VOL. LXVII
INDIANAPOLIS, FEB. 17, 1912.
NO. 7
Agriculture at Urbana, Illinois
A   Great    Short    Course.
GROWING   BIG   CROPS,   AXD   LIVE
STOCK FARMING.
Fur two weeks the Corn Growers'
and Stockmen of Illinois met at the
Illinois  Agricultural   College at Urbana,
to   hold   their     annual   —	
convention. This gathering corresponds in
that state to the
Farmers' Short Course
held annually at Pur-
elue In this state for a
week each winter.
Whilo not so largely
attended as the Short
Courses held at Purdue
the convention at the
Illinois University continued for two weeks,
Kiving time for those
in attendance to do
more complete work
and enter into their
studies thoroughly.
Lectures Each Day.
Three lectures a day
wore given on topics
of general interest to
agriculture. The remainder of each day-
was devoted to work
In corn judging, farm
inachanics, judging of
live stock, study of
soils, crop production
and special instruction in dairying. Time
was devoted, two afternoons to visiting
the    various     buildings
and      departments      of   	
the university. Trips were taken to
the large greenhouses where tropical
ferns, palms and bananas were growing as in their native homes. Long
beds of carnations and sweet peasl
w,re seen ln full bloom. Work was
'eeing done in the breeding and selection of these flowers to secure new
varieties, or brighter colors, or a more
i"'?feHt flower in one way or an-
ether.
Illinois Soils.
In another greenhouse work was
>eing carried on in the most practical
«ay with typical types of Illinois soils,
dimples of soil had been shipped in
from various representative parts of
'he state. Each of these samples had
'*en divided into several parts and to
each part some form of plant food had
''een added in proportions that it
•could be advisable to use under Held
""ditions. To one, nitrogen was add-
'■'1. to anothe^r nitrogen and potash.
u> another lime was added in addition to the plant foods, etc., until all
combinations were tried. The soil was
then placed in large crocks and seeded
to wheat and as the wheat grew care-
visitors also saw the stock being cared for in the best way possible.
Farm Mechanics Features.
They also visited the Farm Mechanics building and examined various
kinds of implements, gas engines, etc.
In this department an interesting
course of lectures was    given  on such
best late oats. H. J. Sconce, Sldell,
ween the sweepstakes in wheat. This
was winter wheat. J. T. Mallaney,
Kankakee, had the best spring wheat
exhibited
Cotton Growing in  Illinois.
An interesting exhibit that attracted considerable attention was a
bale of cotton raised by the Experiment Station at one of their stations
at Unionville, Illinois. The cotton
was of the lint variety and yielded 179
Live Stock Judging at the Illinois University  Short  Course.
ful
records   were     taken.    The     same
treatment was given to alfalfa cul-
\ur*a in both innoculated and in non-
innoeulated soils. These records are
'ttendeel to be published in bulletin
°rm   by   the  experiment   station.    The
subjects as, planning a tile drainage
system, installing the system, binder
and mower troubles, care of farm machinery, construction of roads and
concrete bridges, work with cement,
construction of cement posts, farm
sewage, disposal, gas engine troubles,
farm   power   plants,   etc,   etc.
Tlie Grain Exhibits.
Another interesting feature of the
convention was the exhibit of corn
and grain. Each person who attend-
eel was requested to bring at least one
ten-ear exhibit of corn of his raising
to be entereel in the exhibit. The
corn remained the property of the exhibitor so that the corn growers showed their best corn. Several silver cups
were given as special premiums. Not
only was there- a good exhibit of corn
but some good oats and wheat were
also shown.
Prize Winners in Grain Growing.
The winners of the grain contest
were as follows. Best ten ears of yellow corn, any variety. W. G. Griffith,
VcXahb; best ten ears white corn,
any variety, Ardanna Seed Farm, Xu-
man. The sweepstake, the grand
champion single ear. was also won by
W. G. Griffith. The winners of oats
were John F. Smith, Savoy, winner
of sweepstakes in early oats; and C.
E.   Russell,   Monmouth   winner   of  the
pounds per acre To understand more
clearly the possibilities of growing
cotton like this, one has only to compare it with the 158 pound average
yield per acre in the state of Georgia
for a period of 45 years, 1866 to 1910.
In connection with the Short
Course, the Illinois Corn Growers' Association held their business session
and  selected  the  following  officers:
President, C. A. Rowe, Jacksonville;
Secretary, L. F. Maxey, Curran; Treasurer,  H.   A.  Winter.
The Illinois Co.rn Breeders' Association nnd the Illinois Alfalfa Growers
also   held   their  annual   meetings.
Alfalfa a Profitable Crop.
One day was largely given up to a
discussion of alfalfa growing. i>res-
ielent Grout, of Winchester, 111., compared the value of alfalfa with other
crops. The average net return from
corn, he said, was $9.38 per acre. The
average net profit from oats per acre
is $2.45. Alfalfa on his farm produces
5 tons of hay per acre and the expense
of preparing the ground is not all
charged to the alfalfa crop but divided for several crops in the rotation.
He believes that with many Illinois
farmers alfalfa is the most profitable
crop. On the Experiment Dairy
Farm where alfalfa ls fed and milk
sold it ls estimated that the value of
alfalfa  for     feed   is  $27.81     per   acre.
When the butter fat is sold this estimate is even higher, being $30.95 per
acre.
Growing  Clover.
Upon another day clover was the
chief topic of discussion among those
studying crop production. Mr. F. I.
Mann, of Gilman, gave a talk in which
he brought out many helpful points
from his own experience in growing
clover. He said that he Is always
more  successful     with  a  clover    crop
    when  he sows  it  thick,
a peck to the acre on
new ground or a bushel to six acres on old
clover ground. He
liked the mixture of
10 pounds red clover,
3 or 4 pounds alsike
and 2 pounds of timothy. The red clover
roots go deep, about
five feet sometimes.
Above these the alsiko
roots are found and
above the alsike roots
are the timothy roots.
In this way the meest is
gotten out of the soil.
When all the soil is
thus occupied by roots
it becomes more porous and is capable of
taking up and holding
more moisture. Just
as much clover is produced and in addition
there is the timothy.
Mr Mann believes that
this mixture proeltie-es
a more lasting humus
when the crop is turned under than when
clover is grown alone.
The speaker's experience led him to believe that  the  best seed
    Is produced on land   not
rich in nitrogen. This element
of plant food stimulates the
growth of foliage. Two factors
in the production of clover seed
are to get rid of insects and weeds.
Clip clover high if weeds are numerous to get rid of the weed seeds. To
get rid of Insect pests cut the clover
for first cutting not later than June
20th. Mr. Mann advised the liberal
use of phosphorous to insure a stand
and if the land  Is sour use lime.
Growing Oats.
A great many people were interes-
teel in the oats crop and an interesteel
discussion took place at the meeting
at which the question of how to increase the oats yield was discussed.
The point was made that most corn
growers shoulel be good oats growers,
first, because the oat crop naturally is
adapted to a prominent place in corn
growing where a rational system of
crop rotation is practiced; second,
both the straw and grain are a most
valuable feed for all kinds of live
stock. Mr. Smith, the speaker, said
th" station was working on securing
an oat that would produce a straw
that was not larger but stronger than
most oats that is commonly sown.
Lodging is a great draw-back to a
large oats yield. Other points they
are working on are, to secure a disease
resisting  variety    and   a  variety    that