Aw? dae ; ad nors ees eeor ey Seca SS % eS Hate So ee rar Aa! NC es Rta r8 oh a i é ’ Mea = ‘: . ; a ae : . 2 ate he Ai, a a % eeoheecn a nEaghe te - Vie, i ‘ - tad A z may oer as) 3 2 oa c w 2 ~ 3 a ae yee, “a halo PERL De ats Sang, ot: aw epee RY Fone eas ion ALA #3 Be 74 eA : AP eae A ees Mh Mes a jh 9 kb 4 en Pe ayaa 3 : wen ty ae ool = Sor asta a ate . rs rita Ses ; ett ‘vy ; = : . ‘ eo re “ es 5 yt co : ET Se : . ‘ Fee. an, At) , ‘<= ee 2 i Ti mn Ww Mi . be eR v SPai k's by" — (eur. ase on aes te MF EBS ee ~ wise ‘ wt a Rete of S - wee A St Sige Sonal > ae Fetes | 83354742 a a ™ ee ee es aera Se eae | re rage etis ay coe Son et . : va sy Pe, efeice Sows ne? _ Ponte Fe 7a Ne as 1 SSAA SS ee Ot TN SS Ss Uy, J ee LAL / oe } 2, A. 4 AOR Spar (5 i “D) ®* ¢ ein * Le ibrary ait /} 1 gift from > > > ae "3 Bos 8 Bas ons Bg Mees ee — ig al : — Lad = oO | a4 es | tea | 728) G8 | 4eee Si 2S" eBoy re oS | eee 5 3 2S ea | age Son Sg os o Sem | sp 2 O38 _s o@ . ee RAs ee ee a 82 2 Hoa ® °F I 53 46 28 85 61 3 2 70 45 105 64 2.3 3 107 | 93 52 117 56 2.2 4 133 116 67 102 58 1.5 5 160 139 86 135 62 1.6 6 187 163 85 123 | 52 1.5 7 245%) 186 93 135 | 50 15 8 133 116 62 116 54 1.9 9 133 J16 60 ELEQS 52 1.6 Io 133 116 61 122 53 2: II 133 | 116 58 114 | 50 2 12 133 116 57 JII 49 2. 13 133 116 54 88 ae am 1.6 14 133 | 116 55 III 47 2 This table shows that when the oats were sown at varying rates, of from one to four bushels per acre, there should have been from 53 to 214 1888. FIELD EXPERIMENTS IN OATS. 2 9 seeds sown on I-10,000 of an acre (about 4.4 sq. ft.). Since 87 per cent. of similar seed germinated under favorable conditions, from 46 to 186 of these seeds were capable of germinating. Four weeks after sowing, from 28 to 93 plants were found growing in 1-10,000 of an acre in these plats; that is, from 50 to 64 per cent. of the seeds capable of germinating pro- duced plants. In general, the larger proportion grew where the seeding was thinnest, although there were marked exceptions. On eight plats, each sown at the rate of two and one-half buithels per acre, 51 per cent. of the seeds capable of germinating gave plants, or 44 per cent. of the seeds sown. The average number of plants at harvest on 1-10,000 of an acre, on plats sown with different quantities of seed, varied from 85 to 135, or from about 20 to 30 per square foot. At harvest the number of stalks was from 1.5 to 3.3 times the number of plants growing May 11th, on the plats sown at the rate of two and one- half bushels per acre; the average number of stalks was a little less than two from each plant or stool. Not all the plants counted May 11th came to maturity. SUMMARY. The trial was made in 1888, a season favorable for the oat crop in central Illinois, except for injury by a violent storm July roth. The soil was a prairie loam of good quality, and the land had been manured and plowed the autumn previous. The plats were small, generally one-fortieth of an acre. Welcome oats, a white variety of good reputation, were used in each experiment. The rate of yield per acre of oats sown broadcast, at rates varying from one to four bushels per acre, varied from 52.5 bushels from sowing one bushel, to nearly 64 bushels from sowing two and one-half bushels peracre. There was but little variation in the plats sown at rates varying from two to three and one-half bushels per acre. The largest yield in any trial was at the rate of 66.3 bushels per acre, when two and one-half bushels had been sown per acre. The largest yield of straw was at the rate of 5,220 ih. per acre, when three bushels had been sown. With plats sown at intervals of one week from April 6th to April 27th, with other conditions as nearly similar as possible, the earliest sow- ing gave a yield at the rate of 66.3 bushels per acre; about nine bushels more than from sowing one week later, and about seventeen bushels more than from either of the still later sowings. The yield of straw in each case was at the rate of about 5,000 tb. per acre. The later sowings came up more quickly and were but three days later in ripening. Of selected kernels planted in rows and covered at depths varying from one to six inches, the more shallow plantings came up first, headed first, and ripened a little the earliest. The largest yield was from seed covered three inches; the next, from that covered four inches; the next rom that covered one inch. 30 BULLETIN NO. 3. [ Movember, Oats sown on a moderately loose seed bed yielded at the rate of 66.3 bushels per acre, about six bushels more than when the seed bed was either more compact or very loose. The difference in yield of straw was still more directly in favor of the moderately loose seed bed. } Thirteen per cent. of the kernels of oats apparently of good quality and vitality failed to germinate under favorable conditions. In broadcast seeding in field plats, little more than 55 per cent. grew in any case, and an average of only 44 per cent. grew on eight plats. The average number of stalks in each stool was less than two in the broadcast seeding. Testing the vitality of oats designed for seed should be a common practice. With ordinary methods of field culture, probably less than one- half the kernels sown produce mature plants. a een +--+ GERMINATION OF GRASS AND CLOVER SEEDS. TESTS AND OBSERVATIONS IN CONNECTION WITH EXPERIMENTS NOS. 16-24. There are four things which may affect the stand which may be obtained from seed sown in ordinary farm practice: (1) the quality and quantity of the seed; (2) the condition of the seed bed; (3) the depth to which seed is sown; (4) the character of the season. This inquiry relates to the first of these conditions. The germinating power of grass and clover seeds is manifestly as important as that of corn; but while an insufficient stand of corn is usually attributed to poor seed, a like trouble with grasses and clovers is commonly charged to the character of the season. The Station obtained from a reputable seedsman seeds of nineteen varieties of grasses and clovers. These, together with timothy and medium clover seed of home growth, were sown for purposes of experi- ment, such as comparison of varieties on small areas; growing on large areas for making feeding tests of varieties and mixtures; and sowing vari- eties with and without grain. In this case it was not practicable to test the germinating power of varieties before sowing them; but samples were preserved and a test made, beginning June 2oth, with the Geneva germinating apparatus invented at the New York Agricultural Experiment Station, Geneva, to the officers of which this Station is indebted for a model of the apparatus. It consists of a pan made of tinned copper, 9x14 inches, and 3 inches deep, in which are folded two pieces of cotton flannel so as to make 50 pockets. The pockets are held in place by an equal number of copper rods resting on a shoulder around the inside of the pan, a little below the top. Care is taken to have all the pockets of the same depth, so that the water may be so put into the pan as just to touch the bottom of each. The pan is covered with a plate of glass and a place is made for the recep- tion of athermometer. This makes it possible to keep the seeds under Sl “fs meting = LS a tS S22 OS 24 Oo 8 res Co} S TABLE SHOWING GE 6 oS a s & g - sERMINATION OF GRASS AND CLOVER SEEDS; AS TESTED IN GENEVA + 3s + OD 5 ge ae I 2 » GERMINATING APPARATUS. aig & 1 | Orchard ‘D, : eS a eS = 3 sf oO wo rchard grass (. actylis glomerata) icici occ ben lk I9 | 20 A - S = 2 ag 4 3 2| Timothy (Phleum pratense).......... whereby Gorn, Swimmers ie 14 : : ; 3 B 3| 4/9} 0] 0} 0 | 46) 60 = 3 1 @ o cj i EA 3 Perennial rye grass (Lolium perenne)............... 40 | I9 3 8 2 @ 5 rol hd sod PE at a 2 8 Pos y on 2 o 4| Italian rye grass (Lolium [talicum)....... 0.00 eee ee 23| 71 114 5 ololo ns | a ee Pereee n ° g Se ne &S 5 | Tall meadow oat grass (Arrhenatherum avenaceum) . 91%) Tt] oO} 1 13r) 39 4 =I v epee. 6! Vell : 54) 3} 3} 9} 3)1] 1) 0] 4] 0] 0; 1] 0] 60/6 Z 55 0 SOREL ellow oat grass (Avena florescens)... 0 6... eee Oo] Oo} Of o| o| 110 : 2 os aoF $ o wm © | Z| Meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis)................, 46|26| 810/16] o0l0 pee ire hed rt (ate d ee de eh i am oO I 2 a i E Ho 5 8 | Sweet vernal grass (Anthoxanthum odoratum)....... 2) 3; Of o; of O10 2 Ba Bed gd Bg 5 7a = > Oo - are = a 9 | Kentucky blue grass (Poa pratensis)..........0..44. 0; O} oO] Oo] 0] 0 }-0 Ss otael oicaks : ° = pv ote ae = ¥ 10 | Rough-stalked meadow grass (Poa trivialis)........ Oprah 2 ax 6 | Ono ; Ae ae te Cae Maik ees Se 2 8S FSF Sy = 5 |1!| Wood meadow grass (Poa Nemoralis).............. See lis a toto Ble el ted eke de ° = bo Oo 6H % ©, | 12/| Sheep’s fescue (Festuca ovina)........ EN ROE ates O| 21/18! 6 ; 2/1 Gan Rt Bed a ess es 5 eae ao = q 13 | Wood fescue (Festuca duriuscula)......... Re Stine 1} 28) 5] 7 : 210 “ oS had’ ete hooies ee BOOS a HS & | 14| Meadow foxtail (Alopecurus pratensis)...... 0.2... O} 2) O| 41} 0) of 1 Phere Cleats ay = 5 By tar eA Set aS Medium red clover (7rifolium pratense)............ 85; o| o| r}/olo|o!o 2 ape eek eth ek tg AS iis a) tow, 9 be = a & "> | 16| Mammoth red clover (7rifolium medium) ........ x-|95| O} O| OJ Of} Oj} Oo} o Bef OO) O41 B51 88 ie A no} c= om) a s g nm | 17 Alsike clover She set ot TIPOPLAUME IT Moa city tees 87| o| rlo|o|o!ojo Bi pee Oe Red eae eS 96 r= | eo S | 18] Crimson trefoil (77ifolium incarnatum) .. 2 dd Bd tcl oe fi é 5 aS wp eB OER Gs Whi TY OMUM UNCATHQALUMY) «eee eevee 4 Ij oj OJ O} OJ O| 9] O}| O| O o!|o as Be 22 3 2 eo we Ig ite clover ( Tif olitim FepEenMs) soos, ve ecvcs es ss JOA Ele 2 ONCOdS ES Oe 218° Ms a 6 oa Z ai oS, a 20 | Alfalfa (Medicago sativa)...... BUsie rasp area ete oe 4 A hanes Sh Bao Fal ia Oe SI | Fe ah pal (id Beat 28 ‘5 4s" 5090 8 gg Red-top (Agrostis vulgaris) ..... eat ey 4 0; 9; 0} 1/0); 3] 8 | 51) 64 ; = Peeae 5 ae BS isle’ Sonn ek A Mii ase pit en ee epee na eee Btelarets area SS 2}0/0/90/0};90] 0] 0] 0} 10] 9g | 41| 60 5 7 wm 2 SERS ie = a le a oe) eq asso 8 oO Meee be SETS oO SR oO a) “s O'; oA BS OW Ps 4 oO OMn uns BS A, 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 ¢ase 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- i , : ; 1888.] | ‘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- ABLE SEEDS PER SQUARE FOOT. No. seeds | re eat ee Be oe kis eae per gram. 53 (S83 |o 8) 08 e808 <7 Net joa) WU ee 7u8 | Os Sak | |) SEIS OMS vi ae & "hf oo B va * © | o| | #2 | se2| See lgcee rg er @ So n| oO co 5 moe Sols | SS | es | 81 32 |ge82 * > Bah? er : a PS | Bie eo} Se ) eo Be ip Pee o| & | ay 0 tog g ys aoe ; o 4.8.) .or8 oie: = a Sa & py Ne = ees o8 5 D Gaga fy SEAR RES Ah 5° og! og Say Pgs Bag ie a el a Ba HOTONATG < OV ASS 2.5.5 vig Sole, 0 de 1006} © 457,272) 640,000] 35 | 368 169 PPMPMROLNY os iat ce othe ty 3127| 7 |1,421,363|1,184,000] 15 | 490 314 3 |Perennial rye grass........... 539} © | 245,000! 250,000! 60 | 337 226 4 |Italian rye grass............ 607| 0 | 275,909! 432,000) 60 | 380 118 5 ;Tall meadow oat grass........ 3421 0 | 155,454} 336,000] 4o| 143 86 6 |Yellow oat grass....... Pra orriis 2430} © |1,104,545)1,188,000) 30 | 761 ° 7 \Meadow fescue............. 613| 1 | 278,637) 416,000 30 | I92 154 8 [Sweet vernal grass........... 1406] 10 | 639,091|1,136,000) 30 | 440 22 9 |Kentucky blue grass.......... 4807 | 12 |2,185,000|3,888,000; 40 | 2006 fe) 10 |Rough-stalked meadow grass. .| 5982 | 0 |2,719,091/3,472,000) 30 | 1873 56 11 |Wood meadow grass......... 4763 | § |2,165,000|2,768,000) 30 | 1491 45 TAGISDEEP S TESCUES Foi. odio sa ieis oce'ee I7f 0 | 781,364/#,024,000} 30 | 539 210 13 |Wood fescue’...-)....... eee ge Ce 1 | 867,272 30 | 507 203 14 |Meadow foxtail.............. 2190| 5 | 995,454|1,216,000) 40 | 914 18 15 |Medium red clover........... 801 2 | 364,091} 256,000] 10 84 71 16 |Mammoth red clover......... 732 | 6 | 332,727} 256,000] 10 76 72 17 |Alsike clover.:.............. 1490| 2 | 677,272 | 7e| 117 | 103 7 4’ 58:\Crimson: trefoil... eet a ss 335 | 6] 152,272 | 10 | * 35 2%) eer MILE “CLOVER 2) 6.) is eidscsce «0747s pre I 4 | 863,181} 512,000 10 | 198 154 PRA oo AS, ee SRA ROS 535 | © | 243,181} 203,600) Io 56 29 MUON 5, oes seep harbiye eet t |4,135,909|7,800,000| 30 | 2849 | 1168 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, v f \ € 34 BULLETIN NO. 3. [Movember, 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 are 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; 1888.] + ~+~+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. ‘aah