the extension work in horticulture since that date. Mr. Oley's work has been along the same lines as already mentioned, consisting mainly of inspection trips, correspondence and demonstrations in pruning and the use of dynamite in the orchard. Mr. Oley has inspected 43 orchards and given advice as to their future treatment and advised concerning new plantings. He has written about seventy letters in answer to inquiries.

Recommendations.

I would very strongly recommend that the demonstration orchard be made a prominent feature of the Horticultural Extension work. I would also suggest that all requests for visits to farms, coming from those counties having a farm demonstrator, should first be referred to the demonstrator, who should be advised to visit the farm. If the county demonstrator found a problem that required the services of a specialist, he could then call on the proper specialist for assistance. I believe such an arrangement would relieve the various specialists in the extension departments of many useless trips. Furthermore I would strongly recommend the organization of a first class Experiment Station Exhibit for use at fairs, agricultural meetings, etc. I believe this to be of particular importance in connection with the Horticultural work.

Report of the Department of

Farm Crops.

IRVING L. OWEN, FARM MANAGER.
WILLIAM C. BOUGHNER, FOREMAN.

The work of the Department of Farm Crops has been carried on along practically the same lines as last year. Satisfactory progress has been made even though yields were materially reduced by drought. This was especially true with the alfalfa, since seventeen acres was cut only twice and much that was cut for the third time was so small as to hardly pay for the labor.

Daily time records were kept and used as the basis for computing the cost of producing the various crops as tabulated in the following pages, while some of the items in these tables may be open to question, it is hoped that the results of several years computations may help to develop a uniform method of calculating the cost of producing certain crops. While the results of three seasons should not be taken as conclusive, the costs of 1912 and 1913 and 1914 have proved to be quite uniform with the variations resting mainly with the yield and market value items, that are open to natural variation. During the year a two-way plow and a low-down manure spreader were purchased, but in general the machinery equipment is in very poor condition. Additional machines are needed in many cases to do efficient work as well as for instruction in the course of Farm Mechanics. Very recently one of the prominent manufacturers of farm machinery has offered a loan for an indefinite. period of a gasoline tractor and a grain thresher for use on the farm as well as for instruction. It is hoped that this example may be followed by others and result in a large endowment of farm machinery for instruction purposes at least.

Timothy Hay.

The ten-acre meadow constituting plots R-Z has been in timothy for four seasons and is holding out unusually well. Heavy coatings of manure were applied in the first two winters but none since. To offset this practice, a Fall top-dressing of fertilizer is being applied to increase the growth of aftermath as well as the usual application in the Spring. The first Fall application was made August 28, 1913, and consisted of 350 lbs. acid phosphate, 50 lbs. muriate of potash, and 100 lbs. nitrate of soda. One acre in the center of the field was left with no nitrate to serve as a check. The large quantity of acid phosphate applied was due to our having used a lime spreader for this material. This machine was not adapted to spreading uniformly lesser amounts per acre.

A marked difference in color was noticeable after a short time between the nitrate and check portions, but as yet the yields have produced no conclusive results.

In March, 1914, oyster-shell lime was applied at the rate of two tons per acre. In Table No. 1 one-fifth of the cost of this lime and labor of applying is charged up to this season's crop. A Spring top-dressing of fertilizer was applied over the entire field consisting of 150 lbs. acid phosphate 50 lbs. muriate of potash and 100 lbs. nitrate of soda per acre.

As will be noted in Table No. 1, the yield was very good and the net profit high. Heretofore high charges have been made against this field for the top-dressing of manure which has lowered the net profit very considerably.

1913.

Table No. 1-Timothy Hay.

Plots R-Z-10 Acres.

Aug. 28-Fertilizer top-dressing: 3.500 lbs. acid phosphate, $17.85: 500 lbs. muriate of potash, $9.40; 900 lbs. nitrate of soda, $24.39; labor applying $7.50; $59.14. 1914.

March 23-Applying lime 1-5 of $66.00; $13.20.

April 11-Fertilizer top-dressing: 1,500 lbs. acid phosphate, $6.75; 500 lbs. muriate of potash, $9.50; 1,000 lbs. nitrate of soda, $23.50; labor applying $6.00; $45.75.

July 1-11-Mowing: 16 man hours @ 20c. per hour, $3.20; 32 horse hours @ 8c. per hour, $2.56; $5.76.

July 2-15-Curing and cocking: 32 man hours @ 20c. per hour, $6.40; 40 horse hours @8c. per hour, $3.20; $9.60.

July 6-16-Hauling and storing: 181 man hours @ 20c. per hour, $36.20; 172 horse hours @ 8c. per hour, $13.76; $49.96; total cost: labor, lime and fertilizer, $183.41.

SUMMARY.

Value of crop: 34 tons, 1,000 lbs @ $20.00 per ton, $621.00; total cost: labor, lime and fertilizer, $183.41; total profit: ten acres, $437.59; average cost per acre, $18.34; average profit per acre. $43.76; average cost per ton, $5.32; average profit per ton, $14.68; average yield per acre, 3.45 tons.

Mixed Hay..

This meadow of 141⁄2 acres was sown in August of 1913, with an application of lime and fertilizer at time of seeding. Oyster-shell lime was used at the rate of three tons per acre and the fertilizer mixture consisted of 200 lbs. acid phosphate, 50 lbs. muriate of potash and 50 lbs. nitrate of soda per acre. The cost of seeding, including labor, lime and fertilizer was found to be $23.10 per acre, and one-fifth of this amount is charged against the 1914 crop in the computation in Table No. 2, assuming the seeding to endure for five years.

Through oversight no Spring application of fertilizer was made, still the yield of two and one-half tons per acre was quite satisfactory. A Fall application of fertilizer was made and another is to be made next Spring so that next season's results should be higher. The mixture applied September 9th, consisted of 200 lbs. of acid phosphate and 100 lbs. of nitrate of soda per acre. No muriate of potash was used as only a limited quantity was on hand and no more could be obtained. As the aftermath, especially the clover, made a heavy growth, it was clipped and allowed to lie on the ground. A part of the field has been given a coating of manure during the Fall as no other field was available and here the crop was much lighter and appeared to lack nitrogen.

Table No. 2-Mixed Hay

Field 14 1-2 Acres.

Cost of seeding 1-5 of $23.10 per acre, $66.99.

June 22-26-Mowing: 34 man hours @ 20c. per hour, $6.68; 68 horse hours @ 8c. per hour, $5.44; $12.24.

June 25-29-Curing and bunching: 53 man hours @ 20c. per hour; $10.60; 58 horse hours@8c. per hour, $4.64; $15.24.

June 26-July 1-Hauling and storing: 155 man hours @20c. per hour, $31.00; 125 horse hours @ 8c per hour, $10.00; $41.00; total cost, seeding and labor, $135.47.

SUMMARY.

Value of crop, 35 tons @ $18.00 per ton, $630.00; total cost of seeding and labor $135.47; total profit of 14 acres, $494.53; average cost per acre, $9.34; average profit per acre, $34.13; average cost per ton, $3.87; average profit per ton, $14.13; average yield per acre, 2.4 tons.

Alfalfa Hay.

The average yield of alfalfa hay for the season was not high, yet on the whole the results are quite satisfactory and show as in 1913 that alfalfa as a paying crop ranks very high.

Considerable rainy weather was experienced during the harvesting of the second cutting delaying the clearing of the fields. This fact coupled with the drought immediately following resulted in very little growth for the third cutting. About fifteen acres were cut for the third time and the remainder untouched, thus the calculation given in Tables No. 3 and 4 are based mainly on two cuttings. After the second cutting a top-dressing of fertilizer was applied consisting of 300 lbs. of acid phosphate and 100 lbs. muriate of potash per acre.

Field H containing five acres is getting rather thin with a considerable admixture of weeds, affording an excellent opportunity to study the question of renovation by cultivation and reseeding. On September 3rd, this field was harrowed three times with the spring-tooth harrow applying twenty pounds of seed before the last harrowing. One-half acre was left untouched to serve as a check. As the dry weather continued for several weeks after this treatment, no conclusions can be drawn as to the effect of this procedure, either on the eradication of the weeds or the reseeding. It is possible that appreciable results may be noticeable during Spring growth.

Table No. 3-Alfalfa Hay.

Seabolt Field-9 Acres.

First cutting: June 5-Mowing: 8 man hours @ 20c. per hour, $1.60; 16 horse hours 8c. per hour, $1.28; $2.88.

June 5-6-Curing and bunching: 32 man hours @ 20c. per hour, $6.40; 24 horse hours 8c. per hour, $1.92; $8.32.

June 9-10-Hauling and storing: 69 man hours @ 20c. per hour $13.80; 80 horse hours @8c. per hour, $6.40; $20.20; total cost labor, $31.40; cost per acre, $3.49; cost per ton, $1.80; yield per acre, 1.94 tons.

Second cutting: July 22-23-Mowing: 17 man hours @ 20c. per hour, $3.40; 32 horse hours @ 8c. per hour, $2.56; $5.96.

July 23-Curing and bunching: 34 man hours @ 20c. per hour, $6.80; 20 horse hours 8c. per hour, $1.60; $8.40.

July 23-31-Hauling and storing: 46 man hours @ 20c. per hour, $9.20; 44 horse hours @8c. per hour, $3.52; $12.72; total labor cost, $27.08; cost per acre, $3.01; cost per ton, $2.27; yield per acre, 1.32 tons.

Third cutting: Aug. 25-27-Mowing: 12 man hours @ 20c. per hour, $2.40; 24 horse hours @ 8c. per hour $1.92; $4.32.

Aug. 26-27-Curing and bunching: 19 man hours @ 20c. per hour $3.80; 30 horse hours 8c. per hour, $2.40; $6.20.

Sept. 1-2-Hauling and storing: 24 man hours @ 20c. per hour, $4.80; 18 horse hours 8c. per hour, $1.44; $6.24; total labor cost, $16.76; cost per acre, $1.86; cost per ton, $3.94: yield per acre, 0.47 tons.