REPORT FOR THE YEAR 1887-8 OF THE Farm of New Jersey Agricultural College. BY BENJAMIN C. SEARS, A.M., SUP'T. CROPS. No. 2, containing 10.38 acres, was sod ground, excepting .97 acres,. which was in sorghum last year. This field was dressed with barnyard manure and planted with corn-two acres with White Flint corn, the balance with Dent corn, which had been grown on the farm. All made a good growth, but was somewhat damaged by the severe wind and hail storm about July 1st. The White Flint corn made much less growth of stalks, but was well eared and very sound, and averaged 52 bushels shelled corn per acre. Part of the Dent corn yielded quite as well, but part which followed the sorghum crop of last year, and also upon land which grew sorghum three years earlier, was in a marked degree deficient in ears, the whole 8 acres averaging only 40 bushels shelled corn per acre. The wheat crop was a very fair yield, averaging 26 bushels of cleaned grain per acre. One hundred and ninety bushels were sold early for seed-wheat, the balance later, in the market, the whole averaging about $1.05 per bushel, or $27.30 per acre. 7 b, containing 1.84 acres, was dressed with barn-yard manure, and planted with potatoes-Early Rose and Beauty of Hebron; 600 pounds of Mapes' potato manure was applied in the drills. Frequent applications of Paris green did not destroy the potato bug, except where applied in sufficient quantity to injure the vines. The yield of potatoes was 100 bushels per acre, a large proportion of which were merchantable, bringing $45 per acre. One acre of 7 d was drilled with alfalfa, under the direction of the Experiment Station, and has been cultivated during the season; about half an acre was sowed broadcast two weeks later, and about as much more this fall, also broadcast. The next season may allow a report of the advantages of the different methods and times of sowing. That sowed the year before was very much liked by the cattle, when not allowed to get too ripe, and is evidently very good milk-producing food. One acre of No. 1 a was divided into 12 different plots, each one sowed with a different variety of grass seed, or with these varieties mixed, but they became so overgrown with weeds that it was thought best to plow them up. This ground was planted with Rutabaga turnips August 13th, and yielded 260 bushels. The balance of No. 1a was divided into two plots, the upper half sowed with a mixture of Italian and Perennial rye grass and tall Fescue. The other plot with Orchard grass and Oat grass, the seed being obtained of and the mixture recommended by D. Batchelor, of Utica, N. Y These grasses grew well, form now a good sod and promise an early crop for soiling the coming year. Part of No. 12 was sown with oats and peas, two different sowings of two acres each, and where the soil was dry enough, yielded a fair crop of very fine milk-producing feed. The balance of No. 12 was sown to oats; part of these were cut green for the cows, and about 5 acres cut and threshed, yielding but 20 bushels per acre. After the oat crop was removed the whole of No. 12 was plowed and seeded August 16th and 18th with a heavy seeding of Timothy, Red clover, Alsike clover and Red Top grass seeds. After sowing, 10 spreader-loads per acre of barn-yard manure were applied upon all but two acres ; the wet weather prevented finishing. The grass has made a good start, and if not injured too much by standing water, should add considerably to the hay crop of the next year. Plots No. 1 a, Nos. 5, 6, 8 and 9, about 20 acres in all, of grass ground, have been top-dressed with barn-yard manure by the aid of the manure spreader, with the hope that the hay crop of the next year may thereby be increased. The hay crop of this year, weighed as it came from the field, was 69 tons. The 10 acres of corn yielded a very fine crop of stalks, which were carefully stacked, and upon these crops, with the addition of wheat straw and feed, the dairy will be wintered. For various reasons it became necessary to turn off quite a large number of the old stock of cows during the year. Their places were filled by purchasing 12 new ones about May 1st, and 8 more very recently. As near as can be determined, the dairy has averaged about 48 cows in all and about 40 cows milking during the year. These have yielded (as weighed and recorded each day) 133,790 quarts of milk, or 2,791 quarts per cow, being 8.18 quarts per day. There are now on the farm, and belonging to it, 48 cows, 1 registered Ayershire bull, 3 horses, 2 mules and 3 hogs. Of new implements, "The Kemp & Braper Manure Spreader," "The Fisk Hand Corn Planter" and the "United States Steel Plow," made by the successors of the New York Plow Company, have been found convenient and suited to their several purposes. Also, the "Milk Aërator," furnished the Station by Mr. Coffin, of Ashland, Camden county, was found, as far as tried, to answer the purpose for which it was intended, but for the want of proper accommodations, was not as much used as it would have been if a more convenient place could have been prepared for it. We hope to make it more useful in the future. No. 1 a. Meadow, 3d year, 2.06 acres, yield 7 tons 19 cwt. No. 1 b. Part fodder corn, 1.86 acres, very good fed green. |