TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT snmdw ‘BULLETIN NO. 2 l4 APRIL, 1917 EPROGRESS REPORT, SUBSTATION NO. 1, BEEVILLE, TEXAS 1910-1914 B. YOUNGBLOOD, M. S, Dnmctron COLLEGE STATION, BRAZOS COUNTY, TEXAS. [Blank Page in Original Bulletin] A93-517-15m _ TEXASAGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN NO. 214 APRIL, 1917 PROGRESS REPORT, SUBSTATION NO. 1, BEEVILLE, TEXAS 1910-1914 E. E. BINFORD, B. S., Superintendent B. YOUNGBLOOD, M. S., DIRECTOR COLLEGE STATION, BRAZOS COUNTY, TEXAS. ~$ AUSTIN, TEXAS: vom BOECKMANII-JONES co., PRINTERS, I917 l"l\Jl\l\u\Jl-|l \ll\Lll-n an; u.’ --..-_v_..- \V. B. BizzELL, A. M., D. C. L., President TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS JonN I. GUION, President, Ballinger. . . . . . . . . . . L. J. HART, Vice-President, San Antonio . . . . . . . E. H. AsTiN, Bryan. . . ._ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J. R. KUBENA, Fayetteville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A. B. DAVIDSON, Cuero. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WILL A. MiLLER, JR., Amarillo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JoRN C. DICKSON, Paris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H. A. BREIHAN, Bartlett F. M. LAW, H0ustoii.. . ................................. .‘ Term expires 191! Term expires 191 Term expires 191 Term expires 192 Term expires 192 Term expires 192 Term expires 192 .'.'fffffIIIfIIfffIffIIfffIffTermexpires192 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Term expires 192 MAIN STATION COMMITTEE L. J. HART, Chairman WiLL A. MiLLER, JR. GOVERNING BOARD, STATE SUBSTATIONS P. L. Downs, President, Temple. . . . .__ . . . . . . . . . CRARLEs RocAN, Vice-President, Austin . . . . . . . W. P. HOBBY, Beaumont . . . . . . . .> . . . . . . . . . . . . J. E. BOOG-SCOTT, Coleman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .., Term expires 191 Term expires 191 . . . . . .Term expires 191 Term expires 192 STATION STAFF* ADMINISTRATION _ B. YOUNGBLOOD, M. S., Director A. B. CoNNER, B. S., Vice Director CHAs. A. FELKER. Chief Clerk A. S. WARE, Secretary DIVISION OF VETERINARY SCIENCE TM. FRANCIS, D S , Veterinarian in Charge _ _ H. SCHMIDT, D. V. M., Veterinarian DIVISION OF CHEMISTRY _ _ G. S. FRAPs, _Ph. D., Chemist in Charge; State Chemist _ _ W. T. P. SPROTT, B. S., Assistant Chemist CHARLES BucnwALp, M. S., Assistant Chemist DIVISION OF POULTRY HUSBANDRY R. N. HARVEY, B. S., Poultrgman in Chart DIVISION OF PLANT BREEDING E. P. HUMBERT, Ph. D., Plant Breeder i Charge J. S. IVIOGFORD, B. S., Graduate Assistant DIVISION OF DAIRYING J. E. HARPER, M. S., Dairyman in Chargi DIVISION OF FEED CONTROL SERVICE JAiviEs SULLIVAN, Executive Secretary J. H. ROGERs, Inspector W. H. WOOD, Inspector T. H. WoLTERs, Inspector S. D. PEARcE, Inspector W. M. WICKES, Inspector SUBSTATION NO. l: Beeville, Bee Coun E. E. BINFORD, B. S., Superintendent SUBSTATION NO. 2: Troup, Smith Coun W. S. HOTCHKISS, Superintendent SUBSTCATION NO. 3: Angleton, Brazoria oun N. E. WiNTERs, B. S., Superintendent SUBSTATION NO. 4: Beaumont, Jefferst ounty H. H. LAupE, B. S., Superintendent SUBSTATION NO. 5: Temple, Bell County D. T. KILLOUGH, B. S., Superintendent SUBSTATION No. 6': Denton, Denton Coun‘ C. H. McDowELL, B. S., Superintendent SUBSTATION NO. 7: Spur, Dickens Coun R. E. DICKSON, B. S., Superintendent SUBSTATION NO. 8: Lubbock, Lubbock ounty R. E. KARPER, B. S., Superintendent SUBSTATION NO. 9: Pecos, Reeves Coun G. B. L. SMITH, A. M., Assistant Chemist DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE _ H. NEss, M. S., Horticulturist in Charge W. S. HQTCHKISS, Horticulturist DIVISION OF ANIMAL HUSBANDRY J. C. BURNS, B. S., Animal Husbandman, Feeding Investigations J. M. JONES, A. M., Animal Husbandman, Breeding Investigations TL. B. BURK, B. S., Animal Husbandman, Swine Investigations. DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY _ _ F. B. PADDOCK, M. S.,_ Entomologist in Charge; State Entomologist ‘ . J. REINRARD, B. S., Assistant Ento- mologist County Apiary Inspectors . R. C. Abernathy, Ladonia; William Atch~ ley, Mathis; J. W. E. Basham, Barstow; Victor Boeer, Jourdanton; T._ W. Burle- son, Waxahachie: W. C. Collier, Gpliad; E. W. Cothran, Roxton; G. F. Davidson, Pleasanton; John Donegan, Seguin; A. R. Graham, Milano; J. B. King, Bates- ‘llfégergglg cll\~/lL%Geis“,gédzj Igufi’ I J. W. JAcKsoN, B. S., Superintendent Stephené UQaIde; M: B: ‘fanm Victbriai SUBSTATION NO. 10: (Feeding and Bree< James Traylor, Enloe; R. E. INatson: - ing Substation) College Station, Brazi Heidenheiiner; W. H. White, Greenville; . Cmlmy . W_ P_ Bankston, Buffalo; F_ C_ Belt E._R. SPENCE, B. S., Animal Husbandma. ' in Charge of Farm Ysleta. , DIVISION 0F AGRQNOMY SUBSaATILONCNOFAI: Nacogdoches, N860} - - og es oun y A. B. CONNER, B. S., Agronomist in Charge GI T. MCNESS, Superintendent A. H. LEIDIGH, B. S., Agronomist _ Louis WERMELsKincREN, B. S., Agronomist “SUBSTATION N0. 12: Chillicothe, Hardi man County DIVISION OF PLANT PATHOLOGY AND . PHYSIOLOGY R. W. EDWARDS, B. S., Superintendent J. J. TAUBENHAUS, Ph. D., Plant Patholo- SUBSTCATION N0. 14: Sonora, Sutton ounty E. M. PETERs, B. S., Acting Superintendei gist and Physiologist in Charge A. D. JOHNSON, B. S., Graduate inCharge. CLERICAL ASSISTANTS J. M. ScRAEnEL, Stenogra her C. L. DuRsT, Mailing Clerk DAISY LEE, Registration lerk A. T. JAcKsoN, Stenographer W. F. CHRISTIAN, Stenographer CARL ABELL, Scientific Assistant ELIZABETH WALKER, Stenographer F. C. MARcouLmEs, Stenographer E. E. KILBORN, Stenographer *As of May 1, 191 . 7 iIn cooperation with the and M. College of Texas. **In cooperation with United States Department of Agriculture. FOREWORD. The annual progress reports of the various substations may be con sidered part of the general annual report. ‘Much credit is due Mr. A. B. Conner, in his capacity as Vice Director, and n11. A. H. Leidigh, in his capacity as Agronomist, for painstaking work in checking figures ' and editing this and other substation progress reports, and grateful acknowledgment is hereby made. B. YOUNGBLOOD, Director [Blank Page in Original Bulletin] PROGRESS REPORT, SUBSTATION NO. 1, BEEVILLE, TEXAS, i 1910-1914. BY E. E. Bmrom), SUPERINTENDENT. Substation N0. 1 of the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station was established in 1895, distant 5.7 miles northeast of Beeville, Bee County, Texas, on a tract of land containing 151.5 acres, situated 28 degrees and 32 minutes north latitude and 97 degrees and 38 minutes west, longitude. The elevation is 240 feet above sea-level. The substation was established for the study of the agricultural prob- lems of Southwest Texas, and much work has been done in this direc- tion. A ‘numberiof publications have been issued setting forth these results. This farm is representative of a large region of Southwestern Texas, in which the Victoria series is the prevailing soil type. A part of the substation farm is made up of Victoria loam soil. Small amounts of Victoria clay loam and Victoria sandy loam are also present. OLIMATOLOGICAL nArA-—1910-1914. The distribution of the rainfall by months, together with the annual rainfall from 1910 to 1914 inclusive, is given in the following table: TABLE I—RAINFALL BY MONTHS—1910-14 INCLUSIVE. Inches. Month. V 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 Average. January . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 2.61 0.29 0.57 0.31 0.10 .776 February . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 0.75 1.59 4.83, 1.56 0.93 1.932 March . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 3.93 2.71 0.87 1.49 2.46 2.292 A ril . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 3.51 4.33 3.84‘ 0.29 6.31 3.656 ay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 3.90 5.52. 7.05‘ 0.13 9.03 5.126 June . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 3.22 2.15 2.38 5.10 0.11 2.592 July . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1.04 0.00 0.11 0.22 _ 1.07 .488 August . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 0.76 0.00 0.48 1.39 10.60 2.646 September . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 5.93 1.27 1.82, 11.13 1.28 4.286 October . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 0.93 0.50 4.71 4.02 9.39 3.910 November . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 0.30 2.45. 1.23 4.63 3.22 2.366‘ December . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1.71 3.83‘ 1.43 1.47 1.00 1.888 Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 28.59 24.64] 29.32 31.74 45.50 31.958 It would seem that the rainfall is generally quite plentiful during March, April, May and June, followed by rather dry periods during July and August and an abundance of rain in September and October. The winter months generally show low rainfall. The lowest annual rainfall recorded "in the, five-year record presented is 24.64 inches in 6 Texas Aonrourxronar. EXPERIMENT STATION. 1911. The highest -is 45.50 inches in 1914. The average for the period is 31.958 inches. It would appear that crops planted in Feb- ruary would more likely give high production than crops planted in March or April, and that July planting would be safer than June or May planting. ~ The maximum and minimum temperatures for each month for the years from 1910 t0 1914 are shown in the following table: TABLE 2——NORMAL MONTHLY MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES- 1910-14. Degrees Fahrenheit. Month. 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 Average. Max. Min. Maxl Min. Mam‘ Min. Maxi Min.lMax.l Min. Max. [Mean l l i January . . . . . . . . . . 84 22 96 12 80l 22 79l 26‘ 82 31 84.2l 22.6 February . . . . . . . . . 86 24 91 30 80*‘ 22 741 32} 84 26 83.0 26.8 March . . . . . . . . . . . 92 44 98 42 781, 35 90‘ 28* 82 32 88.0 36.2 April 92 48 96, 54 881 46 9O 421 - 92 38 91 .6 45 .6 May . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 58 99‘ 56 92‘ 59 96 56‘ 89 6O 94.4 57.8 June . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 62 107 6 94l 62 961 68 98 68 99 8 65.6 J y . . . . . . . . . . . .. 106 70 100 70 100l 70 70 103 68101.6 69.6 August . . . . . . . . . . . 106 70 109 70 102‘ 72 ' 101l 70. 103 70 104.2 70.4 September . . . . . . . . 100 62 106 70 99; 60 991 601 98 56 100 4 61.6 October . . . . . . . . . . 100 40 100 40 991 38 89 38' 93 44 96 2 40.0 November . . . . . . . . 92 39 90, 24 85l 32 88 42; 84 38 87 8 35.0 December . . . . . . . . 88 30 841 31 77;, 30 77; 341 78‘ 25 80 8 30.0 1 1 l It will be seen from the foregoing table that summer temperatures of 102 and 103 degrees are not uncommon in July and August. It will be observed further that the temperature in winter seldom ranges below 20 degrees Fahrenheit, having gone lower than this only once in the five years, which occurred in January, 1911, when a minimum temperature of 12 degrees was recorded.“ The average maximum tem- perature for the five-year period shows a winter temperature of 80 to 85 degrees, and a summer temperature of 99 to 104 degrees. The aver- age mean temperature for the five-year period shows a minimum winter temperature of 22 to 30 degrees and a minimum summer temperature of 65 to '70 degrees Fahrenheit. The following table shows dates of the last frost in the spring and the first frost in the fall for a. five-year period, beginning in 1910 and ending in 1914: TABLE 3—-DATES OF FROST. 1910 1911 1912 l 1913 l 1914 Last frost, spring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Feb. 25 Feb. 23 Mar. 25 Mar. 16 l Mar. 13 First frost, fall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Dec. 24 Nov. 13 Dec. 23 Oct. 27 l Dec. 10 It will be observed that the last frosts at the beginning of the season occurred from February 23 to March 25. The first frosts at the close of the crop season, during the five-year period ranged from October 27 in 1913 to December 24 in 1910. Frosts have occurred between De- cember 10 and December 24 in three years out of five. PROGRESS REPORT, SUB-STATION No. 1, 1910-1914. s scorn OF WORK. Prior to the season of 1912 the Work was devoted almost entirely to ;ruek and fruit crops.‘ The following named publications, based on vork done here, have been issued: “Report for Beeville Substation,” Bulletin No. 4.3. (Out of print.) “Corn Experiments at College Station- and Beeville,” Bulletin No. 49. tOut of print.) “Cotton Experiments at College Station and Beeville,” Bulletin No. i0. (Out of print.) “Cabbage and Cauliflower, Beeville No. s," Bulletin No. 52. (Out >f print.) “Cabbage and Cauliflower, Beeville No. 4,” Bulletin No. 5'7. (Out >f pr-int.) “Growing Onions, Beeville N0. 5,” Bulletin No. 60. (Out of print.) “Cabbage, Beeville No. 6,” Bulletin No. 66. (Out of print.) “Onions and Bunch Crops,” Bulletin N0. 77. (Out of print.) “Fertilizer Test with Onions,” Bulletin No. 115. (Out of print.) “Report of Progress with Citrus Fruits,” Bulletin No. 118. (Out )f print.) . - “Report on Experiments with Citrus Fruits at the Beeville Sub- atation,” Bulletin No. 148. v Beginning in 1912 the amount of experiment work on this substation vas very greatly enlarged, more land was put into cultivation, par- icular attention being paid to the need of more experiment data rela- ive to generalfield crops and the method of producing them in this iart of the State. This is the first bulletin that has been issued relative to Substation .\"o. 1, since the enlargement and broadening of the substation’s activ- ties, and it will be noted that marked progress has been the result from his work with field crops. EXPERIMENT DATA . The material presented herein is merely a summary of the work done "'or the period. No attempt isvmade to present detailed records. Cotton, corn, legumes, grain sorghums, clovers, Sudan grass, vege- ables, grape fruit, oranges and other fruits are discussed. All agronomic work has been done in plats, ranging from 1/110 to l/5 of an acre in size, but in all cases the experiment plats have been ncluded in a regular cropping system, which provides that the same rrop precede a given series on plats from year to year, thus affording miform moisture and soil conditions. Guard rows have been used in rll cases. COTTON VARIETY TEST. A cotton variety test was conducted over a period of three years- 912, 1913 and 1914. Extreme weather conditions during the season -f 1913 so affected the test that no results were secured. The 1912 8 test included thirty-three varieties and the 191-1 test fifty-four varieties. TEXAS‘ AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. The best results secured from the two years’ work are shown: TABLE 4—-COTTON VARIETY TEST—FIFTEEN HIGH YIELDERS, 1912-1914. i Av. 2 years. i 1912 1914 Variety. Source. Yield Yield Yield Seed ' iced . in Lbs. . Cotton, x Cotton, i; Seed f‘ Lbs. g Lbs. a; Cotton s; to Acre. m to Acre. {I to Acre. O2 I Mebane . . . . . . . . . . . A. M. Ferguson» Sherman, ' Texas._. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1118.44 6 811.25 6 964.84 1 King . . . . . . . . . . . .. N. L. Willet Seed Co., Au- , gusta, Ga . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1228.46 1 673.75 14f 951.10 2 Unkngwn _ , , _ , , , _ _ Texas Seed and Floral Co., " Dallas. Texas..._....._.... 1155.11 5 701.00 13 928.05 3 Rowden _ , , _ , , , , . . R. H. Norwood, Wllls Point, Texas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1048.77 11 797.50 7 923.13 4 Crowder . . . . . . . . . . . A. Crowder, Marque-Z. exas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 990.09 13 852.50 3 921.29 5 Burns . . . . . . . . . . .. H. E. Fant, $611603. S- C- - -- 393-42 14 770.00 12 834.11 6 Lone Star . . . . . . . . . D. M. Crenshaw, Waco, i Texas . . . . . ._ . . . . . . . . . . . .. 825.08 15 591 00 15 708.04 7 Allen . . . . . . . . . . . . . C. E. AlleIl. Llndale. Texas. . 1210.10 2 . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . ... Sure Crop . . . . . . . . . School of Agriculture, College Station, Texas . . . . . . . . . . . 1210.10 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rosser . . . . . . . . . . .. _ 1173.45 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Cleveland . . . . . . . .. N. L. Willet Seed Co., All- gusta, Ga . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1118.44 7 , . . , , , , , , . H; . _ . , _ _ _ _, Cook Long Staple. . Peter Henderson Co., New j York City . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1100.11 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Cook Long Staple.. N. L. Willet Seed Co., Au- l gusta, Ga. . ._ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 783.75 10 . . . . . . . .. Mebane . . . . . . . . . . . F. K. McGlnnis, Terrell, Texas. ._ . . . . . .._ . . . . . . . . .. 1063 4O 10 . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . .. Mebane . . . . . . . . . . . R. L. Lew1s,_Beev11le, Texas. . . . . . . . . . . _ , 852.50 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . Bank Account. . . . . H. G. Hastings & Co., At- lanta, Ga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1048 77 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Broadwell . . . . . . . . . W. P. Broadwell & Co., Al- pharetta, Ga . . . . . . ., . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 893.75 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . Webber . . . . . . . . . . . Oscar Haaga, Memphls, Tenn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 880.00 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . Roberts . . . . . . . . . .. N. L. Willet Seed Co., Au- gusta, _Ga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 830.00 5: . . . . . . . . . Dongola . . . . . . . . .. N. L. Willet Seed Co., Au- j _ gusta, _ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 788 75 8‘ . . . . . . . . . Trlumph . . . . . . . . . . E. H. Astin, Bryan, Texas.. . . . . . . . . . . . . 783 75 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . Mortgage Lifter... H. G. Hastngs & C 0., At- lanta, Ga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 779.25 11 . . . . . . . .. b . . -The foregoing results show the King, Unknown, Mebane, Rowden, Crowder, Lone Star, and Burns to be the highest average yielders for the two years, in the order mentioned. It will be seen that the highest yielder was a small-boll cotton, and from that standpoint not so de- sirable as the other varieties producing still lower yields. It is, how- ever, an early-maturing variety and, from this standpoint, seemingly has some value for this section. The Mebane, Rowden, Crowder, and Lone Star are all well-known cottons and have proved to be good producers under conditions existing in this section, as set forth in the results above. ' COTTON oonrrvivrrorr. A test was conducted during the seasons of 1913 and 1914 to de- termine the effects of frequent and infrequent cultivation on cotton. The tests were repeated four times in 1913 and nine times in 1914. PROGRESS Riiroiir, SUBSTATION No. 1, 1910-1914. 9 The cotton used in all cases was Mebane grown on the substation. All plats had similar treatment in every manner except for the difference in cultivation. The plats cultivated frequently received twice as many cultivations as plats cultivated infrequently. The following table shows the average results secured for the two years: TABLE 5—FREQUENT AND INFREQUENT CULTIVATIONS. Yield of Seed Cotton in Pounds _ _ _ to cre. Kind of Cultivation. 1913 | 1914 I Average. Frequent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 792.5 574.4 684.4 Infrequent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 792.5 571 .0 681 . 7 The results recorded in Table v5 show no difference in yield of the frequent and infrequent cultivated plats. It should be stated that the plats cultivated infrequently received a sufficient amount of cultivation to keep down weeds and show no great loss of water by evaporation. This work indicates that the frequent cultivation of the crop does not necessarily increase the yield. CORN VARIETY TEST. Corn variety tests were conducted in 1912, 1913 and 1914. The tests included thirty varieties in 1912, sixty-one in 1913 and twenty- one in 1914. The following table shows the ranks of the thirteen highest yielding varieties of corn in a two-jvear average, and their re- spective yields for each year: TABLE 6——CORN VARIETY TEST. l Yield Yield 113331116111!‘ Variety. , Source. 1313. i 11314. g ’1Z]*33-’14. i‘ l l1. q; I1. q ll. 4g g to Acre. p5 to Acre. n: to Acre. a: Thomas . . . . . . . . . .. Substation No. 1, Beeville, Texas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 13.49 13 37.40 2 25.44 1 Surcropper . . . . . . . . A. M. "Ferguson, Sherman, a Texas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 15.28 9 32.80 7 24.04 2 Cocke’s . . . . . . . . . .. T. W. Wood _&_ Son, Rich- _ mond. Virginia . . . . . . . . 9.82 28 33.20 6 21.51 3 Virginia White Dent T. W. Wood_&_ Son, Rich- _ mond, Virginia . . . . . . . . . .. 8.83 33" 33.88 5 21.31 4 Chisholm . . . . . . . .. A. M. Ferguson, Sherman, Texas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 10.31 26 31.90 9 21.10 5 Oklahoma White " Wonder . . . . . . . .. Texas Seed and Floral Co., _ D las, Texas . . . . . . . . .. 8.34 37 32.80 8 20.57 6 Excelsior . . . . . . . . ..‘T. W. Wood & Son, Rich- . mond, Virginia . . . . . . . . . . . 9.82 29 30.40 11 20.11 7 Blountfs . . . . . . . . .. T. W Wood _&_ Son, Rich- _ mond, Virginia . . . . . . . . .. 11.78 15 28.40 14 20.09 8 Texseed Giant iTexas Seed and Floral Co., White. l Dallas, Texas . . . . . . . . . . .. 6.38 43 30.20 12 18.29 9 Boone County ‘T. W. Wood & Son, Rich- White. l mond, Virginia . . . . . . . . .. 9.82, 30 25.70 17 17.76 10 St. Charles White. . lChris Renter, New Orleans, l y La . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 8.83 34 23.90 18 16.36 11 Creole . . . . . . . . . . . . ‘Chris Reuter, New Orleans, I _ _ _ l a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 3.92 45 27.10 15 15.51 12 Wisconsin White ‘Chris Reuter, New Orleans, l ' Dent. La . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 4.91 44 19.17 19 12.04 13 l 10 TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. The foregoing table shows good yields from both Surcropper and Thomas, the first-named being a corn well adapted to limited moisture conditions, and the second being a corn grown locally in this section for twenty-five years. These two varieties have shown good perform- ance throughout the test. ' RELATIVE YIELDS FROM DIFFERENT EARS OF CORN, or THE snIE VARIETY, DURING ‘THE SEASON OF 1914. Seed from one hundred and twenty €‘<11‘S of Thomas corn—one of the best varieties for this section-—was planted in comparative test plats. Prior to planting, size and weight measurements were recorded for each individual ear. The folloxving table includes the highest and lowest- yielding ears in this test. The table also shows character measure- ments of the individual ears planted: TABLE 7—-COMPARATIVE YIELDS OF DIFFERENT EARS OF mHOMAS CORN AND CHARACTER MEASUREMENTS OF EARS INCLUDED 1N THE TES . r 1 l Circum- f l _ i Yield in Ear No. ference. i Length. No. Rows. . We: ht of ' Bushels cm. cm. Ear, rams. to the Acre. 91 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 15 0 16.0 , 16 186 0 48.86 101 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 14 5 15.0 14 168 0 42.86 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 14 0 19.0 ' 12 190 0 42.23 82 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 15 2 18.0‘ 14 180 0 41.14 55 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 15 5 17.0 16 204 0 40.71 49 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 16 0 17.0 18 209 0 40.28 86 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 17 2 17.0 16 230 0 40.28 '41 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 16 5 17.0 16 218 0 39.43 65 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 15 2 16.0 16 214 0 39.00 96 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 16 0 11.0 14 192 0 38.43 79 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 15 0 18.0 14 200 0 17.57 It is seen that in this test of one hundred and twenty ears of the same variety of corn, the power to produceranged from 48 bushels in Ear No. 91 to 1'7 bushels in Ear No. '79. It is also seen that the weight of the ear is not an indication of its power to yield; neither do the results show that a large ear or a long ear is the best producer. CORN SEEDING RATE TEST. A seeding rate test of corn was conducted during the seasons of 1913 and 1914, in which the seeding rates varied from 2420 to 9680 stalks per acre. The year of 1913 was one of extreme drouth whereas in 1914 there was a plentiful supply of moisture. For these reasons the results presented in the following table covering extreme years are not very satisfactory. PROGRESS REPORT, SUBSTATION No. 1, 1910-1914. 11 TABLE 8——CORN SEEDING RATE TEST. T. S. NO. 327, THOMAS CORN. _ Yield of Corn in Bushels to the Acre. Distance Between Stalks‘in Stalks 3-ft. Rows. Rer Acre. 1913 , 1914 Average. 72 inches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2420 10.90 26.50 18.70 48 inches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3630 . . . . . . . . . . . . 33.30 . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 inches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4840 5.41 37.08 21 .24 30 Inches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6050 . . . . . . . . . . . . 36.96 . . . . . . . . . . . . - 24 inches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 7260 0.83 39.92 20.37 21 inches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8470 . . . . . . . . . . . . 36.35 . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 inches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9680 0.27 I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The results presented in the foregoing table show the best yields in 1913 from the thinnest seeding rates and practically no yields from tlie thickest seeding rates. The results i11 1914 show a gradual increase in the yield up to 4840 stalks to the acre, or the equivalent of single stalks 3x3 feet apart on the land. Seeding rates thicker than this gave no consistent increase in yield. The average yield for the two seasons shows the highest is from the plats planted at the rate of 4840 stalks to the acre, or the equivalent of stalks 3x3 feet _on the land, and this seeding rate in all probability closely represents the proper seeding rate. This Work is being continued and will become of greater value when ‘the results are secured for a period 0f several consecutive years. DISTRIBUTION OF CORN PLANTS ON THE LAND. Work was conducted in 1913 and 1914 in which plats of corn were planted with the same number of stalks to the acre but with different distribution of stalks on the land. There were left @840 plants on each of three plats, and distributed as follows: (1) Rows three feet wide; stalks three feet apart in the row. (2) Rows six feet wide; stalks eighteen inches apart in the row. (3) Three-foot rows in pairs nine feet apart; stalks eighteen inches apart in the row. a T. S. No. 327, Thomas corn, was used throughout this test and the cultivation and other treatment of all plats was identical except for the arrangement of stalks on the land. The table below shows the results of all tests for the two years: < TABLE 9—DISTRIBUTION OF CORN PLANTS AND EFFECT ON YIELD. Yield to Yield to Average _ Number the Acre the Acre Yield 1n Distribution of Plants. Stalks to in Bu. in Bu. Bu. to the Acre. 1913 1914 Acre. Three-foot rows, hills 36 inches apart 4840 6.85 39 95 23.40 S1x_-fo0t rows, hills 18 inches apart. . . 4840 8.56 35 18 21 .87 Pairs of 3- foot rows. 9 feet apart. . . . 4840 8.14 33 14 20.64 The results given in Table 9 show a slight increase in the yield for 1913 in favor of rows six feet apart, as against a slight increase for 12 TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1914 in favor of rows three feet apart. The average for the two years is in favor of rows three feet apart. The difference in yield, however, from the three distributions is relatively small, indicating that the distribution of stalks on the land haslittle influence on yield. This work is being continued and will not be conclusive until the test is con~ tinned over a period of at least five or six years. Planting in six-foot rows has a slight practical advantage, in that it allows the farmer to plant cowpeas between corn rows during the late growing period. The wide rows also prove of much practical value whereithe land is foul and requires much cultivation, as in wide rows a larger proportion of worl; can be done with a cultivator and a relatively smaller proportion with a hoe. CORN WITH COWPEAS VERSUS CORN WITHOUT GOWPEAS. In 1913 a test was made in which corn with cowpeas was compared to 'corn grown alone. The average of all plats planted to corn and cowpeas as compared to corn alone showed no reduction in yield of corn, provided the cowpeas were planted after the corn had approached ma- turity. The planting of cowpeas in corn during the early period of growth of the corn in 1912 caused a reduction in yield of corn of almost one-half. y ' OATS VARIETY TEsT FOR HAY. A variety test of oats was begun in 1912. The crop was harvested for hay, and the cured hay yields are shown in the following tabulation: Texas Red Rust Proof . . . . . . ..9550 pounds to the acre. Hundred Bushel . . . . . . . . . . .8830 pounds to the acre. Appler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..8430 pounds to the acre ' Tennessee Turf . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6130 pounds to the acre. The Texas Red Rust Proof variety made the best growth and was less injured by rust than any other variety, being about forty inches high when cut for hay, and was only slightly rusty. The Tennessee Turf oats rusted very badly and the hay was almost worthless. Hundred Bushel and Appler varieties were both good, but not so good. as the Texas Red Rust Proof. A similar test conducted in 1914 was a failure, on account of exces- sive rains prior to harvesting. In this test Texas Red Rust Proof made a very creditable showing up to the time of the rains. Texas Red Rust Proof oats planted in rotation work for hay gave yiields as follows: ‘ 1913. . . . .' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4960 pounds to the acre. 1914 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..2220 pounds to the acre. Oats are not of value for grain in this section, except in rare in- stances. They are very valuable as grazing crops, and the results herein reported show considerable value for hay. Paoemziss REPORT, SUBSTATION No. 1, 1910-1914. 13 COWPEA RATE OF SEEDING TEST. 1 A cowpea rate of seeding test was conducted in 1913 and 1914. A Tation-grown strain of Whipp0OTW1ll cowpea was used. The 1913 pgures represent the average of two plats and the 1914 figures an verage of three plats. The table below shows the results secured: TABLE l0——-COWPEA RATE OF SEEDING TEST. HAY YIELDS. l Yield of Hay in Pounds to the Acre. . Rate of Seeding, Pounds to the Manner of l ‘ Acre. Planting. I 1913 1914 Average. ' . l I . . . . . . . . . ." . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Broadcast. . . 2000 l 2750 2375 J . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Broadcast. . . 1800 2832 2316 w . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Broadcast. . . 2000 I 3732 286s ;,; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-ft. rows . . . . . . . .' . . . . . . . . ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-ft. rows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Little difference in yield is noted between the 30, 60 and 80-pound edings in 1913. During the season of 1914, however, the yields are nsistently in favor of the heavier seedings, as are also the average ‘elds for the two years. ' PEANUT VARIETY TEST. ’ \ ,9 Six varieties of peanuts were tested in 1912 and 1913. The results ‘.1 this variety test are shown in the following table: TABLE 11——-PEANUT VARIETY TEST 1912-1913. Yield in Bushels to the Acre. y Variety. 1 1 l ;- 1912 1913 Average. _nish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26.8 j 36.25 31.52 I can . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 12.1 29.99 21.04 'nia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 15.3 r 26.66 20.98 w . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 13.2 1 30.65 21 92 pnessee Red . . . . . ., . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 12.8 r 15.99 14.39 - h Carolina Running . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .‘ 9.8 l 31 .99 20.89 The small Spanish peanut has shown a much better average yield tan the other varieties included in the test, and is, therefore, recom- _nded over other varieties for this section. \ BIETHOD OF SEEDING PEANUTS. series of plats in which six different varieties of peanuts were pnted, in rows eighteen and thirty-six inches apart, were carried both 1912 and 1913. The results of these tests are shown in the follow- g table: ' \ 1-1 - TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. TABLE l2——METHOD OF SEEDING TEST 1912-1913. Yield to Acre in Bushels. Variety. Manner of 1 ' Average Average for - Planting. 1912 . 1913 1912Yand Seeding i l 1913 Rates Rows l _ 1 Spanish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-fo0t 20. 9 l 2s. 75 24 . s2 African . . . . . . . . . .. ; . . 34031 13.1 1 25.33 19.21 l Virginia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-foot 12.5 y 32.00 22.25 , Jumbo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-foot 15.0 . 28.00 21.50 Tennessee Bed . . . . . . . . 23-foot 11 .8 14.66 13.23 I N. c. Running . . . . . . .. 34001 11.5 l 29.33 20.41 i-_-_-_~ i 1 2O . 24 ilianish. . . . . . . . . . . . . ; ig-gncg .3 431i. g3 l g3 . g; ‘ rican . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -1 . . . 1 Virginia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . l8-ilrigh 18. 1 21 .33 19 71 Jumbo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-inch 11 .5 33.30 22 4O Tennessee Red . . . . . . . . 18-inch 13.9 17.33 15 61 l N. C. Running . . . . . . . . 18-i.nch 8. 1 34.66 - 21.38 ————-——— 1 23 .33 It is seen that the average yield of nuts from all varieties planted in eighteen-inch rows exceeds the yield of the same varieties planted in thirty-siX-inch rows, by three bushels t0 the acre. The short period over which the test has been carried makes it impossible t0 considei these results as conclusive. The results obtained, however, strongly indicate that peanuts should be grown in rows as narrow as will allow easy cultivation, or if the rows are Wider there should be a heavy stand in the row. SOY BEAN VARIETIES. During the years 1912, 1913 and 1914 variety tests of soy beans were conducted. The 1912 test included eleven varieties, all of which mad< very promising growth until pods were formed, when excessive rain: seemed to favor the development of anthracnose, which ruined the seed crop. In 1913 and 1914. rabbits destroyed the test when the plant were young and tender. The soy bean grows well here and makes 2 good forage yield when grown on land protected from rabbits. MISCELLANEOUS LEGUMES. Various newly introduced legumes have been tested on the substation ' Among these, guar, jack bean (Ga-navaZ/ia ensifownis), beggarweed, kulth bean, moth bean, velvet bean and Dolichos lablab have produced fai growth, but seem unsuited to the conditions here. Vetch was not foun< very satisfactory as a crop. The winters seem too dry for this crop ALFALFA TESTS. Alfalfa, including both the common and the Turkestan varieties, wa seeded in the. fall of 1911. These plats made very promising growtl the first year, as shown below. 1 Pnoeanss Rnrorur, SUBSTATION No. 1, 1910-1914. 15 Yield Cured Hay, Pounds to the Arce. Variety. First Second Total. Cutting. Cutting Common . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1050 1400 2450 Turkestan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1000 _ 1000 2000 The common alfalfa gave consistently higher yields than Turkestan. After cutting, the plants were irrigated, and later died of cotton root rot disease. Since 1912 other tests have been made with alfalfa, xvith no satisfactory results. CLOVER. Sweet Clover (M eliloius ailba) has been tested and makes good growth here, but it attacked by cotton root rot disease. It makes a heavier growth than alfalfa and seems to grow as well without as with inocu- lation in this soil. This crop has promise in this section when properly used in the cropping system. ' ' Red, White and crimson clovers have been tested on the substation, but have not made satisfactory growth. Crimson clover has been at- tacked by nematodes, which handicapped it seriously. On the lighter land, where abundance of moisture is available, crimson clover shows some promise. The burr clovers have been grown very satisfactorily on the substation since 1912. All varieties tested (six in number) have made very satisfactory growth and are apparently well adapted -to this section. ’I‘hey are especially good during seasons of abundant rainfall. GRAIN SORGHUM VARIETIES. Gratin sorghum is a dependable crop in this section. Some work has been done toward comparing the different varieties and strains for grain and forage production. The standard varieties were grown both in 1913 and 1914. Test plats were carried in triplicate each season and both grain and total forage yields secured. The results are shown in the following table: TABLE lib-GRAIN SORGHUM VARIETIESI 1913-1914. l * Cured Forage Yield. Grain Yield. Pounds to Acre. Pounds to Acre. T. S. Variety. ' | No. - 1913 1914 Average. 1913 y 1914 i Average. l 44 Blackhul Kafir . . . . . . . . 7915 6650 7282 244i 22.3 23.35 '46 Red Kafir . . . . . . . . . . . . 8616 3200 6408 11 .0. 8. 1 9.50 43 ilo._ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3586 3360 3473 17.6 12.25 14.91 47 Feterita . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10266, *3400 6333 23.4‘ *7.0 15.20 397 Shallu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7513, 2876 5194 23.4‘ 14.1 18.75 396 Jerusalem Corn . . . . . . . 2777} . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 .91 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *Very poor stand. 16 Thaxas AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. The results in the foregoing table show the best grain yields from blackhul kafir, in both 191.3 and 1914. Shallu a11d feterita both made good grain yields in 1913, but the latter made a poor yield in 1914 on account of a. poor stand. Milo has made only a fair yield the two seasons, while red kafir made a very poor yield. Jerusalem corn also produced very poor grain yields. In forage production the varieties ranked in average yield for the two yYears as follows: blackhul kafir, red kafir, feterita, shallu, and milo. In grain yields the varieties rank in the table as follows: Blackhul kafir, shallu, feterita, milo and red‘ kafir. The feterita would probably have ranked second in the average but for the poor stand in 1914. ‘ GRAIN SORGIIULI SEEDING RATE TESTS. Seeding rate tests were conducted in 1912, 1913 and 1914, and while the results are not as yet considered conclusive, the indications are that the grain sorghums should be planted six to- eight inches apart in the _ row. This work is being continued and will be reported later in detail. SORGO SEEDING RATES FOR HAY. In 1912 a ‘test was conducted in which Sumac and Amber sorgos were used. All plats were in rows three feet apart with the plants spaced in the rows from one-fourth inch to six inches apart. The plats were 1/20-acre in size. The results are shown in the following table: TABLE 14——SORGO SEEDING RATES 1912. Yield Tons Cured Hay to Average Distance Between Plants in Row. the cre. Amber. | Sumac. 1-4 inch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 2.40 t 8.20 1-2 inch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 2.25 8.35 1 inch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.80 y 8.70 2 inches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.35 1 7.80 4 inches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 1.85 l 6.95 6 Inches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..l. 1.45 i 6.15 1 These yields indicate that under conditions of favorable rainfall, such ais existed during 1912, Sumac is decidedly superior for hay to the Amber, and that the thick seedings are more productive than other methods of planting. A supplemental test conducted in both 1912 and 1913, in which two varieties were planted in close drills at 25, 50 and» 100 pounds to the acre, showed the following results: TABLE 15——SORGO SEEDING RATES IN CLOSE DRILLS. . Yield in Tons Cured Hay to the Acre. Rate of Seeding, Pounds Amber. Sumac. Average. tot e cre. - 1912 1913 ' 1912 1913 Amber. Sumac. 25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 3.05 4.75 7.50 8.53 3.90 8.00 50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 4.00 4.95 8.00 9.40 4.47 8.70 75 . . 100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 3.60 4.54 7.00 8.97 4.02 7.98 PROGRESS Rnroar, SUBS'TATION No. 1, 1910-19141. l’? It is seen from the foregoing table that the best yields in this test came also from. the Sumac variety. The test showed, too, that the 50-pound seeding rate gave better yields in both varieties than the 25- or 100-pound seedings. A SUDAN GRASS hIE-THOD OF SEEDING TE-ST. A method of seeding test with Sudan grass was conducted in 1913 with the following results: TABLE l6—SUDAN GRASS METHOD OF SEEDING TEST. _ Yield of Hay in Yield of Seed in Method of Planting. Pounds to the Pounds to the Acre. Acre. fi-3i-foot rows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11240 400 j~l8~inah~rovsws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10420 360 fBroadcast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ’. . . 9400 380 gs l? i it Figure 1.—Sec0nd cutting of Sudan grass, being harvested for hay on July 9, 1913. ' f In the foregoing table it is seen that the three-foot row seeding gave best yields of both hay and seed. SUDAN GRASS ltATE on SEEDING rnsr. 1913 four different seeding rates were tested in duplicate. The i s were cut four times. The last two cuttings were not of much “i i ‘e as the grass had rusted to some extent. 18 TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATlON. TABLE 17—YIELD or HAY SEEDTNG RATE. Rate of Seeding, Pounds to the Acre. _ Total Yield, Tons to the Acre. 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.40 20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4. 40 30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.50 40 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 . 55 In this test, as shown in Table 16, there is practically no difference in yield between the different seeding rates. SUDAN GRASS AND COWPEA MIXTURES. Sudan grass and cowpeas were planted together for hay with unsat- isfactory results. The best yield was had from plats planted t0 a mix- ture made up of 12 pounds of Sudan grass seed and 60 pounds of cowpea seed and seeded at the rate of 72 pounds to the acre. The planting of Sudan grass and cowpeas together on the same land is not l recommended as a general field practice. JAPANESE SUGAR CANE. Japanese sugar cane was planted in 191.2 and made good growth, con- sidering the late summer drouth. In the spring of 1913 a good stand came from the stubble. This was also the case in 1914. Detailed re- sults secured with this crop at this substation are reported in Texas Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin No. 195. TEOSINTE. Teosinte was grown in 1913 and produced a fair crop of forage. \ This crop, however, is not thought to be as valuable for forage in this section as the sorgos. SEED BED PREPARATION. Work was conducted in 1913 and 1914 to secure information as to the best method of preparing the seed bed. The results of this work are shown in the following table: TABLE 18—SEEDBED PREPARATION EXPERIMENT. Yield to Acre. 1912 I 1913 1914 1 Average. Method of l _ Preparing Seed : Seed ' eed 1 Seed Land. Corn Cotton Corn Kafir jCotton Corn Kafir Cotton‘ Corn Kafi Cotton Bu. Lbs. Bu. Bu. Lbs.‘ Bu. Bu. bs. r u. u. Lbs. l : l I Plowed 8-in. 3194i 490 1212i 20.00i 480 33.7 29.66 470 25.9 24.8 480 Plowed 6-in. 26.38. 520 12.77‘ 26.66| 540 34.4 30.33 547 23.1 28.5 535 Plowed 4-in. 19.58 500| 12.77 16.66} 660 33.9 23.99 5901 -18.7 20.3 583 Listed . . . . .. 29.72’ 560, 13.33 10.00; 600 31.8, 30.99 600] 24.9 20.5 586 Plowed12-in. 11.66 *530| 15.00 21.66} 600 29.6‘ 30.33 515‘ 18.7 25.9 548 Not plowed 26.38: 400i 10.27 16.66} *140 24.71 25.16 675‘ 20.4‘ 20.9 405 l i l . *Poor stand. Pnoennss Rnroar, SUBSTATION No. 1, 1910-1914“ 19 It is seen from Table 18 that the best yields were from» corn where V, lie land was plowed eight inches deep or listed eight inches deep. The lbest yields of cotton were from land listed eight inches deep. The st yield of kafir came from land plowed six inches deep, with only a air yield from the listed plats. Based on this work, therefore, it is en that either listing or plowing the land six or eight inches deep is 00d preparation for corn, cotton and kafir. VEGETABLES. y,‘ Asparagus. An asparagus bed was set in 191-1 and has been kept é» for several years. It does very well on this substation, but the soil somewhat too heavy for its best growth. It would do better on_ a eep, loamy soil. This crop requires a soil rich in humus and an undance of moisture. It will thrive when fertilized with barnyard ,_ nure and some salt. The tips must be kept back during the bearing ason. t tBeets. Several varieties of beets were grown with success. Early gyptian and Blood Turnip are very good varieties and are early and nder and will stand well in the field. Sugar beets grow very well are excellent for both table use and stock. They have a fairly fgh sugar content, but it is not sufficient to make them profitable for purposes. y Cabbage. The cabbage crop is usually a. very satisfactory truck crop i this section, Cabbage grows well’ with some irrigation, but does not if‘: well without sufficient water. Flat Dutch and the Drumheads the best varieties. These varieties have produced as high as eight 11's to the acre. Six tons is a normal yield under irrigation. Cauliflower. Cauliflower has not been grown to any great extent, '3 with care and irrigation it will make very fine yields. It will not old as high as the cabbage, but will easily make one ton to the acre. owball, Gilt Edge, and Dwarf Erfurt are the best varieties. Snow- l is exceptionally good on account of the fact that it has a tendency 1 cover the head with its own leaves and makes blanching easier. ‘Lettuce. Lettuce is a crop that produces well here. Of the vari- . tested, Big Boston, Wonderful, and California Cream Butterhead the best. The best yield secured from lettuce in eighteen-inch was two tons to the acre. Fertilizing with nitrogenous fertilizers ;, reases the yield considerably. .Lettuce is a crop that requires con- erable water and without irrigation will do very little in this section. i the plant is stunted in growth by either drouth or cold, it has a dency to go to seed instead of making a head. - . potatoes. The potato crop is .not very certain in this section, but ere a light, loamy soil with considerable organicmatter is used, a ‘jr yield is obtained. Some variety testing has been done, as well as Se, fertilizer work, with potatoes. In these variety tests Bliss Tri- Qph, Early Rose, Irish Cobbler and Gold Coin have yielded best. _ of the best varieties is the Bliss Triumph. As a rule, the earlier toes are the best in ‘this section. 20 TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. In the fertilizer test, Bliss Triumph was the variety used. The fer- tilizer was applied by hand at the time the potatoes were planted and was mixed in the row with a. sweep and the potatoes planted by hand. All plats were cultivated three times. This test was made in the fall. $ :3“. i TABLE 19——YIELD OF POTATOES IN FERTILIZER TEST. _ Average Yield, Fertilizer Used. Bushels to the Acre. None—check plat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53.21 Cotton seed meal, 400 pounds to acre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 .50 None—check plat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66.00 Acidphosphate, 400 pounds to acre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59.63 None—check plat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63.24 Sulphate of potash, 400 pounds to acre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . l 52.24 None—check plat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ’ 65. 99 Cotton seed meal, 200 pounds to acre; acid phosphate, 200 pounds to acre. . 89.83 None—check plat . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56.33 Cotton seed meal, 200 pounds to acre; acid phosphate, 200 pounds to acre; sulphate of potash, 200 pounds to acre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80.66 The foregoing test averages are from a duplicate test. The average of all check plats is 60.95 bushels. _ It will be noticed that the plats receiving cotton seed meal alone make a slight increase over the unfertilized plats, but that- the plats which received sulphate of potash alone and acid phosphate alone did not average as high as the average of the check plats. The highest yield is made by the plats receiving acid phosphate and cot-ton seed meal in combination, and the second best yield is from a complete fer- tilizer. In the combination involving sulphate of potash, it will be noticed that the yield is not as good as where the sulphate of potash- is left out. This may indicate that the presence of the sulphate hinders the assimilation of the other elements. While the results of this test are not conclusive, the work done in- dicates that acid phosphate in combination with a nitrogenous fertilizer will be beneficial and in all probability the best fertilizer for potatoes in this soil, which is a Victoria loam. * Tomatoes. Tomatoes are very successful here. Earliana, Stone, Acme, and Dwarf Champion are among the best varieties. Three tons of tomatoes to the acre is n.ot an exceptional yield. It is necessary to irrigate to produce satisfactory crops, and spraying with Bordeaux mixture and Paris-green is necessary to the best success. In fertilizer tests, a complete fertilizer at the rate of 300 pounds to the acre, made- the highest yield—3.6'7 tons to the acre. Nitrogenous fertilizers in combination with acid phosphate made the next highest yield—3.36 tons to the acre. These tests indicate that in this soil a complete fer- tilizer is essential and that the nitrogenous fertilizers are most important. Onions. This section is well adapted to onion culture and in the- past much work has been done with this cron. In recent years very little has been done in this connection. The Bermuda onion is by far. the best variety for this country. The White Bermuda, Chrystal “Wax- 9 J PRoGRnss REPORT‘, Sunsrixiiron No. 1, 1910-1914. 21 Bermuda and the Bed Bermuda. are the best, probably in the order mentioned. Yields of from fifteen t0 twenty tons to the acre have been made with the Bed and White Bermuda onions. The Northern varieties do not do well here and they keep very poorly. Radirishes. The radish crop is very successful in this section. Owing to the very quick maturity, a succession of crops can be produced until hot weather. There is usually a strong Northern market for radishes. - French Breakfast, Scarlet Globe, Scarlet Turnip, and Half Long Scar- let are the best varieties. Either of these varieties produces about 10,000 bunches to the acre. Peas. Little work has been done with peas. They do not fill out well or make a very satisfactory yield here. Acid phosphate helps them (~14? Figure 2.—-Earliana tomatoes grown in 1912, showing method of staking. These plants have been pruned. considerably in combination with a nitrogenous fertilizer. Extra Early’ Alaska, Marrowfat and Gradus are among _the best varieties. They yield from 800 to 1000 pounds of green peas to the acre. Beans, Green. The beans do very well here as a rule, but they are subject to the attack of anthracnose to some extent. Burpee’s String- less Green Pod and the Bountiful are good varieties and yield from one to two tons of green beans to the acre. Bea-as, Dry. The dry bean industry is of some importance in this section. The chief variety for this purpose is the California Pink, commonly known as the frijole bean. These beans are capable of making two goodcrops a year, one in the early spring and the other in the fall. The average yield is about 500 pounds to the acre. The crop usually brings a good price. 22» lhaxiis Aeniouuruinu. EXPERIMENT SIATLOX. CITRUS FRUITS. The citrus fruit trees suffered severely during the winters of 1910- 1911 and 1911-1912. The season of 1912 was begun with the old trees frozen almost to the ground. 'l‘hese trees recuperated rapidly, made a good growth, and in 1913 bore some fruit. A very good crop was pro- duced in 1914.. The table below shows the varieties of oranges grown, the number of trees of each variety, and the average yield in 1914, to the tree, of each variety: TABLE 20—YIELD OF ORANGES 1914 Forty-two varieties; 323 trees. _ Number Average Number Variety. and Age of Fruits to the Trees. Tree. Satsuma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171 (all ages) 248 guga}: . . . . . . ._ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ea“ ages; 388 ave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . t a ag Carnegie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 (younge)s i 13 Jaffa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 éall ages) 48 Pineapple . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 all ages) 74 llclarspin Brovén . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . g gall age)s) 1g? an arm, mg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . oung ‘ Mandarin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 (Z11 ages) 63 Mandarin, Oneca._ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 (old) 170 Mandarin, Tangerin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 (all ages) 49 Old Vlni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 (all ages) 81 Madam Vinous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 (all ages) 62 ly/Izignuim Bonum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . g gall ages) a enc a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : oun Rub . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .- . . . . . . . . . . . . . .' 4 (Z11 agges) 25 Mediterranean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 (all ages) 63 garletornl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . l; éyplung) ) onparie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a e lBiomas%ssal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . g éylodujiigg; oone ar y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . o Maltese Oval . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 (old) 60 Duroi. ._ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .~ 2 (old) 45 Centennial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 (old 36 Majorica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 (old 24 Hybrids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .j 17 (young) 00 The Dugat orange is the most prolific bearer, with the Satsuma rank- ing next. This is usually the case. The Dugat is a very good variety. The Navel produces excellent fruit, but is rather a poor bearer here. This is probably due to lack of moisture. No doubt all the citrus fruits would produce better under irrigation. The Satsuma, while not a very good shipping orange, is very popular and is a very good variety for this section. It is probably more cold-resistant and disease- resistant than most of the round oranges. It is earlier than any other orange in the test, beginning to ripen about October 25 as a rule. It is the last to bloom in the spring and consequently escapes the danger of frost at the time of blooming. It is drouth-resistant and usually goes into the dormant stage early in the winter. ' LEMONS. There are twelve lemon. trees on the substation, representing four varieties. These trees are very tender toward frost, and were more PROGRESS REPORT, sussmnos No. 1, 1910-1914. 2a severely injured in the freezes than any other citrus fruits. In 1914 only on variety produced lemons. One Villafranca tree bore eighteen fruits, which were excellent in quality and flavor. The lemon is not a commercial crop in this section. It is killed back almost every winter so that it willnot produce fruit. POMELO. The pomelo (grapefruit), while less frost-resistant than the orange, produces very Well here. Tn the table below are shown the number of s» e7 Figure 3.——-Showing Satsuma orange trees on Experiment Station farm. This is the most successful variety here. gtrees, the varieties represented, and the average yrield for the season ,f 1914: TABLE 2l——POMELO YIELD-—1914. %\ _ Average Number Variety. Number of of Fruits to the ' Trees. Tree. uncan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 (all ages) 49 arsh Seedless . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 (young) 5 y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 (young) 21 wen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 (old 160 umph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 (old 54 _ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 (old) 2-7 Silver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 (old) 96 ambuco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 (old) 89 yal. . _ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 90 Of the nine varieties, the Duncan, Pernambuco, and Royal are proh~ ply the best in quality. The Royal is almost lacking in the usual tter taste of the pomelo and for that reason is popular. The Marsh dless variety is not seedless, but has somewhat fewer seeds than st varieties. These yjicltls in 1914 are not representative. It is 24 ‘Texas AenrooLifunan EXPERIMENT STATION. ' not uncommon for these trees to produce from three hundred to five hundred fruits. KUMQUATS. The kumquat is a variety of small citrus fruit resembling a small orange. Of this fruit there are two varieties on the substation, the Marumi and the Nagami. Both are of Japanese origin. The Marumi is a small, round kind, from one-half to three-quarters of an inch in diameter. The Nagami is an elongated variety, about three-fourths of an inch long and one-half inch in diameter. This fruit is eaten with- out removing the peel and has a very pleasant taste, though somewhat acid. The fruit is used principally for marmalades and preserves. There are on the substation thirty-six trees of the Nagami variety and twenty-eight of the Marumi variety. They are both very prolific and are almost constant bearers, there being only about four months of the year in which there is no ripe fruit. It is a beautiful, shrub- like tree, or bush, and serves excellently for ornamental purposes. - It is budded on Trifoliata stock, like other citrus fruits, or may be budded on sour stock. The tree is hardy and very cold-resistant. CITRUS ORCHARD MANAGEMENT. To get the best growth and production of fruit, it is necessary to handle the citrus orchard carefully. It is best in the early spring t0 plow the orchard to a depth of about eight inches if it has been regu- larly plowed to that depth. If it has never been plowed that deep, it is advisable to not plow more than one inch deeper than is usual. After plowing, the land should be well harrowed and the entire orchard kept as free from weeds and in as thorough a state of cultivation as possible up to about the first of September. _Then cultivation should cease. It may be desirable to plant some fal.l cover crop in the orchard to take up the excess of moisture and prevent the growth of the trees in winter. It is very essential that the trees become dormant in time to escape the winter freezes. If cultivated through the winter, the moisture is conserved and the trees will have a tendency to continue growth. The cover crop not only helps to keep the trees from growing, but urill add humus and some nitrates as well if legumes are used. The legumes are probably the best to use- for this purpose. The Canada field pea and burr clover make good cover crops. Where the rust mite is present, it is advisable to spray with lime- sulphur solution in the spring and early summer before hot weather. It is best to spray first at the time the little fruits are about setting. If scab is present, Bordeaux mixture should be used for spraying. The lime-sulphur solution is also good for scales, as are the kerosene emul- sions. During dry seasons it is necessary to irrigate the orchards to get a good crop of fruit. It is very probable that irrigation atregular in- tervals urould help the yield and growth of the trees very rnateriallv. PROGRESS REPORT, SUBSTATION No. 1, 1910-1911. T25 ORCHARD HEATING. As a rule, the xvinters in this section are comparatively mild, but“ occasionally the temperature gets rather 10W for citrus fruits. On these occasions it is necessary to take steps to protect the trees from freezing. In 1911 orchard heaters were tried for the first time on this substation. The results of this heating work have been published in Bulletin No. 148, xvhich describes the use of the heaters and shows some of the re- sults of their use. It is very doubtful whether the trees could have been saved WlthOUt the use of these heaters, as many orchards in this section were killed at that time. It is possible to raise the temperature on an average of about seven degrees Fahrenheit. This will mean a great deal when we consider that eighteen degrees Fahrnheit is the critical temperature. Seven degrees, therefore, will add a great deal, Figure 4.——Arbor vitae hedge used as windbreak on northwest side citrus orchard. This makes an excellent windbreak here. to the safety of the tree. In the use of orchard heaters one great’ dif- ficulty presents itself. The heaters are very hard to refill in cold weather on account of the paraffin base of the oil which must be used. This oil will congeal to such an extent that it will not flow when cold. Oil with an asphaltum base would obviate this trouble. The cold weather here is usually attended with strong north winds which also make the retention of heat almost impossible. To prevent this, for protection against these winds, windbreaks are used around parts of one orchard. These help very materially and are recommended for protection to orchards. Chinese arbor vitae and Legusirulm Japonrica are excellent windbreaks. The latter makes the better growth in a short time. 26 ’.I_‘Ex.-is AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. IIISOELLANEO US FRUITS. A number of miscellaneous fruits have been grown with more or less success. Peaches and plums have done indifferently Well. Figs are uncertain and the trees soon die of root rot disease. Grapes have not made a satisfactory showing, though early records show some fairly ' good yields. The peach is an uncertain crop in this section. The Florida Gem peach is one of the best varieties here. Plums are only reasonably certain of production. Some plums have produced good crops. i Of these, the Bartlett, the Wickson, Excelsior, and the El Paso varieties are the best. Pears are of little value here, though the Garber and Sewanee varieties have borne some inferior fruit. The persimmon produces well here, and the Tsuru, Yeddo Ichi, Yemon Hoyokume, and Tanni Nachi varieties have borne well. The fruit is very good, but is depredated upon to a considerable extent by birds. A number of other fruits have been tested Without satisfactory re- _ sults. Apples-have been practically a failure, and apricots are uncertain. SMALL FRUITS. Blackberries. This crop is very satisfactory here under irrigation. No accurate acre "yields have been taken owing to the difficulty in gath- ering the berries, but they are successful, command a very good price, and have a ready sale as a rule. Derzubcrr/ies. Dewberries are very good and are considerably earlier than the blackberries. They do better under irrigation. Shrz/wbervwrs. The strawberries do very well, but are difficult to carry through the summer. It is necessary to irrigate them and to mulch they well in order to save the plants. SUMMARY. This is a progress report covering the Work on this substation from 1910 to and including 1914, and is a summary rather than a detailed record. . Substation No. 1, Beeville, having been established in 1895, is the oldest of the substations of the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station. Results from this substation have been published in earlier bulletins. The farm land on which the work of the substation is done is rep- resentative of this part of the State. - Records of the maximum and minimum temperatures, precipitation, and first and last frosts are presented for the years 1910 to 1914, inclusive. The precipitation record shows that there are “two marked periods of rainfall, these being in the spring and fall. The normal annual rainfall is a. trifle less than thirty-txvo inches. Extensive cotton variety tests were conducted in 1912, 1913 and 1914. Several of the best yielding cotton varieties are named. The ones ranking highest in order are: Mebane, King. Unknown and Rowden. x PROGRESS ltnroizr, SUBSTATION No. 1, 1910-1911. 27 Extensive corn variety tests were conducted. in 1912, 1.913 and 1914. The varieties xvhich have made the best average yields are Thomas and Surcropper. i ' Corn yields are sometimes reduced because of drouth, and for this reason a perfect stand should not be thicker than feet for each stalk. Variety tests of peanuts were conducted in 1912 and 1913. The Spanish has made much the best yields. The best yields of_ peanuts have been secured from heavy stands. Burr clover has been grown very satisfactorily. Alfalfa has not been a satisfactory crop. Grain sorghum variety tests have been conducted, blackhul White kafir having made the best yields. Sumac sorghum has made better storage yields than Amber. Sudan grass in three-foot rows has given better yields than in eighteen-inch rows or broadcast. When broadcasted, heavy seeding rates have given slightly larger yields than light seeding rates. In a seedbed preparation test covering three years, good yields have been obtained from land which was either plowed or listed. six or eight inches deep. Results of tests and experiments with vegetables are presented and recommendations made as to the best varieties and the best methods of producing beets, cabbages, cauliflower, lettuce, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, radishes and beans. An extensive series of variety tests with forty-two varieties of oranges, consisting of 323 trees. is reported upon. The Dugat and the Satsurna are judged to be the two best varieties and are making very satisfactory yields. The lemon is not a satisfactory crop. Pornelo (grapefruit) is less frost-resistant than the orange, but is pro- dueing very Well. A variety test of nine varieties. including 55 trees in all, is reported upon. The Duncan, Pernambuco and the Royal varieties are especially recommended. The kurnquat, a fruit, used principally for marnialades and preserves, is very successful. Recommendations for the management of citrus orchards are made. Peaches, plums, figs, grapes, pears, apples and apricots have been tested with indifferent results. The persimmon makes very satisfactory yields. Strawberries are difiicult to carry through the summer. Blackberries and dewberries do very well in this region and there is a good demand for the fruit.