I J United States Department of Agriculture, BURKAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY, Western Irrigation Agriculture, WASHINGTON, D. C. THK WORK OF THE HUNTLEY RECLAMATION PROJECT EXPERIMENT FARM IN 1913. 1 Bj Dan Hansen nl INTKOIM ( [TON. The experiments carried on at the Huntley Experiment Farm are concerned chiefly with crops under irrigation, although a tract of about 20 acres of land lying above the irrigation canal is devoted to leriments with dry-land crops. This dry-land work is under the direction of the Office of Dry-Land Agriculture and includes crop rotation and tillage experiments. The experiments with crops under irrigation include crop rotation and tillage methods, variety tests of field cmp-., testa of cropping methods, pasture-grass tests, and U of fruit, trees, small fruits, and vegetables. I ONDITIONS ON THK PROJE4 I < I IM VI l< ( l>M)| | |. iN^ The rainfall al the Huntley Experiment Farm during the year 1913 amounted to 11.92 inches, which was about 2 inches Less than the rage f<>r the pasl three years. The period free from frosl was L36 days, :t- compared with 125 days in L912 and 1 1 l days in 191 !. The olimatological observations 1 made during the past three year- are summarized in Table I. > The Humify Kxpariment Farm Is located on the Ha . ij.vcnt tothe '•lie land withheld (ram :it of the Interior at the time of the opening of the project, to be w^ed i* an experiment farm. <>( tlie 2in> i only • tfiroads, tli. -ion canal . and a large le canal. In ind mention • rtmenti tn reclaiming alkaline suit. The work of the firm i> nodal U -ure. Other offices in the Buraan of 11 uu Indnatr :i are Cooperating in tbt irk. A report of the work of the Hunt I.-. Experiment Farm In 1913 .Industry Circulir i:i, issued April l.\ I ' The :is were made in cooperation « itli the Bioph] ~iral Laboratory of the Bureau of flant Industry. r— 14 Table I. — S n mmary of cl i matological observations made at the Huntley Experiment Farm during the years 1911, 1912, ait/l WIS. Precipitation (Inches). Year, etc. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Deo. Total 1911 0.64 .27 .29 0.32 .21 .10 0.41 .40 0.85 2.00 .43 3.29 2.44 1.27 2. 13 0. ^1 1. 14 2. 25 2.20,1. 10 1.05 1.39 1. 19 0.57 2.97 1.43 0.88 3.25 2. 99 0.82 .75 . 15 0.13 .17 11.49 1912 17. OS 1913 11.92 Average.. .40 .21 .27 1.09 2.33 | 1.82 1.39 1.21 1.66 ] 2.34 .67 .10 13.46 Evaporation i Inches i 1 1 1 1911 ' 1 4.388 5. 827 7.124 v. 875 6.071 6. 942 6. 959 7. 1120 Mi. 3IJ0 5.079 3. 722 4. 450 2.568 2.475 39.932 1912 1913 4. 900 7. 020 4.300 15.980 2S. 050 5. 009 6. 708 7. i,12 iii. 443 4.417 2.521 33. 333 Daily Wind Velocity (Mixes per Holrj. Average: 1911 5.6 5.8 6.3 9.4 13.0 10.1 2.0 2.6 1.0 5.6 6.3 4.5 8.8 17.5 9.2 1.5 1.8 .9 4.5 5.2 3.8 8.8 7.7 5.4 2.7 2.3 1.3 4.6 3.9 3.7 8.7 6.0 8.6 2.3 .6 2.1 4.0 3.7 3.2 7.2 6.5 5.7 21 .8 .8 4.4 4.2 3.6 9.3 8.0 8.8 1.0 .9 .4 4.2 5.6 4.0 10.0 14.7 3.3 1.3 1.5 1.5 5.4 4.2 5.5 7.8 1912 1913 5.6 6.3 5.2 5.9 4.8 5.2 Maximum: 1911 11.6 9.7 11.5 14.6 1912 1913 12.8 11.9 10.8 12.6 12.1 10.5 Minimum: 1911 1.4 1.0 1.5 2.7 1912 1913 .7 1.0 1.6 1.7 .9 1.9 Monthly Temperature (°F.). Mean: 1911 14.2 16.1 39.1 43.2 53. 8 68.5 67.6 64.1 44.8 24.9 23.6 1912 16.6 29.1 18.7 46.5 55.5 66. S 67.2 66.6 50.1 44. 7 3v7 29.7 1913 14.0 17.7 24.0 46.4 55.0 65.9 68.0 70.0 57.3 41.0 3S.2 30.6 Maximum: 1911 50.0 40.0 74.0 77.0 92.0 94.0 97.0 97.5 94.0 S4.5 55.0 55.0 1912 53.0 52.0 62.0 78.0 90.0 99.5 95. 93.0 89.0 79. 69.0 59.0 1913 56.0 63.0 61.0 82.0 89.0 88.0 98. 97. 94.0 81.0 67.0 55.0 Minimum: 1911 -26 -19 - 3 17.0 24.0 40.0 41.0 33.5 28.0 14.0 -20.5 -26 1912 -35 — -27 20.0 32. 36.0 44.0 40.0 24. 17.0 13 1 1913 -32 -21 -25 20.0 31.0 42.0 43.0 44.0 29.0 20.0 14 — o Killing Frosts. Last in sprint;. First in autumn. Year. Minimum Date. tempera- ture. Date. Minimum tempera- ture. Frost-free period. 1911 1912 1913 Mav 36 32 May 13 May 5 31 Sept. 1* Sept. i<; Sept. 19 * F. 28 31 29 Days. 114 125 136 < HOC ( ON PNv The season of 1913 was generally favorable to field crops. Field work was began in early April ami the soil jit this time was in good condition for Btarting crops on account of the heavy rainfall of the previous winter. A drought later in the spring and early in the Bummer, however, made it necessary in a few cases on Bpring-plowed land to irrigate early to insure the germination of heets and other late-planted crops. The first cut ting of alfalfa was generally rather badly damaged by heavy rains that occurred during the latter pari of June. 'The re- mainder of the season, however, was \n\ favorable, and while some difficulty was experienced in harvesting the Bugar-beet crop because of stormy weather, this work was completed in good season. During the year 1913 there were 527 farms on the project, com- prising an area of _':;.. ">77 acres of irrigable land. Of this, nn area of 15,798 acres was in crops. ( )f the crops grown, alfalfa occupied 1,848 acres; sugar heets. 1,475 acres; ami grains, chiefly <>ats and wheat, - "> . 7 7 J acres. Tin' total farm value of the crops grow n in I'M". was $464,697, as compared with $350,771 in 1912. The average farm value per acre <>f crops was $29.35 in 1913, as compared with S'JT..",!! in 1912. The acreage, yields, and farm value of the crops grown on the project in 1013 are stated in Table II. the figures being obtained from the United States Reclamation Service. Tabli II l .■;./.,»//./f the three manured plats waa 14.81 tons per acre, which was 2.04 tons higher than the average yield from unmanured oat land. Potatoes yielded highest <>n manured oal land, the yield being bushels per acre, which was 16 bushels higher than the j ield obtained on oat land not manured. (>ats did besl when planted on land which was in alfalfa in 1912, although one of the six: plats en which oats followed potatoes yielded K-IIt-.v The e beeta • on manun-i - the ' : 'i : higher than any of the eats en alfalfa land. See fig. .;. The results obtained in 1913 indicate that oats can he expected to yield well when grown after either alfalfa, potatoes, or sugar beets. Comparatively low yields were obtained where oats followed corn, wheat, or oat-. The average yield of the four plats of corn was U.95 hushels per acre. There were no very wide differences in the yields from the different plats. The highest yield was obtained where corn followed sugar beets and the lowest where corn followed oats. The hot yield of wheal was Becured where wheat followed sugar beets, and the lowest yield was produced on land which was planted to oats in 1913. Only two plats of flax are included in the rotations. ( ) n one of these, where tlax followed tlax. the yield Was 12.] J bushels per On the other, where fhix followed corn which was hogged off in 1912, the yield was 31.28 bushels per acre. The chief results from the rotation experiments in 1913 are the following: (1) Decidedly better yields were produced with crops grown in rotation than with the same crops grown continuously on the same land. (2) The yields indicate that the practice of plowing under alfalfa and of applying barnyard manure greatly increases the productivity of the soil. (3) The beneficial effect on the soil of growing cultivated crops, particularly sugar beets and potatoes, was strongly indicated. Fig. 3.— Oats on plat K-IV-6. This was the highest yielding oat plat in the rotation experiments in 1913. The oats were grown on land which produced potatoes in 1912, and the yield was 126. s bushels per acre. PASTURING CORN AND ALFALFA WITH HOGS. In connection with the rotation work, experiments in pasturing alfalfa and hogging corn have been carried on. This work is included in one of the 6-year rotations, which is as follows: Alfalfa for tlnee years, followed by corn, flax, and beets. According to the plans the third-year alfalfa plat is to be pastured and the corn hogged instead of being harvested in the usual way. Since the rotations were not started until 1912, no third-year alfalfa was available in 1913, and the second-year alfalfa was pastured. Pasturing alfalfa. — On the alfalfa plat in 1913 only the third crop was pastured, the first and second crops being cut for hay. In pas- tilling the iilfnlfa, the pint was divided into two equal parts and the hogs were pastured alternate week-, on each part. As Boon as the hogs were removed from one part <>f the pasture thai part was irri- gated. By having tin* pasture thus divide. 1. a good growth of alfalfa was Becured and overgrazing was prevented. Figure l Bhows the lilies on the alfalfa pasture on September 10, or 3 l days after the tesl was started, and tlie growth indicates that the alfalfa was not over- grazed. On August 7 >i\ apring-farrowed pigs, averaging 18.66 pounds in weight , were placed on the alfalfa. It soon became apparent thai this nu in her would not keep the alfalfa pastured down, so on August 17 si\ more spring pigs, averaging 67.16 pounds in weight, were added. The alfalfa pasture was supplemented by feeding _' pounds of coin Ki.;. ill/ ■•■..■ ■ >n for per day for each hundred pounds of live weight of hogs. The hogs were taken off the pasture on September 17. During the pasture period the total gain made on the quarter-acre plat was _'ll pounds. or at the rate of s 14 pounds per aero. During the period. 9.9 bushels of corn were fed in addition to the alfalfa pasture. Valuing this corn at 90 cents per bushel and deducting this from the value of the gains made at 8 cents per pound, the net return from the quarter-acre of alfalfa from August 7 to September 17 was $7.97, or an equivalent of $3 1 .88 per acre. The average yield from the third crop on nine com- parable plats of alfalfa in the same field was 1.43 tons per acre. Assuming that the pastured plat produced the average yield, the value of the alfalfa when pastured by hogs was $22.30 per ton. While this test was rather incomplete, because the hog- were on the alfalfa pasture hut a short time, nevertheless the results imli- 8 cate that this means of utilizing the alfalfa crop would be more profitable than to harvest and sell the hay. Hogging corn. — On September 26 four of the hogs used in the alfalfa pasturing test were placed on the quarter-acre plat of corn, their average weight then being 84 pounds. The total gain made during the period of 23 days that the hogs were on the corn was 192 pounds. The average daily gain per hog was 2.08 pounds. The value of the gains made at 8 cents per pound was $15.36 per plat, or $61.44 per acre. It was estimated that the corn plat produced at the rate of 60 bushels per acre. At this rate the value of the gains made by the hogs was equal to $1.02 per bushel for the corn consumed. EXPERIMENTS WITH ALFALFA. Time and method of planting. — An experiment in time and method of planting alfalfa was started in field A-IV in 1911. This experi- ment included early and late planting without a nurse crop, early planting with wheat as a nurse crop, and planting late in 18-inch rows to be cultivated. The 1 rate <;f seeding of alfalfa was 12 pounds per acre except on the plats where the seed was planted in 18-inch rows, in which case the rate was 6 pounds. Wheat in the nurse-crop plats was planted at the rate of 1 bushel per acre. All plats were one-quarter acre in size. The yields on these plats in 1911, 1912, and 1913 are given in Table IV. Table IV. — Yields obtained in the alfalfa-planting experiment on field .1-/1' at the Huntley Experiment Farm in 1911. 1912, and 1913. Date and method of planting. Mav 5, 1911, early June 5,1911, late June 5, 1911, in IS-inch rows May 5, 1911, with wheat as a nurse crop, c in for hay in 1911 Mav 5, 1911, with wheat as a nurse crop, cut for grain in 1911 Num- ber of plats. Average yield per acre (tons). 1911 1912 and 1912 2. 43 2. 00 1.75 2.34 I 46. 7 S. 64 5.35 4.98 5.40 4.93 8.07 7. 35 6.73 '5.40 3 4.93 5.23 5.45 5.11 5.56 :,. 68 Total 3 years. 13. 30 12.80 11. M i 10.96 ' in. f,i i Plus j:.m ions of wheal hay. ■ Bushels of grain. s Plus 46.7 bushels of wheat. From Table IV it will be noted that the total yield of the early plant- ing for three years was somewhat higher than that of the late planting and of planting in 18-inch rows. The greatest differences in yields occurred in the first and second years. The differences in yield in 1913 were not great enough to be significant except in the case of the 18-inch-row planting, where the yield was slightly less than on any of the other plats. In comparing the yields on the nurse-crop plats, consideration must be given to the grain and the grain baj produced the first \ ear. Table V Bhows the relative values of the crops produced on the different plats during the three years, the values being based on the yields obtained and the cost of production by the different methods. Alfalfa and wheat lia\ air Valued at $6 a i"ii and wheat at 65 cents a bushel. Taih h \ I Uua and co$t of produetio tiu alfalfa-planting ■ i mi it, I*! A [Vat i 1 " II \ ilnc uod Nil- I • 1 ■■ plant \Mz -' pl r..u ■ 56.15 44.03 39.58 The experiment was repeated in 1912 in Held A 111. The yields obtained in this field in 1912 and 1913 are given in Table VI. Tabu \ l.— Yitldt ■ alfalfa-p Id A— III at i!<- Number ■ I, 1912, .url v Ji Hi.- 14, 1912, late J u ii.' 14, 1912, ill 18-lni h rows . 1912, wit] » 71 Table VI shows that the results favor early planting when the two years' results are considered, but that there was verj little differ- ence in the yields during the second year. The L8-inch-row planting gave the lOWesI yields during both the first and second years. The yield from the Qurse-crop plats was very little lower in the second year than that from the plats planted without a nurse crop. The value of the crops produced during the two years, together with the value of the crops produced during the first two years on held A- TV, and the average of the two. are given in Table VII. 10 Table VII. — Gross and net values and cost of production of crops in tico alfalfa-planting experiments at the Huntley Experiment Farm, in 1911, 1912. and 1918. Nurse crop cut for — Early planting (3 plats). Late planting (3 plats). 18-inch Value and cost. Grain (2 plats). Hav (2 plats). rows (3 plats). Field A-m (1912-1913): Gross value $54.23 22.90 $41.70 19.77 $31.44 10.83 $24. 18 Cost of production 14.30 31.27 21.93 14.01 9.82 Field A-IV (1911-1912): Gross value 59. 93 28.34 |46. 44 24.66 48.42 20. 79 44.10 24. 39 40.38 Cost of production 22.25 31.59 21.78 21.03 19.71 18.13 Average net value, both fields 31.43 21.78 21.78 17.17 13.97 Table VII shows that the practice of planting alfalfa with a nurse crop and harvesting the nurse crop for grain has been by far the most profitable when the first two years' results are considered and that early planting gave higher returns than late planting. The lowest returns were obtained from the lS-inch-row plantings. Harvesting alfalfa. — A test to determine the effect of cutting alfalfa at different stages of growth was conducted in 1913 on 11 quarter- acre plats in field A— I. The alfalfa on these plats was planted in 1912. The plan of the experiment was as follows: The first cutting of each crop was made at the first appearance of the basal shoots, and later cuttings on the other plats were made at 5-day intervals follow- ing the first cutting. Table VIII shows the yields obtained in this experiment. Table VIII. — Yields of alfalfa obtained in the time-of-cutting experiment at the Huntley Experiment Farm in 1918. [Tons per acre.] First crop. Second crop. Third crop. Fourth crop. Total for year. Number of plats. Date cut. Yield. Date cut. Yield. Date cut. Yield. Date cut. Yield. Num- ber of crops. Yield. June 5 June 10 June 14 June 20 June 25 1.86 2. 33 1.92 1.68 2.51 Julv 17 Julv 27 ...do.... Aw:. 2 Aug. 7 1.36 1.46 1.71 1.73 2. 03 Aug. 22 Aug. 27 Sept. l Sept. 6 Sept. 12 1.44 1.70 1.39 1.43 1.77 Oct. 1 ...do 0.81 .33 4 4 3 3 3 5.47 5.S2 2 5.02 2 4.74 3 6.31 The results indicate that delaying the harvest of the first crop did not have the effect of reducing the yield of the second crop. There was. on the contrary, a consistent increase in the yield of the second crop as the growing period of the first crop increased. The yields obtained in 1913 indicate that three cuttings a year will be more profitable than four cuttings. This experiment will be repeated in 1914. 11 TEST OF PA8T1 BE GRAS81 S A tesl i>f pasture-grass mixtures and Bepaxate grasses was Btarted in the spring of 1013 on a Beries of plats in field A II. The mixtures were planted on quarter-acre plats. The mixtures and the rate of ^<'fi 1 1 i»l: of each grass ami legume in the mixture were aa follows Mixture A contained timothy, i pounds; meadow fescue, 2 pounds; redtop, I pounds; t.ill fescue, 2 pounds Kentucky bluegran i pounds; Italian ry< ! pounds; orchard grass, i> pounds western wheat-grass, 6 pounds; awnless bro mo gr ass (Broi inermif), _' pounds; ami perennial rye-eja.ss, 1 pounds. 4 S i^\ - , * 1 j*^ '- Fig. 5.— Flat of orchar '. -.-.-* after planting in 1013, showing the tbiok, unifonn sfan.l and rona pro\rth. The :inel at the Hnntle; Fxperiment Firm In 1 • that Mixture 1'. was the .-.une .i-> A except that -' pounds each of white . lover and alsike clever per acre were added, and mixture C was the same as B except thai 2 pounds • •! alfalfa per acre were seeded with I ~ and cUn Mixtures A ami B were planted "ii very heavy s.>il ami only a fair stand « A very good stand was secured with mixture C. Tl pastures can bi 'lished on the Huntley project Itisi that ts will he made in I'M I to determine the carrying capacity of the pasture mixtt planted in 1913. In order to determine which of the grasses included in the mixtures mentioned were best adapted to the conditions on the project, each of those grasses was planted separately in twentieth-acre plats. All of the grasses made excellent growth during the first year, except timothy. Kentucky bluegrass, western wheat-grass, and redtop. A plat of orchard eras- i- shown in figure •"'. 12 FIELD CORN. A test of corn varieties, to determine those maturing earliest and best suited to conditions on the project, was conducted in 1913 in cooperation with the Oilice of Corn Investigations. Seven varieties were used in the test. These varieties yielded as follows : Minnesota Xo. 13, 27.42 bushels per acre; Selection Xo. 133, 26.16 bushels; Ardmore Dent, 25.63 bushels; Northwestern Dent, 25.13 bushels; Brown County Yellow, 24.43 bushels; Minnesota No. 23, 23.66 bushels; and Disco Flint, 18.10 bushels. The season was free from frost late enough to allow all the varieties to mature well. The earliest maturing varieties were Northwestern Dent and Disco Flint, which matured about 10 days earlier than any of the other varieties. IRRIGATION TEST WITH FLAX. At the request of the Montana experiment station a test to deter- mine the proper time of applying water to flax, and especially the effect of late irrigation after the flax is through blooming, was con- ducted in 1913 on 8 tenth-acre plats in field C-VI. The soil in this field is very heavy and a rather poor stand of the crop was secured. The yields obtained were in favor of two irrigations, although when the second irrigation was applied, after the flax was well through blooming, there was a tendency for the plants to continue to bloom, with the result that there was a small proportion of bloom and some unma- tured seed when the larger part of the crop was ready to harvest. The average yield of four plats that received but one irrigation, which was applied when the flax began to bloom, was 5.15 bushels, while the average yield of four plats that received two irrigations was 6.25 bushels. FERTILIZER TEST. At the request of the Montana experiment station a test to deter- mine the value of acid phosphate as a fertilizer was conducted in field B-VII on 12 tenth-acre plats. The crops used in this test were wheat, oats, and barley. Fertilizer was applied to each crop at the rate of 300, 500, and 700 pounds per acre. This fertilizer was in the form of aeid phosphate, of which each 100 pounds contained 3.71 pounds of phosphorus. As a check on the effect of the fertilizer one plat of each crop was grown without fertilizer. The average yields of the crops were as follows: Wheat, 46.7 bushels; barley, 59.4 bushels; and oats, 101.05 bushels per acre. No significant differences occurred in the yield, that could be attributed to the fertilize]', and there was no apparent difference in the color or appearance of the growing crop. 13 ORCHARD TRH B kND 8M ILL FIMli 3. \ 5-acre (fact in field \ is devoted to testa with fruit trees and Bmal] Fruits. In 1911 aboul i 111 ' varietie of apples, cherries, and plums, together with 26 varieties of Bmal] fruits, were planted. In the winter of 1911 12 about "> n per cent of the trees uric winter- killed, and it was necessary to replant them in the Bpring of 1912. Only about l") per cent of the trees were k>-t during the winter of 1912 13. These trees made good growth during the BeasoE of 1913. Tt Beams apparent from t be results so far obtained i liat in an ordinary year man\ young trees are liable to be injured by the severe winter weather and that only apples and plum- and perhaps some varieties of sour cherries can be expected to prove hardy. It will probably be necessary to replant in man} cases before an orchard can be successfully established. RECLAMATION OF THK WORDEN TRACT. Experiments were started in 1910 on 12 acres of a 40-acre tract near the Warden town site to determine mean- of reclaiming the heavy alkaline soil- of the pro j eel and of bringing the land into pro- duction. The >oil on this tract, which i- representative of about one-fourth of the land- on the Huntley project, i- a very heavy, impervious clay that contain- e\ce--i\e amounts of alkali -alt-. The physical character of the soil i- such as to prevent natural leaching and there ha- heen a consequent accumulation of -alt- in the surface layer of the -oil. This surface -oil i- underlain hv a -t ratum of -and and gravel at a depth of ."> to 8 feet. The problem involved in the reclamation of this land appear- to he the opening up *>f the surface -oil so a- to lump aboul artificial leaching. Three methods of reclaiming tin- land have heen tried. The I -t was the plowing under of a crop of rye as preen manure in 1011 and in in L912 and keeping the ground thoroughly cultivated each Beason after plowing the crop under. The Becond method included plowing under rye a- preen manure in 1911, followed in the latter part of 1911 and all of 1912 by irrigation and cultivation by mean of the bordered-check system. Irrigation water was applied on these plats at about 10-day interval- and each time wa- followed as soon as possible by cultivation to keep the -oil opened up and to start a downward movement of the water through the -oil to the underlying gravel. The third method wa- the same a- the second except that manure 1 wa- applied t<> the land at the rate of 20 loads per acre in I'M 1 and again in 1912. All the land was cropped in 1913. Land on which two crop- of lye a- preen manure had heen plowed under produced winter wheat 14 at the rate of 29.4 bushels per acre on 10 quarter-acre plats and at the rate of 2S.70 bushels per acre on a 6f-acre field. Sugar beets on this haul yielded at the rate of 10.97 tons per acre. Alfalfa was planted on one plat that had received this treatment and a fair stand was secured, although, of course, the success of this crop will not be known until another season. Alfalfa and oats were planted on the land that had received treatment according to the second method. Oats yielded at the rate of 51.56 bushels per acre and a good stand of alfalfa was secured. On the land that was treated according to the third method, spring wheat yielded 36 bushels per acre; sugar beets yielded 7.S6 tons; and oats yielded 68. S7 bushels. Determinations of the total salt content of the soil indicate that the practice of plowing under rye as a green-manure crop has been more effective than either of the other methods in reducing the salt content. This method has also been found to be much less expensive. Approved : Wm. A. Taylor, Cliicf of Bureau. June 5, 1914. o WASHINGTON: COVF.RNMF.NT PBINTIITO OFFICE: 1914 UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 3 1262 08929 0000 DEPOSiTOn-,