Length of ear, not less than eight inches or more than nine; diametersbutt, 17 to 2 inches; middle, same; tip, 1 4-8 to 1 inches; cob should con

*There were only five varieties having less than 14 rows; this made the average of rows 13.5, but we give it in the table as 14, for it is well known that varieties do not have odd number of rows.

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