^lliTytMJj|iJLI->M.tlf-lM*.vy.*4(IA^,ft^M.MfiA*L*Sil4^f.?t^^- J ^ jiMj^.^ri)IJH.B4jlr*j^j'A K'o. CL ' ^M < v ' '^&&F/fi3$ M&& ^Y'* - tftftig ' / _ , V.~^; \ \ /' :? "-^ ': ,\ - ^lA ^/ x^*- 1 ' N * vV R^J -:-; ^ iMJIiiE w^' P^ i ^m^m ^^. ' TEj^w;."* ' .X^^iA-M ^'^ ^^* S^ri3P^ l >3 1r ; * U S / ^-- W- m^/^ f^ > ^.^ <, 1^;^ UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS, Agricultural Experiment Station, CHAMPAIGN, NOVEMBER, 1888. BULLETIN NO. 3. FIELD EXPERIMENTS IN OATS, 1888. Experiment No. 12* Oats: Quantity of Seed Per Acre. Seven contiguous plats, each two by four rods, were sown broadcast April 5th, at the rate of from one to four bushels per acre. The seed was sown on fall-plowed land, covered by use of a disk harrow and twice harrowing. The field notes show that the oats came up evenly and well; that they headed evenly June i8th to 2ist; that they were blown flat by a storm July loth. July i8th and igth they were mowed and bound. At this time the straw, leaves, and glumes were mostly yellow and dry. Those on plats r and 2, on which the least quantities of seed were sown, were slightly greener than the others. These plats also, especially plat i, contained more weeds. The crop was threshed July 26th and 27th, that from plats 5, 6, and 7 after a slight shower and when somewhat damp. The following table gives yield of grain and straw per plat, and cal- culated yield per acre: TABLE SHOWING SEED SOWN: YIELD OF GRAIN AND OF STRAW. 1 Quantity Plat. sown per acre, bu. Grain, per plat, ft. Grain per acre, bu. -Straw per plat, ft. Straw per acre, ft. I I 84 52.5 191 3820 2 1.5 95 59-4 220 4400 3 2 98 61.3 227 4540 4 2.5 102 6 3 .8 243 4860 5 3 99 61.9 261 5220 6 3-5 100 62.5 220 4400 7 ] 4 97 60.6 213 4260 *The numbers given to these experiments are those which they bear in the records of the Station. (See pp. n and 12, Bulletin No. I.) 26 BULLETIN NO. 3. [.November, Experiment No. fj. Oats: Compact or Loose Seed Bed. Three plats, each two by four rods, were sown broadcast, April 6th, at the rate of two and one-half bushels per acre. In plat i, the oats were sown on fail-plowed land, and lightly covered with a disk harrow. The land was then rolled with a heavy garden roller and afterwards harrowed. Plat 2 was cultivated with a disk harrow before sowing; the oats were covered by disking once and once harrowing. Plat 3 was disked three times before sowing, once afterward, and then harrowed. The oats came up evenly and ripened at the same time. They were harvested July ipth and threshed July 27th to 28th. The following table gives the yield of grain per plat in pounds, and calculated yield per acre in bushels, with yield of straw per plat and per acre in pounds: TABLE SHOWING CONDITION OF SEED BED; YIELD OF GRAIN AND OF STRAW. Plat. Seed bed. Grain per plat, ft. Grain per acre, bu. Straw per plat, ft. Straw, per acre, ft. 8 Compact q6 60 2OQ 4180 Medium loose 106 66.1 "? 260 SiSo 10 Very loose . ... Q7 60.6 221 446O Experiment No. 14. Oats: Time of Sowing. Four adjacent plats, each two by four rods, were sown broadcast, at the rate of two and one-half bushels per acre, at intervals of one week, from April 6th to April 27. In each case the oats were sown on fall- plowed land, and were covered by use of a disk harrow and the common tooth harrow. The plants fairly covered the ground on plat i in nineteen days after sowing; on plat 2 in fourteen days; plat 3 in ten to twelve days; and on plat 4 in ten days. The oats on plat i headed three days earlier than those on plat 2, and eleven days earlier than those on plats 3 and 4. The oats on plats i and 2 ripened nearly at the same time. They were mowed and bound July 2oth, plat i being a little the riper. Plats 3 and 4 were harvested three days later, when at about the same stage of ripeness as plat i was when cut. The following table gives the yield of grain per plat in pounds, the calculated yield per acre in bushels, and the yield of straw per plat and per acre in pounds: l888.] FIF.LI) EXPERIMENTS IN OATS. 27 TABLE SHOWING DATE OF SOWING AND YIELD OF GRAIN AND STRAW. Pht Date Grain Grain, Straw, Straw, of Sowing. per plat, Ife. per acre, bu. per plat, tt>. per acre, tt>. 1 1 April 6, 1888 1 06 66.3 254 5080 12 April 13, 1888 91 56-9 25 ! 5020 13 April 20, 1888 78 48.8 252 5040 H April 27, 1 8881 79 49.4 251 5020 Experiment No. 15. Oats: Depth of Sowing. Sixty selected kernels were sown in each of twelve rows, ten feet long. The first two rows were covered one inch deep; and each succeed- ing two rows one inch deeper, rows n and 12 being covered with six inches of earth. The number of plants growing in each row at various dates is shown by the following table: TABLE SHOWING NUMBER OF PLANTS GROWING AT GIVEN DATES. Row. ' 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 n 12 May 2 12 O i o o o o o o o o o May > cc re ce c6 C2 42 77 26 22 May II June I 50 AC 58 58 55 c6 $ 53 C4 54 cc 56 C2 53 ci 42 36 33 30 31 23 ?6 Aucf. 4. 41 51 t 4.6 c-? 46 48 46 46 71 ?o 20 _ The size and the apparent vigor of the plants in the rows was in the following order: First, rows 5 and 6; second, rows 3, 4, 7, and 8; third, rows i and 2; fourth, rows 9 and 10; fifth, rows n and 12. The oats in rows i to 8 inclusive were fully headed July 6th; those in rows 9 and 10, less fully; and those in rows n and 12, still less. The following table gives the yield of grain and of grain and straw in ounces, the number of plants and heads per row, and the number of heads per plant or stool in each row: TABLE SHOWING YIELD OF GRAIN AND OF STRAW; NUMBER OF STOOLS AND OF HEADS. Row. 1 Ounces of grain. Ounces of straw ' and grain. No. of stools. No. of heads. Heads per stool. I 5. 35- 41 34' 8-3 2 4- 22. 5' 225 4.4 3 4-5 26. 46 265 5-8 4 3-5 2O. 53 230 4.3 5 4-5 22. 46 217 4-7 6 - 5-5 26. 48 248 5.2 7 4-5 24. 46 239 5-2 8 5. 24. 46 230 5- 9 4-5 22. 38 222 5-8 10 3-5 235 3i 259 8.4 n 2-5 21. 30 240 8. 12 3- 2O. 20 205 10.3 28 BULLETIN NO. 3. \November, OBSERVATIONS UPON GERMINATION AND STOOLING. The fourteen plats used in these experiments were adjacent to each other. On each of these the number of plants growing on a given area, the proportion of seeds capable of germinating estimated to be sown, the number of plants growing under the different conditions of the plats, and the number of culms per plat or stool was ascertained. The number of kernels in an ounce of the variety of oats sown was found to be 1,044. From this basis, the rate of seeding of each plat being known, the average number of kernels sown on i -10,000 of an acre was computed. The percentage of seeds capable of germinating under favorable con- ditions was found to be 87. The average number capable of germinating on 1-10,000 of an acre was computed for each plat. The average number of plants growing May nth on i- 10,000 of an acre in each plat was approximately determined by counting the number of plants found within a frame enclosing this area, the frame being placed at four equidistant points along the middle line of each plat. In a sim- ilar manner the number of stubs was ascertained after harvest. The average number of straws harvested, for each plant growing on May nth, was thus ascertained. The following table summarizes the results: TABLE SHOWING FOR I-IO,OOO ACRE, AVERAGE NUMBER OF SEEDS SOWN: AVERAGE NUMBER CAPABLE OF GERMINATING; AVERAGE NUMBER OF PLANTS; AVERAGE NUMBER OF STUBS. ALSO PER CENT. OF SEEDS CAPABLE OF GERMINATING FROM WHICH PLANTS GREW, AND AVER- AGE NUMBER OF STRAWS FOR EACH STOOL. g g < .o| gftl 7* ft era -3 4 !fl O ~ ?5 s< P n P ?3 X P -^ p 3CT* f* O n P . ^ y^ -Ptracra E.CTQ -X era , pr" *- ^- TtJ 3 ft O (T) ft C/l ft ^ O O ^* crq n Plat. 3 O to " ? 3 C P C ^tra 1 ^ n ~* y, i-c c ' S a n 2 re "" 2> -! p p ft jj. rr ( 2 n _.. m 3 1 C P-- , O (,, 3 . O 3 g- ^ p C- 5'g* o S era p "b Jn p ^ w = 3 O n. o C r* 3 PJ s: O N O NO CQ~-> C><-" - W M 1-1 l^ld Orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata) Timothy (Phleum pratense) Perennial rye grass (Lolium perenne) Italian rye grass (Lolium Italicum) Tall meadow oat grass (Arrhenatherum avenai Yellow oat grass (Avena florescens) . . . Meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis) Sweet vernal grass (Anthoxanthum odoratum) . Kentucky blue grass (Poa pratensis) Rough-stalked meadow grass (Poa trivialis) . . Wood meadow grass (Poa Nemoralis) Sheep's fescue (Festuca ovina) Wood fescue (Festuca duriuscula) Meadow foxtail (Alopecurus pratensis) Medium red clover (Trifolium pratense) Mammoth red clover (Trifolium medium) .... Alsike clover (Trifolium Hybridum) Crimson trefoil (J^rifolium incarnatum) .... White clover (7^rifolium repens) Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) Red- top (Agrostis vulgaris) TEMPERATURE, FAHRENHEIT. TABLE SHOWING GERMINATION OF G GERMI .::::::::::::::: g: ::: :! ::>; ::::,:;: :!:::: U> 4*. ^J OOO OO -f>- <-n N -f - W^JCN-f^^K-nt/tO'-'OOOOtoONO-^OJO'-'NO ^4 ON O z aunf ^ X > > -. -T. 3 w ^ > t-i 1,1 to - - i, O\GJ -ii-iOOONoo CKi-iou>a\OL*)-ivo4^O ~J tn O gz aunf 13 %? (Oi-i.-O'-'OOOttOOOtOOOOOOW-* OON> ^1 ^J ^ L,z aunjf >$ H ni OOOOOO*.^J(^NOOOOO-t>-OOO(0 g O 6z aunf G % VI OOOOOO N^nOJOOOO\OWN<^ONN 2 z Xjnf M M OOOOOOONMOOOOO~OM"-OJ ~j 3 9 Xpf J? OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-OOOO 8? O 6 Xrnf > v> OO'-NOOOO'-'OOOOOOOOOOO'-'W ^J 0. O l A'pf H M OO~OO"OOOOOOOO.>O*"OOO4>. a O gi X t nf H W OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"O a O Vz Xjnf 2 OOOOOOO'-'OJi-iOOOONOO 1 -'-" 1 -'O ^ ^1 iCXpif O OOJOOOOO~OOOOOMOOOOOO ~J 1 ON 1 ^i jsnSny M \OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO gi jaqmajdas > 4>.ua^j oovo oo c*u> op c>w a- c*-t; - OOUl Ol-"OOO ^J4- - n^^.u C> ON 00 OCVO 00 - * U\ - O OU> OO--Jt O 6^ ~<-n OOCsCS" 00 4>- O-f* O~~i - N^JOUJ^. O uiaax SFHAV 32 BULLETIN NO. 3. [November, Of the twenty-one varieties of seed tested, an average of less than forty- two per cent, germinated during the first week. During the twelve follow- ing weeks about seven per cent, more germinated. The seeds of seven vari- eties, yellow oat grass, sweet vernal grass, Kentucky blue grass, rough- stalked meadow grass, meadow foxtail, and crimson trefoil, almost failed to germinate; not more than five per cent, in any case during the first week, and not more than eleven per cent, during the thirteen weeks, germi- nated. Of the seeds of six varieties, orchard grass, Italian rye grass, sheep's fescue, wood fescue, alfalfa, and red-top, about forty per cent, germinated, on an average, during the first week, and nearly fourteen per cent, more in the succeeding twelve weeks. Of eight varieties, timothy, perennial rye grass, tall meadow oat grass, meadow fescue, medium red clover, mamoth red clover, alsike- clover, and white clover, a little more than seventy-seven per cent, germinated, on an average, during the first week, and about five per cent, more during the succeeding twelve weeks. The seeds of the first group were manifestly worthless; of the second, evidently of poor quality and impaired vitality; of the third, first class. The impaired vitality in the second was not only shown by the small percentage germinating, but by the slowness, fourteen per cent, germi- nating after the first week, while only five per cent, germinated after the first week in the third group. Grass seeds are necessarily lightly covered, and, therefore, easily injured by changes in the weather; hence it is of the greatest importance that they germinate quickly and vig- orously. It is hardly necessary to point out the obvious importance of testing the germinating power of seeds, illustrated by this simple experiment. Failure to obtain a stand not only involves present loss from direct out- lay in seed and labor, but future loss from partial non-use of land as well as the disorganization of any system of cropping. No one factor in western farming so effectively prevents a careful and systematic rotation of crops as does the failure to obtain a stand of grass or clover. It is an easy matter to test the vitality of grass and clover seeds, by placing a given number, say one hundred, of the variety to be tested, between woolen cloths moistened with water. Care should be taken to boil the cloths before using, to scald the plate or pan in which the cloths are laid, and to use only recently boiled water with which to moisten the cloths, in order to retard the growth of fungi, or moulding. Two or more cloths may first be laid upon the plate or pan, the seeds distributed upon the upper one and another cloth laid upon the seeds. Sufficient water should be applied to keep the cloths moist. A plate of glass laid over the plates or pans would add to the efficiency of the device by retarding evaporation and protecting the interior from floating germs of fungi. At a temperature of 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, good seed should germinate in from a week to ten days. That seeds will germinate after being under such influence several weeks is plainly shown by the test herein reported; but seeds that do not respond in from seven to ten days under such fav- i888.] GERMINATION OF GRASS AND CLOVER SEEDS. 33 orable influences can be of little value when subjected to the vicissitudes of an ordinary seed bed. Having ascertained what percentage of the seeds in a given sample will germinate, we have yet to determine at what rate such seed must be sown in order to insure the desired stand of plants. As the next 'step, a gram of the seed of each variety of- grass and clover, such as was sown, was taken and the number of seeds in it counted. Some weed seeds were found, and they were counted separately. The number of seeds in one pound of each variety of seed was then computed. The following table gives the number of seeds per gram and per pound thus found. The table gives also the number of seeds per pound (taken from Flint's Grasses and Forage Plants, p. 271), as ascertained by Lawson, of Edinburgh; the rate at which seed was sown here per acre in pounds; the computed number of seeds sown per square foot; and the computed number of these capable of germinating under favorable con- ditions: TABLE SHOWING NUMBER OF GRASS AND CLOVER SEEDS PER GRAM AND PER POUND; RATE OF SOWING; SEEDS SOWN PER SQUARE FOOT; GERMIN- AIU.F. SEEDS PER SQUARE FOOT. 2 5* Name. No. seeds per gram. Computed No. of grass or clover seeds per pound. n Z: a C 8 * J? ^ (/] P . s n "0 o ^s? 85 3 E- O P S 2 3 n> a. O n n (ft. i a o ft Computed No. seeds per sq. foot sown. Computed No. seeds per sq. ft. capable of germ- inating under favorable circumstances. Grass or clover seeds. n> n (L n n a, Ul 7 o o o o I 10 12 O 5 o i 5 2 6 2 6 4 o I i 2 3 4 1 8 9 10 II 12 13 14 17 18 19 20 Orchard grass 1006 3127 539 607 342 2430 613 1406 4807 5982 4763 1719 1908 2190 801 732 1490 335 535 9099 457,272 1,421,363 245,000 275,909 155.454 1,104,545 278,637 639,091 2,185,000 2,719,091 2,165,000 781,364 867,272 995.454 364,091 332,727 677,272 152,272 863,181 243,181 4,135,909 64O,OOO I,l84,000 250,000 432,000 336,000 I,l88,OOO 4l6,OOO 1,136,000 3,888,000 3,472,000 2,768,000 .,024,000 1,216,000 256,000 256,000 512,000 201,600 7,800,000 35 60 60 40 3 30 30 40 30 30 3 30 4 10 10 368 49 337 380 '43 761 192 440 2006 1873 1491 539 597 914 84 76 117 169 118 86 o 154 22 O 56 45 210 203 18 72 10-3 y Timothy . Perennial rye grass Italian rye grass Tall meadow oat grass. .... Yellow oat grass Meadow fescue Sweet vernal grass Kentucky blue grass Rough-stalked meadow grass. . Wood meadow grass . . . Sheep's fescue Wood fescue '. Meadow foxtail Medium red clover Mammoth red clover Alsike clover . . . Crimson trefoil 10 10 10 30 35 198 56 2849 t'i 154 29 1168 White clover Alfalfa Red-top It must be borne in mind that the number of seeds will vary some- what, often considerably, in samples from different lots of the same seed, 34 BULLETIN NO. 3. [November, and even in different samples from the same lot. Results, therefore, can be taken, at best, as approximations only. As computed, the average number of seeds per pound for the fifteen varieties of grasses was, in round numbers, 1,228,000. The variety containing the largest number of seeds per pound, 4,136,000, was red-top; the variety containing the least number, 155,000, was tall meadow oat grass. Kentucky blue grass contained 2,185,000; timothy, 1,421,000; and orchard grass, 457,000 seeds per pound. The average number of seeds per pound of the six varieties of legumi- nous plants (clovers and alfalfa), was 439,000; white clover contained the largest number, 863,000; crimson trefoil the least number, 152,000; mam- moth clover contained 364,000; medium clover, 333,000; alsike, 677,000; and alfalfa, 243,000 seeds per pound. Such large numbers convey but little meaning to the mind, except comparatively. When the numbers sown on a small area, as a square foot, are considered, they ate more easily comprehended. In the table, the rate of seeding is given in pounds per acre, and is the rate employed in the experiments above mentioned. From this, the average number of seeds per square foot may be computed. The average number of seeds sown per square foot, thus computed, was 892 for the fifteen varieties of grasses. The largest number was 2,849 for red-top; the smallest number, 143, for tall meadow oat grass. The number of seeds of timothy was 490; of orchard grass, 368; and of Ken- tucky blue grass, 2,006. The average number of seeds sown per square foot for the six leguminous varieties was 94; the largest number, 198, for white clover; the least number, 35, for crimson trefoil. Assuming that the percentage germinating within a week in the test is the percentage capable of germinating under favorable conditions, the number per square foot capable of germinating under favorable condi- tions may be computed. Returning to the former grouping, the average number germinating in the first group would be 20; in the second, 317; in the third, 152. In the third, the average germinating power is nearly double that of the second, while there would be but half the number capable of germinating under favorable conditions on account of the smaller number of seeds sown. Notwithstanding the long-time discussion of the relative merits of thin and thick seeding, there are few exact data as to the proper amount of seed to be sown; the proportion between the amount capable of ger- minating under favorable conditions and the amount germinating in an ordinary seed bed; or the number of plants per square foot necessary to constitute a good stand in meadows, in American farm practice. Probably from eight to twelve pounds per acre of timothy is usually sown, or from 250 to 400 seeds per square foot; and eight pounds per acre of medium clover, or about 70 seeds per square foot. In sowing a given variety, the number of seeds to be sown will depend largely upon the habits of growth of the plant and somewhat on the size of the seed; l888.] GERMINATION OF GRASS AND CLOVER SEEDS. 35 for the larger the seed the greater the percentage of seeds that will be capable of resisting unfavorable conditions. Taking present practice as a guide, it is probable that with those grasses whose, habits of growth are somewhat like timothy, such as orchard grass, the rye grasses, and the fescues, from 250 to 400 seeds should be sown. With grasses like red-top and Kentucky blue grass, more is desirable. With the clovers and alfalfa, from 50 to 100 seeds per square foot seems sufficient. GEO. E. MORROW, Agriculturist. T. F. HUNT, Assistant Agriculturist. All communications intended for the Station should be addressed, not to any person, but to the AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION, CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS. The bulletins of the Experiment Station will be sent free of all charges to persons engaged in farming who may request that they be sent. SELIM H. PEABODY, President Board of Direction. ^gp^gp^ y-ii^^r^f^, - *; '^ ; \> s ^- ^Cwm" : I yip! : j^^jS^sis^sx' ^ **.: / jv . sr l*5r_ ,.,,a^-- . . . ,,, 7^^r: ?*> , .. --;, >. r ^^^iE^S%i v ; %* -c^^-^i^^ ^Mnt v\C&- V -^i-. ^ ** &? r >- .- >^- "ii.-^f-i\- >^- * %^g| ^ -^^.^ "^^^H ->feto^% ^-^ ? x : ^fe^' ^C*fv^r ^^3n^?r <--x.:\f ^ V \i- v^jt: ^-f^--j^v -v?|t : ;\ ^ "%^*' ': ; f|^ T*^- ^- / & > \ ^ : %?" %^A' ^^^^ - 3m$i&^ g3f*ti^N&*&. ~ V -', \ ' f< Nr~~- -- V " E^ii^MM^^ . ^wz^ - 1 *- . _ ->\fe ^K?w ^imM^^^ .,(^^r>^^ ^.^X^r^r ^,^iC^^^^i^-: K :iT;^cr5i^ -z~>*r-^y< : &'.~'.^\"-'*~*$Zt--r. f i-~ m M >^c SS..c/^^ X- C "^1V ^ <*- u 'x -3T-^- i, % '\ ^->^ 5.^