SB453 1963 a History of the Fort Hays Kansas Branch Experiment Station

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Branch Experiment Station ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This manuscript was written by the senior author. Much of the factual information not available in the reports of the station was supplied by the junior author. His long tenure as superintendent and deep personal interest in the work of the station increased greatly the au- thenticity of the publication. Most of the illustrations are from photographs taken by the junior author. Invaluable assistance has been furnished by the technical staff of the station, especially W. W. Duitsman. the present superintendent, and A. L. Hallsted, A. F. Swanson, and R. E. Getty, whose long tenure made their records of outstanding value. The authors are grateful to Fort Hays Kansas State College for supplying early photographs appearing on pages 4 to 6.

A History of the Fort Hays (Kansas) Branch Experiment Station 1901-19621

by Leland E. Call² and Louis C. Aicher³

The Fort Hays Branch of the fitness of new methods appli- the Kansas Agricultural Ex- cable to these higher altitudes and limited rainfall cannot be made at periment Station was estab- the Agricultural College of the lished in 1901. It was made state; and possible by a gift of land from WHEREAS, The Fort Hays mili- the United States Government tary reservation, at an altitude of 2000 feet above sea-level, contains to the State of Kansas. The a valuable body of native timber land was a part of the Fort that should be preserved to pos- H a y s Military Reservation. terity, and the land of said reserva- The reservation, no longer tion is admirably adapted for such experiments in agriculture as are needed for military purposes, required in the premises; and was turned over by the Army WHEREAS, The buildings upon to the United States Depart- said military reservation, formerly ment of the Interior, October used as residences for officers and their families, barracks for troops, 22, 1889, for disposal under storehouses, etc., are large and the Act of July 5, 1884. commodious, but cannot be moved without destruction of their value, LEGISLATIVE but in their position are of great AUTHORIZATION value, and could be used, with little additional repairs, for the pur- In 1889 the Secretary Of the poses of a branch of the State Nor- Interior directed the suspen- mal School; and sion of action on this reserva- WHEREAS, The location of a branch of the State Normal School tion to await the action of at this place would be central and Congress in regard to it. In convenient for the whole of the February, 1895, Representa- north half of the state; and tive Jno. Schlyer of Ellis WHEREAS, The said military reservation has long since been county introduced a resolution abandoned by the United States in the House of Representa- government as a military post; tives of the Kansas Legisla- now, therefore, be it ture which was adopted and Resolved, by the house of repre- concurred in by the Senate, sentatives of the state of Kansas, the senate concurring therein, That February 8, 1895, as follows: our senators and representatives in "WHEREAS, The experience of Congress are hereby requested to the settlers upon the plains of west- secure the passage of an act of ern Kansas, covering a period of more than twenty years, has demonstrated conclusively that agriculture cannot be pursued with profit under existing natural conditions, and that artificial means and methods must be substituted therefor; and WHEREAS, The tests and experiments required to determine 3 Congress donating the said Fort maintained as a public park; pro- Hays military reservation to the vided, that said state shall, within state of Kansas for the following five years from and after the pas- public purposes: (1) For a west- sage of this act, accept this grant ern branch of the Kansas Agricul- and shall by proper legislative ac- tural College; (2) for a western tion establish on said reservation branch of the Kansas State Normal western branches of the Kansas Institute; (3) for a public park. Agricultural College and the Kan- Resolved, further, That the sec- sas State Normal Institute; and retary of state is hereby instructed whenever the lands shall cease to to transmit a copy of these resolu- be used by said state for the pur- tions to the president of the United poses herein mentioned the same States senate, the speaker of the shall revert to the United States.” house of representatives, and to (2) each senator and representative in This bill passed the Senate Congress from the state of Kan- February 26 and the House sas.” (1) March 2, 1895. Congress ad- On Saturday, February 23, journed March 4 and the bill 1895, a copy of said concurrent failed to receive the Presi- resolution was laid before the dent’s signature. Senate of the United States by In view of the passage of the Vice-president. It was re- Senate Bill 2799, the district ferred to the Committee on land officers were advised by Public Lands and accepted by telegram dated March 22,1895, Senate Bill 2799 introduced by that said lands were with- Senator Martin; it reads as drawn from settlement and follows: entry to give opportunity for “Be it enacted, etc.: That the further legislation. abandoned Fort Hays military res- A bill similar to No. 2799 ervation and all the improvements was introduced in the 54th thereon, situated in the state of Kansas, be and the same is hereby Congress and reported favor- granted to said state, upon the con- ably to the House of Repre- ditions that said state shall estab- sentatives by Mr. Charles Cur- lish and m a i n t a i n perpetually thereon, first, a western branch of tis from the Committee on the Kansas Agricultural College; Public Lands. second, a western branch of the This bill did not become a Kansas State Normal Institute, and that in connection therewith the law, although again reported said reservation shall be used and favorably by the second session of the 54th Congress. A be used and maintained as a public similar bill was introduced in park; provided, that said state shall, within five years from and the 55th Congress and passed after passage of this act, accept the Senate but did not come this grant, and shall, by proper up in the House. It was again legislative action, establish on said introduced in the 56th Con- reservation an experiment station of the Kansas Agricultural College, gress, in the Senate by Senator and a western branch of the Kan- Harris, and in the House by sas State Normal School; and when- Congressman Reeder, and be- ever the lands shall cease to be came a law March 28 1900. used by said state for the purposes , herein mentioned, the same shall As finally passed it reads as revert to the United States; pro- follows: vided further, that the provisions “A BILL granting to the state of this act shall not apply to any of Kansas the abandoned Fort Hays tract or tracts within the limits of military reservation in said state, said reservation to which valid for the purpose of establishing an claims have attached by settlement experimental station of the Kansas or otherwise under any public-land Agricultural College and a western laws of the United States.” (3) branch of the Kansas State Normal Acting under this law the School thereon, and a public park. Be it enacted, That the aban- 1901 session of the Kansas doned Fort Hays reservation, and Legislature passed the follow- all improvements thereon, situated ing joint resolution : in the state of Kansas, be and the “SECTION 1. That the state of same is hereby granted to said Kansas hereby accepts from the state upon the conditions that said United States the abandoned Fort state shall establish and maintain Hays military reservation, as pro- perpetually thereon, (1) an experi- vided in an act of Congress relating mental station of the Kansas Agri- 27, cultural College, and (2) a western thereto, approved March 1900. branch of the Kansas State Normal SECTION 2. That the provisions School, and that, in connection of the act of Congress, ‘An act therewith, the said reservation shall granting to the state of Kansas the abandoned Fort Hays military SECTION 2. The following-de- reservation, in said state, for the scribed tracts of land lying within purpose of establishing an experi- the limits of the reservation afore- mental station of the Kansas Agri- said, to wit: Section 36, township cultural College and a western 13 south, range 19 west; section branch of the Kansas State Normal 31, township 13 south, range 18 School thereon and a public park,’ west: section 1, township 14 south, approved March 27, 1900, are range 19 west; sections 6 and 8, hereby accepted by the state of the east half of section 7, the north Kansas. half of section 17, and the north- SECTION 3. That upon the ap- east quarter of section 18, all in proval of this act by the governor, township 14 south, range 18 west, he is requested to transmit a certi- are hereby placed under the direc- fied copy of the same to the secre- tion of the regents of the State tary of the interior of the United Normal School. It shall be their States. duty to lease or rent the said lands Approved February 7, 1901. to the best advantage, and all mon- Copy transmitted to secretary of eys derived from rents for such interior February 7, 1901.” (4) lands shall be collected by the regents aforesaid, who shall deposit The Legislature of 1901 the same with the treasurer of the passed an act in respect to the board, to be expended by the said division of the reservation, board of regents for the equipment making appropriations for the and maintenance of said auxiliary branch station and the branch of the State Normal School. normal school. This act reads SECTION 3. All the remaining lands of the reservation aforesaid as follows : are hereby placed under the direc- “Be it enacted by the Legislature tion of the board of regents of the of the State of Kansas: State Agricultural College, except SECTION 1. The board of re- the north hall of section 5, town- gents of the State Agricultural Col- ship 14 south, range 18 west, which lege and of the State Normal with the buildings thereon, shall School, respectively, are hereby be used jointly as may be deter- authorized to locate and establish mined by the boards of regents of an experimental station of the State the institutions aforesaid, Agricultural College and a branch SECTION 4. The said board of or auxiliary of the State Normal regents of the State Normal School School on the Fort Hays military shall employ a principal and such reservation. assistant teachers and janitors as the needs of the school may de- lege is hereby authorized to locate mand; shall prescribe the course and establish on the reservation of study, not extending over more aforesaid an experimental station than two years, conditions of ad- of the Agricultural College, and mission, and such other regulations shall adopt such measures as may as may be required for its success- be necessary to place the same in ful conduct; provided, that such successful operation and to preserve course of study shall embrace only the land upon which the native such branches as may prepare pu- timber is now growing as a public pils for the advanced academic and park. professional work provided at the SECTION 10. To carry out the State Normal School at Emporia. provisions of section 9 of this act, SECTION 5. All persons meeting the sum of $3,000 is hereby appro- the requirements for admission priated for the fiscal year ending prescribed by the board of regents June 30, 1902, and $3,000 for the shall be admitted to said school; fiscal year ending June 30, 1903. and on declaring their intention to SECTION 11. All sums of money fit themselves to teach in the payable out of the appropriations schools of Kansas shall be exempt specified in section 8 of this act from all fees, save a small matricu- shall be upon vouchers approved lation fee, which the board of re- by the board of regents of the State gents may require. Students not Normal School; and all sums pay- intending to teach may be charged able out of the appropriations spec- a reasonable fee, at the discretion ified in Section 10 shall be upon of the board. vouchers approved by the board of SECTION 6. Any person of good regents of the State Agricultural moral character over sixteen years College. of age, having been in actual at- SECTION 12. The auditor of tendance at least twenty weeks at state is hereby authorized to draw the above-named school, and hav- his warrants on the treasurer of ing completed the course of study state for the several sums and pur- prescribed by the said board of poses specified in this act upon regents, shall be awarded a certifi- verified vouchers approved by the cate which shall be a legal certifi- board of regents of the State Nor- cate to teach in any of the public mal School or the State Agricul- schools of the state except high tural College; provided, that no schools, and good for one year. portion of the money appropriated Said certificate shall also admit the in this act shall be expended by the holder to the third year’s work at board of regents until the attorney the State Normal School at Em- general of the state of Kansas shall poria without examination. first notify the governor and the SECTION 7. The president of the board of regents that the title to State Normal School shall be presi- the land in said reservation is un- dent of said auxiliary normal impaired, and the land is available school, with such duties and re- under the terms of the act of Con- sponsibilities as the board of re- gress ceding said reservation to the gents may determine. state. SECTION 8. The sum of $7,000 SECTION 13. This act shall take is hereby appropriated for the fis- effect and be in force from and cal year ending June 30, 1902, and after its publication in the official the sum of $5,000 for the fiscal state paper. year ending June 30, 1903, is Approved February 26, 1901 hereby appropriated, for the cur- Published in official State paper, rent expenses and improvements of March 1, 1901.” (5) said auxiliary normal school, the During the time the reser- said amounts to be expended under the direction of the board of re- vation was supposed to be gents of the State Normal School. open for settlement, some of SECTION 9. The board of re- the land was filed upon and gents of the State Agricultural Col- occupied by settlers. When the state accepted the reserva- The matter was finally settled by the Board of Regents executing tion these claims constituted leases to the claimants to permit a flaw in the title, although them to remain on the land from deeds to the land had not been three to five years in consideration granted. of which all future claim was re- The regents taking cogni- linquished. zance of this situation on April DIVISION OF LAND 4, 1901, passed the following resolution : The military reservation as acquired by the state contained “Moved by Regent Stewart to adopt the following resolution: an area of about 7,200 acres. Whereas the Legislature at its re- The area was divided by legis- cent session passed an act accept- lative act between the experi- ing from the United States the tract of land known as the Fort ment station and the normal Hays Military Reservation and school as follows: five and whereas the grant of said land to three-fourths sections located the state of Kansas provides that principally on the north and it should be utilized by the State west parts of the reservation Normal School and the Agricul- tural College and whereas the act to the normal school, one-half of acceptance provides that no section on which the fort money shall be expended on said buildings were located to be land until the attorney general shall find that the state can have a used as determined by the good title to all of said land and Boards of Regents of the two whereas it has come to be knowl- institutions, and the rest of edge of this board that a consider- the reservation to the experi- able portion of said land is held and claimed by private parties and ment station. that the citizens of Hays in con- The area acquired by the nection with the attorney general Station has usually been re- are now endeavoring to secure the ported as about 3,600 acres.4 relinquishment of the present claimants on said land, therefore be it The station land was located resolved that a committee of four on the east and south sides of be appointed from the board with the reservation. It embraces direction to call upon the attorney about 1,400 acres of bottom- general and if after consultation land along both sides of Big with him it shall be deemed best shall meet with the regents of the Creek plus gently rolling up- State Normal School at Hays next land, nearly all tillable and week and act in concert with them highly productive. and assist the citizens there in se- One of the obligations curing the release of the claims on said reservation lands, but under placed on the Experiment Sta- no circumstances shall any ar- tion by the Legislature when rangements be made whereby funds the Station was authorized of this college or the state of Kan- was “to preserve the land upon sas shall be used for securing said releases or for making any improve- which the native timber is ments on said land until such time now growing, as a public as the title of all such land shall park.” (7) be vested in the state. Moved by Regent Satterthwaite that the committee consist of Regents McDowell, Coburn, Stewart and Fairchild. Amendment carried. Resolution as amended carried.” (6) When the reservation was ment and maintenance of the acquired by the state some ex- park fell to the experiment cellent timber was growing station. The first step was along Big Creek. This timber taken in 1905 when 43 acres was the more conspicuous be- of land along Big Creek, where cause the creek banks outside the timber had been spared, the reservation had been de- was set apart for park pur- nuded of all tree growth to poses. The Station graded the provide fuel for the fort. Not drives, erected gates and only was the native timber fences, and set out about 2,500 protected, but forest trees additional trees. About 25 were planted on additional acres were planted to young creek bottomland, even during trees as an addition to the the first year of the operation park. The trees set out at this of the station. time grew well. In 1913 it was reported that the growth FRONTIER HISTORICAL and vigor of deciduous trees PARK planted in the state park in The congressional act gave 1905 were good and ranked in the abandoned Fort Hays Mili- this order: redbud, bur oak, tary Reservation to the state black walnut, honey locust, of Kansas for: first, an experi- coffee bean, white elm, hack- ment station of the Kansas berry, persimmon, green ash, Agricultural College; second, Russian mulberry, Russian a western branch of the Kan- olive, red elm, poplar, cotton- sas State Normal School; and wood, and soft maple. third, a public park. (8) A grove of Chinese elm Responsibility for develop- planted in 1925 west of the 10 KANSAS BULLETIN 453 highway leading to the city later became effective date of this resolution designate a part of the park. Most of these Chinese the boundaries of such portions of said elm trees escaped serious damage from reservation so set aside for park the Armistice Day freeze in 1940 and they purposes. now constitute an attractive area of the SECTION 2. The portion of said park. reservation so set aside and designated About 1920 the citizens of Hays by the Board of Regents for park became interested in developing a golf purposes, together with a strip of ground along Big Creek in Sec. 4, T14, R18, course as a part of the state park. This which has been set aside for park resulted in the Station’s leasing 40 acres purposes, shall be known as Kansas of its grassland to local citizens for this Frontier Historical Park in the Fort Hays purpose. This area adjoined the park on Military Reservation, and said park shall the southwest side. Later an additional at all times be subject to the State Board area of about 20 acres was added. The of Regents, but the general supervision Station did not assume the responsibility and control of active custody and management thereof shall be vested in a and expense of maintaining the golf Board of Managers, consisting of the course, this being done by an chairman of the State Board of Regents, organization of local citizens. the secretary of the State Historical In 1931 legislation was enacted creating Society, the President of Kansas State the state park at Hays. The Legislature of Agricultural College, the Fort Hays 1931 passed House Bill No. 626 which Teachers College at Hays, Kansas, and a fifth member appointed by the governor. reads in part: Said Board of Managers may, subject to “An act relating to and creating the revision by the State Board of Regents, Kansas Frontier Historical Park on the make all proper and needful rules and Fort Hays Military Reservation, to be regulations for the use, preservation, designated and set aside by the State improvement, control and maintenance Board of Regents and making of said park and ground and buildings thereon, and or any portion thereof, a s is appropriation for the preservation and not may permit such use of the grounds upkeep of same. Be it enacted by the inconsistent with this act or with the Legislature of the State of Kansas. purpose for which said grounds have SECTION 1. The State Board of been set aside.” (9 ) The act also carried an appropriation Regents shall designate and set aside for of $500 for the fiscal year ending June park purposes that portion of the Fort 30, 1932. Over 120 acres were taken for Hays Military Reservation which was the Frontier Historical Park in addition the site of the buildings of old Fort Hays, to the together with the remaining buildings of 43 acres previously designated for park said fort and such other portions of said purposes. A legal description of the park as established at this time is given in the reservations as the Board may deem to 1931 report of the Hays Station. (10) be of particular historical interest of At the time of the establishment of the which, in the judgment of said Board, Park Board the care of the park was may be favorably situated and well transferred to it from the Station. adapted for park purposes, . . . and said Board shall within six months from the THE GIFT TO THE STATE existence an inexcusable and IS EVALUATED short-sighted folly. The body The establishment of the of land is ample, its quality Branch Station at Hays and entirely typical of both the its potential value to the state high prairie and the creek were reported upon editorially ‘bottom’ and its situation in THE INDUSTRIALIST in every way superb.” (12) January, 1901, as follows: The second editorial, en- “About 4,000 acres is the best titled “A Big Experimental Farm,” appeared in May, 1902, wheat land, it might be rented and read as follows: “The at one third to one half the Kansas State Agricultural Col- crop, bringing $10,000 a year lege has just come into full for the institution. Water can possession of, and beginning be had easily by boring 20 to work on, a part of the aban- 40 feet, and the best of water. doned Fort Hays Military Res- There are fine white rock ervation. The body of the land quarries within a mile of the contains 4,000 acres, prac- buildings, easy to get at and tically all of which is tillable enough for all time. . . . The land and representative of the gift to the state is worth vast area through western $200,000.” (11) Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Two other editorials ap- and Colorado. . . . The Fort peared in KANSAS FARMER Hays reservation is situated within the next few months. 290 miles west of Kansas City The first, in December, 1901, on the Union Pacific. The res- said: “Two committees of the ervation embraces 7,500 acres Kansas State Agricultural Col- lying along Big Creek in Ellis lege Regents have visited County. . , , The Boards of Re- Hays within the past week gents of the two institutions for the purpose of promoting made a division of the land, arrangements w h e r e b y the which gave to the agricultural College will acquire complete college all the land along the title to its portion of the abol- creek which runs diagonally ished Fort Hays Military Res- through the quarters for four ervation and beginning there miles. The land slopes gently an experiment station as con- back from the creek to an ele- templated by the acts of Con- vation of perhaps 200 feet, gress and the State Legisla- which gives a great variety of ture. . . . F. D. Coburn, Vice- president of the college re- conditions. gents, is very enthusiastic over “This location being typical the possibilities of having, on of the Great Western Plains is a large and decisive scale, an expected to make a great ex- experiment station in the periment station. A thousand western half of the state, right acres or so will be reserved for at the navel of the continent pasture and breaking at future as it were, and thinks a failure times. A large area of alfalfa to make it in time the fore- will be planted and other areas most example of its kind in devoted to trials of various forage plants that may be periment Station Council to direct all experiments, subject to the ap- adapted to the west. Fifty proval of the board. acres of land is being prepared Resolved, That the crop experi- for planting forest trees next ments and such other experiments spring and undoubtedly a as can be provided for, be begun whole quarter section will in the year 1902 on as liberal a scale as circumstances and the later be developed to this. . . . funds at our command permit; and The branch station will bear that all seeding, cultivation, har- the same relationship to the vesting, storing, sale and purchase agricultural college as any of of commodities, or of livestock and its feeding, pertaining to experi- its various departments. It is mental work, and all records in not expected that any money reference thereto, be under the im- of the national appropriation mediate supervision and direction for the Experiment Station of a competent man, who shall be stationed at Hays so much of the can be used here, as it is al- time as may be necessary for best ready inadequate to the needs doing the work contemplated, at Manhattan. The Fort Hays Resolved, That such repairs be Branch will rely on its own made upon the buildings on the Fort Hays reservation as shall make resources and the generosity them available for use, and that a of the state. The appropria- practical farmer be employed, who tion for the years 1902 and shall be known as foreman of the 1903 is but $3,000 per annum, farm, and who shall see that all contracts pertaining thereto are which is hardly sufficient to fulfilled and all property belong- make even a semblance of being to the Experiment Station be ginning. This amount will be properly cared for, and shall per- put into fencing, opening the form such other duties as shall be land, buying implements and assigned to him. Resolved, That the regent ap- making as many other founda- pointed to have charge of the in- tion improvements as possible. terests of the Experiment Station The next legislature will at Hays shall be paid his per diem doubtless provide for build- and actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of such ings, necessary stock and duties, but shall not be allowed equipments for carrying for- mileage.” (14) ward the work in a manner commensurate with the needs The Board appointed regent of such an institution.” (13) Fairchild as its representative to manage the affairs of the THE MANAGEMENT OF Station. The planning and di- THE STATION rection of experiments was the The plans for the manage- responsibility of the Experi- ment of the Branch Station ment Station Council. This were set forth in the follow- plan of organization left much ing resolution adopted by the to be desired. No one individ- Board December 13, 1901: ual was responsible. The plan “Resolved, That the president of of organization did not meet the board of regents shall appoint with the approval of the Of- a regent, who shall, under the di- fice of Experiment Stations of rection of the board, have special charge of all matters pertaining to the United States Department the Fort Hays reservation in behalf of Agriculture. This office of the Agricultural College, the Ex- was responsible from the standpoint of the federal The criticism led President government for the adminis- Nichols and the Board of Re- tration of the Hatch Act. The gents to consider carefully the criticism was set forth in a matter and to take steps to ob- resolution of the Board of Re- tain a director for the Station. gents July 7, 1905, as follows: After several prospects were “Moved by Regent Fairchild: considered, some of whom whereas a letter from Director failed to receive the approval True,5 under date of May 31, of the Board and others of- of which the following is a fered the position failed to ac- copy, “Examination of the cept, Dr. C. W. Burkett was work and expenditures of the appointed Director of the Ex- Kansas Agricultural Experi- periment Station September ment Station by different rep- 26, 1906. (16) resentatives of this office for a number of years has uni- STATION formly led to a criticism of the SUPERINTENDENTS Station to the effect that it The first superintendent of has a weak organization and the Hays Station, appointed is therefore unable to make March 29, 1902, was J. G. the most effective use of the funds at its disposal. The di- Haney. Mr. Haney was a vided responsibility existing graduate of the college who for in the Station Council has some years was assistant in evidently not made it prac- field and feeding experiments ticable to have a very definite and later agricultural agent plan of operation or to carry of the Chihuahua (Mexico) on the business of the Station and Pacific Railway Company. in the most efficient manner. He began his duties as soon as Our Mr. Beal, who recently the title to the reservation was visited the Station, states that reported clear by the attorney this general weakness of man- general. The KANSAS FARM- agement still exists and that ER reported editorially in it has been shown recently in July, 1902, as follows regard- a marked degree of the rela- ing Mr. Haney’s appointment: tions of the Council with the “Kansas has been exceedingly Substation at Fort Hays. In fortunate in the selection of a our judgment the Kansas Sta- manager for this station. Prof. tion needs a director with au- Haney belongs to that class of thority to plan and supervise young Kansans who are the operations wherever they sought for positions of impor- are conducted in the state, to tance the world over. He is a represent the Station before Kansas farm product of the the agricultural public and in vigorous sort. He is well general to perform the duties equipped by education and ex- of an executive officer of the perience for the work. He in- Station subject only to the spires confidence in those general supervision of the around him and is in every President of the College and the governing board.” (15) way one of those men at resignation of Mr. McClelland whose hands great works are was accepted, effective De- apt to be accomplished.” (17) cember 31, 1909. A successor Mr. Haney served until De- was not appointed immedi- cember 31, 1904. ately, and during this period Upon the resignation of Mr. George K. Helder, assistant Haney, O. H. Elling, who had superintendent, was in charge served as foreman of the farm of the Station. The position under Mr. Haney, was ap- eventually was filled by Prof. pointed Acting Superintendent A. M. TenEyck June 1, 1910. and served in this capacity Professor TenEyck was head until March, 1907. At that of the Department of Agron- time the new Director of the omy at the College. The sub- Station, Dr. C. W. Burkett, se- ject of farm management was cured as superintendent C. K. his specialty. Dr. H. J. Wa- McClelland, who began his ters, who had just become duties in May, 1907. Mr. Mc- President of the College, felt Clelland came from the Office that the work of the institu- of Farm Management of the tion as a whole might be United States Department of strengthened by the transfer Agriculture and had been as- of Professor TenEyck to the sociated with Dr. Burkett in superintendency of the Hays agricultural education work Station and the appointment in the East. In June, 1909, the of another agronomist at the FORT HAYS BRANCH EXPERIMENT STATION HISTORY 15

Fig. 7.- A. M. TenEyck, 1910- Fig. 9.-Charles R. Weeks, 1912. 1916-1920.

Fig. 8.-George K. Helder, 1913- Fig. 10.-Harry L. Kent, 1920- 1916. 1921. College to head the Depart- ity. Dean Edwin H. Webster, ment of Agronomy. In addi- who at this time was Director tion to his appointment as of the Station, did not work superintendent of the Station, harmoniously with Professor Professor TenEyck was made TenEyck. This led to unsatis- Professor of Farm Manage- factory working conditions. ment in order that he might Professor TenEyck resigned lecture on this subject at the December 31, 1912. College. He rendered but lit- In anticipation of the res- tle service in the latter capac- ignation of Professor Ten- Eyck, H. M. Bainer was 15, 1916. He was succeeded elected superintendent of the by Charles R. Weeks who re- Station by the Board. He did signed May 1 1920, to become not accept. George K. Helder secretary of the, newly organ- became superintendent July 1, ized Kansas Farm Bureau. 1913. He had acted as super- Mr. Weeks was succeeded by intendent in advance of Pro- Prof. Harry L. Kent who had fessor TenEyck’s appointment served as the first principal and was assistant superintend- of the School of Agriculture ent under Professor TenEyck. at the College from September Mr. Helder served until March 1, 1913, until May 15, 1920, when he became superintend- Aicher remained as superin- ent of the Station. tendent of the Station until Professor Kent was a tal- June 30, 1952, when he retired ented man and also an able under the University’s man- administrator, but he was not datory age retirement policy. prepared by temperament or During the 31 years that Mr. experience for the superin- Aicher served as superintend- tendency of the Station. He ent, the Station developed into rendered good service but was one of the leading institutions not happy in his work. He re- of its kind in the country. signed September 15, 1921, to July 1, 1952, W. W. Duits- become President of New man became a successor to Mexico State Agricultural Col- Mr. Aicher and has continued lege where he served with to the present time (1962). signal success and longer than He was prepared for the posi- any other president of that tion by serving for five years institution. Professor K e n t as a successful county agent was succeeded by Louis C. and for two years as assistant Aicher September 26, 1921. superintendent of the Station Mr. Aicher’s appointment was under Mr. Aicher. a fortunate one. He was a graduate of the College, class THE STATION of 1910. He had served suc- A DEMONSTRATION FARM cessfully 10 years as superin- The Board of Regents was tendent of the Aberdeen, concerned that the Station be- Idaho, Experiment Station become a farm to demonstrate fore coming to Hays. He was good farm management prac- well prepared by training, ex- tices as well as an experiment perience, temperament, and station. The Station was so personality for the position. large that only a small por- Mr. Aicher came to the Sta- tion was needed for intensive tion at the time when power experimental work, leaving on the farms of Kansas was large areas available for com- changing from animal to me- mercial cropping and utiliza- chanical. He had unusual tion. It was the desire of the vision as to farm mechaniza- Board that these areas be used tion, and ability to develop for demonstrating the best personally equipment adapted husbandry practices and that to the need. He replaced the the Station become a credit- mule and horsepower on the able demonstration farm. This Station with m e c h a n i c a 1 desire was expressed in a power, thereby reducing the minute of the Board: “Mr. Mc- labor requirements of the Sta- Clelland and Mr. Colliver6 are tion and eliminating many of both informed that the Board the most difficult labor prob- regards it to be of vital mo- lems. The change also im- ment that the station farm- proved the timeliness of farm ing, outside the plot work, be operations, resulting in improved crop production. Mr. of such a nature as to produce tem of soil management was maximum yields as nearly as the accepted practice of the possible and also to make the time. The system required ex- station farm a model farm in cessive tillage that under west- which ‘model’ feature the ern Kansas conditions re- Board considers the prime sulted in soil blowing. It was factor is having the work done not until correct soil manage- at a time when it ought to ment practices were under- be done; and the management stood and mechanical power is accordingly instructed to equipment become available pick up outside men and teams that the Station became the at piece-work prices, when- type of farm that the Regents ever practicable, otherwise at envisaged. hour prices, to whatever extent is necessary to keep the PHYSICAL PLANT farm work in line with the When the Experiment Sta- best farm management. Car- tion was established, the mili- ried.” (18) tary compound proved unsatis- Many factors stood in the factory as its headquarters. A way of the Station’s becoming new campus to serve this pur- the model farm that the Board pose was established on the desired. In the first place, the east side of the highway about Station was slow in acquiring one mile directly south of the the work stock that such a city of Hays. It was located large commercial operation on bench land south of Big required, and satisfactory out- Creek at an elevation above side help was not easily ob- the flood line. The location tained. In the second place, was about one half mile south- the requirements of good soil east of the old military com- husbandry were not well un- pound. derstood. The Campbell sys- The Legislature of 1903 appropriated $27,900 for the sup- (14 rooms), and machinery port of the Station. This and stock sheds. A water sys- money was used principally tem was also installed. Dur- for the beginning of construc- ing 1904 and 1905 an elevator tion of the physical plant. was built and the two stone One frame building was moved buildings at the Fort repaired from the military compound for use as dwellings. to a more convenient location In 1906 the large horse barn on the Station campus. It was was struck by lightning and repaired for the occupancy of burned. The following spring the superintendent. Later, it a new barn with stone base- was used as a residence for ment 40 x 60 feet, costing the dry land agriculturist and $4,400, was built to replace the is still in use as a residence building that burned. This for the cerealist. Three other building served only tempo- frame buildings were moved rarily as a horse barn. A new to the Station campus from barn less pretentious but more the military compound, re- convenient was built on an- paired, and used, one as a other site. The b u i 1 d i n g barn, one as a tool shed, and erected as a horse barn was the other as a storehouse for converted later into a large sacked grain. Other frame granary with bins on the buildings were dismantled and ground floor and with sacked the old lumber used in supply- grain storage above. It served ing dimension material and a most useful purpose to store sheeting for the horse barn, the large quantities of seed granary, house for workmen grain produced on the Station. In 1907 a residence for the enclosed with a woven wire superintendent was erected at fence constructed with round a cost of $3,400. A cottage was cedar posts. This improve- built in 1908 on Section 10 for ment cost $5,000. a station workman at a loca- In 1910 two new cottages tion where closer supervision for the staff were erected at a could be given to farming op- cost of $4,200. These cottages erations on the east side of are now used as residences for the farm. Another small cot- the assistant to the superin- tage now used as a foreman’s tendent and a technical staff residence, and a small brick member of the Station. Also office building, costing $1,230 in 1910 in an exchange of and $2,500, respectively, were property with the Normal constructed on the Station School the Station secured the campus. The old stock sheds old dwelling of the command- were enlarged and eight new ing colonel formerly stationed ones added in 1908. All were at Fort Hays. At the close of 1910 the ments were made in 1910 to se- physical plant of the Station cure electrical energy for the consisted of the following: Station from the State Normal four old dwellings once a part School. A minute of the Board of Fort Hays; six dwellings of Regents relating to this erected by the Station; two matter passed July 15, 1910, barns; elevator and granary: reads as follows: “On motion machine shed; field laboratory of Regent Taylor the Board for dry land agriculture appreciates the courtesy of the (erected by the United States offer of the Board of Regents Department of Agriculture) ; of the State Normal School to seed house; water system; furnish such electric current 16 stock sheds each with its at approximate cost, as will own fence enclosure; and var- be required for driving the ious corrals and weighing machinery and lighting the pens. buildings at the Hays Branch The Station had also 25 Experiment Station, and are miles of fencing including 7 pleased to accept the same. miles of woven wire on cedar Director Webster and Profes- posts; 10 miles of graded roads sor TenEyck are hereby in- and public driveways; and two structed to confer with Super- bridges and a dam across Big intendent Picken7 in regard to Creek. The Station was also the amount of power required reasonably well equipped with etc.” (19) Subsequent ar- horse-drawn machinery neces- rangements were made to pur- sary to operate so large a chase electrical energy from farm. the city of Hays. The Station Electrical Energy Supplied 7. Mr. Picken was principal of the by Normal School. Arrange- Normal School. has always purchased its elec- 1913, with a dairy barn con- trical energy. The Legislature structed at a cost of $3,800 of 1911 appropriated $2,000 for and two 100-ton metal plaster electrical wiring and power lath silos built costing $500 equipment. each. In 1914 a cottage for Horse Barn Fire. A fire oc- the dairyman was built at a curring the middle of Septem- cost of $780. This unit was ber, 1912, resulted in the loss converted into a beef cattle of one horse barn, 16 mares, wintering unit and the dairy and five geldings as well as project discontinued in 1928. harness, feed, and other equip- The dairy barn was moved ment. The Station was reim- to the headquarters to provide bursed for the loss by a special f a c i 1 i t i e s for experimen- appropriation of the 1913 Leg- tal beef cattle feeding. Other islature which provided for sheds were built on the site of the following: horse barn, the old dairy units for the care $2,000; horses, $4,500; har- of the beef cattle herd. All of ness, $500; equipment, tools, the buildings except the resi- etc., $500; total, $7,500. A dence on the old dairy farm new stable was built on the unit were destroyed by fire in site of the original barn at a 1959. The cattle sheds were cost of $2,100. replaced with a steel building The Dairy Farm Unit. A in 1962. dairy farm unit located along Between 1922 and 1928 ma- the highway on the south side jor construction projects con- of the Station was started in sisted of the completion of the machine shed started in 1920, constructed, a tractor repair the erection of a new brick shop built, and an alfalfa hay and hollow tile farrowing shed constructed. Work was house, a seed house with work started on a new office build- room and machine shed for ing. the dry land agriculture proj- The Office Building. An of- ect, a new greenhouse and fice building 50 x 43 feet, com- service building for the forest pleted March 17, 1931, was nursery, and the rebuilding of constructed to conform in the machine shed. style with the superintendent’s Superintendent’s Residence. residence. On the first floor A new residence was built in were an office for the super- 1927 for the superintendent. intendent and three rooms for The old residence was poorly the clerical forces as well as a constructed, in need of repair, combined reading room and and inadequate. It was re- lobby; on the second floor, placed by a modern two-story seven office rooms for the building with a complete base- technical staff; and in the ment, constructed of mingle basement two laboratories, a shade rug brick and hollow photographic room, five stor- tile with red tile roof at a cost age rooms, and a room for the of $15,245. It was paid for heating unit. Large fireproof from Station fees. vaults were located on each Between 1928 and 1931 sev- floor. The building was steam eral of the older residences heated with natural gas. It were rebuilt and modernized. was constructed at a cost of A nursery irrigation plant was $20,477. Construction with R e 1 i e f silos required much labor dur- Funds. During the depression ing 1935 and 1936. The silos of the 1930’s the Station co- also provided the Station with operated with the Works Prog- 1,200 tons additional silage ress Administration (WPA) storage capacity, thus ena- and the Civilian Conservation bling the Station to carry sur- Corps (CCC) and other relief plus feed from good to poor agencies. It had much pro- crop years. Labor provided ductive work to be done. One by the CCC boys was used to of the first projects under- develop an attractive picnic taken in 1933 was road im- site on Big Creek. A dam was provement. T h o u s a n d s of constructed, a swinging foot- loads of soil were hauled and bridge and shelterhouse built, a number of main roads on and rustic tables and benches the campus, farm, and state constructed from native tim- park graveled. In 1934 road ber secured on the site. work was continued and a o and large d r a i n a g e ditch con- Cr ps Soils Research structed, changing the chan- Building. The Legislature of nel of the creek to protect 1931 appropriated $12,000 for valuable crop land from over- a crops and soils research lab- flow and erosion. oratory. This appropriation The largest project under- was reduced by the governor taken was the construction of to $10,500 due to the acute a battery of six pit silos 19 economic situation existing at feet in diameter and 35 feet the time that the money be- deep. Construction of these came available. A fireproof building 42 x 54 feet was con- at considerable expense. A structed 1932 but the inte- new 50,000-gallon steel tank rior was innot completed until manufactured by the Darby 1936. The building was constructed of concrete, brick, and hollow tile to match the office building constructed in 1931. The building had four main laboratory rooms, a bo i 1 e r room, and lavatory in the basement, five work rooms on the first floor, and a large storage room on the top floor, The building, when completed, was provided with hot and cold water, gas and electric heat, electricity for power and light, and exhaust fans to remove fumes. It cost $12,920. Water System. The Legis- lature of 1937 appropriated $6,700 for a steel water tank, tower, and four-inch water line. The tank was to replace a concrete tank erected in 1920. The old concrete tank leaked and had been repaired unsuccessfully several times Corporation, Kansas City, a cost of $830. A trench 42 Kansas, was purchased in Au- inches deep, for the water line, gust, 1938, and erected during was dug by WPA labor at a the winter months. The total cost of $364. The old well in cost of the tank erected, in- the forest nursery, to which cluding footings, was $5,970. the water line was attached, The bottom of the tank was proved inadequate. It was de- 75 feet above ground, which cided to prospect for water at was 50 feet higher than the a point near the new water old tank. The added water tower. The first attempt pro- pressure from the higher tank duced a well 61 feet to shale, provided more satisfactory wa- with 10 feet of water above ter service as well as better the shale. This was an ade- fire protection. To connect quate supply of water, and a the new water system with the gravel-packed well was con- pump, 1,591 feet of four-inch structed. A four-inch water transit pipe was purchased at line connected the new well with the water tower. The sewer with the city plant, well under test delivered 190 Work on the sewer line was gallons per minute and en- delayed for lack of funds. abled the new 50,000-gallon However, a grant of WPA tank to be filled in approxi- funds enabled the Station to mately 3 hours. make the connection in the Sewer System. In the early fall of 1938. An eight-inch days of the Station a sewer sewer line was run from the line was constructed leading office building to near the to a septic tank that emptied forest nursery building, then into what was later the golf east to Big Creek with a si- course of the state park. This phon under the Creek, then location was objectionable; to the city sewer and disposal furthermore, the sewer line plant. The sewer tile and was not deep enough to serv- labor were supplied by WPA. ice the basements of some of The expenditure for the line the new buildings. When the was $3,673 by WPA and $860 city of Hays installed a new by the Station. sewage disposal plant in 1935, Bridges. Two wooden permission was granted for it b r i d g e s were constructed to be installed on Station land across Big Creek in the early with the agreement that the years of the Station. These Station could connect its bridges were poorly constructed and unsafe. The first Seed House. A service of bridge east of the stockyards the Station that increased collapsed in 1923, dropping a greatly in importance be- number of horses into the tween 1920 and 1940 was the creek. The Legislature of production and distribution of 1923 appropriated $2,500 for improved and certified seed. the construction of a rein- Facilities for handling seed forced concrete wash bridge were inadequate until a new across Big Creek to replace seed house was built in 1941, the collapsed bridge. The new the Legislature of 1939 having bridge was constructed in 1925 appropriated $7,500 for this at a cost of $3,395 and is still purpose. A large two-story rein use but is not passable in inforced brick structure was times of high water. built. This building harmo- The second bridge located nized in general construction with the superintendent’s resi- on the east-end farm unit be- dence, office building, and lab- came unsafe. An appropria- oratory. It was completed at tion of $12,500 was made by a cost of $13,455 in time to the Legislature to replace it. house the 1942 seed crop. A new high-level reinforced The seed house was built concrete bridge was con- principally to clean and grade structed in 1929 at a cost of seed and handle sacked stocks. $12,858. This bridge is still An elevator to handle large in use and should give many quantities of seed and feed more years of satisfactory grain in bulk was constructed service. in 1950. The modern elevator, made of heavy metal, was in- other main buildings on the stalled on a concrete founda- campus. First floor of the util- tion and had a capacity of ity building is usable as an 24,000 bushels. It was con- auditorium when needed, and structed at a cost of $38,021. seats 900 people. It has been Utility Building. The Sta- used to store buffalograss tion had been handicapped in seed at other times, and other not having a building in which seed stock. The basement was public meetings could be held devoted entirely to buffalo- d u r i n g inclement weather. grass seed processing. This need was met in 1948 Shop Building. For the suc- with the construction of a cessful operation of the Sta- utility building at a cost of tion a modern shop building $43,500. It is reinforced con- was needed. In the early days crete faced with brick, with a the Station shop occupied a tile roof to correspond with part of a machine shed. In 1926 when a new wing was and the rest of the building added to the machine shed, a for storing oil and grease. A shop was constructed in its modern machine shop was east end. In 1930 a tractor rebuilt in 1951 at a cost of $17,- pair shop was provided by 900. This building was con- moving an old shed to the east structed of brick to conform in of the machine shop. The design and construction with south two-thirds of the build- the other major buildings on ing was used as a tractor shop the campus. Experimental Greenhouse. phone, electric power and An experimental greenhouse lighting, and sewage disposal to provide facilities for plant have been modernized. The geneticists, entomologists, and total cost of the physical plant horticulturists was completed exceeds $325,000, of which in 1953. The house was 100 x less than $100,000 was pro- 56 feet. It consisted of eight vided by direct appropriation thermostatically controlled of the Legislature. Most of the rooms 25 x 25 feet with con- money came from fees ob- necting corridor down the tained by the Station from the middle. This building provides sale of livestock and agricul- facilities that enable the tech- tural products, the residue of nical workers to grow plants experimental work. A small under controlled conditions. amount came from WPA and While the facilities dis- other relief grants made to cussed above constitute the the Station during the 1930’s. major units of the physical plant, numerous other facili- EARLY WORK AT THE ties have been provided: addi- STATION tional residences for the tech- Directions for the experi- nical staff: experimental beef mental work that should be cattle barn; modernized stock- undertaken at the Station yards; hay and storage sheds; were given in a resolution of additional experimental cat- the Board of Regents March tle sheds; packing sheds; hog 6, 1902: “Moved by Regent houses: and additional pit, Fairchild that the superin- trench and upright silos. All tendent at Hays be authorized service facilities such as tele- to carry on such experiments as the Station Council may di- ords of precipitation were rect, namely alfalfa, Macaroni taken first at the military res- wheat, emmer, barley, etc. ervation. They were started Carried." (20) At the same in 1868 and for 94 years (1863 time the Board of Regents to 1961) averaged 22.95 inches authorized a survey of the annually. Average precipita- lands of the Station. tion through the growing sea- The work undertaken the son, April through September, first year at Hays was more is over 77 percent of the aver- extensive than that indicated age annual precipitation. Av- by the resolution of the Board. erage monthly precipitation During the season the follow- increases in the spring until ing crops were planted: five a maximum is reached in May varieties of macaroni wheat or June. This is followed by on 15 acres; three varieties of gradual decrease to a low win- sorghum in rows, 6 acres; sor- ter level. ghum sown thickly, 5 acres; Annual precipitation since mixed sorghum and kafir sown Station records have been thickly, 5 acres; kafir sown taken has ranged from 43.34 thickly, 11 acres; barley, 25 inches in 1951 to 9.21 inches acres; soybeans, 15 acres; in 1956. The total amount, the cowpeas in rows, 6 acres; cow- amount from each storm, and peas for hay, 7 1/2 acres; al- the distribution, especially falfa, 22 acres; bromegrass, during the growing season, 4 1/2 acres; Kansas stock and are important. The unpredict- other melons, 10 acres; pea- able and extremely variable nuts and garvanzos, 1/2 acre. weather, especially rainfall, is A grass garden containing 31 the largest contributing factor varieties of grass was laid out, in crop production. and 3/4 acre set to trees and Average annual snowfall shrubs. All planting was made over 62 years has been 19.5 on sod ground. A portion of inches. The most snow is re- the area formerly used by the ceived in February and March, garrison as a garden was averaging 5.0 and 4.5 inches, planted to potatoes, half of respectively. which was mulched. Smaller Average annual mean tem- areas were planted to Jerusa- perature for 64 years, 1897 to lem artichokes, three varieties 1961, is 54° F., with a mean of cowpeas, three of soybeans, maximum of 68° F. and a and four each of corn, sor- mean minimum of 40° F. Ex- ghum, kafir, rape, and penicil- cept for three years, daily laria. maximum temperatures of over 100° F. were recorded STATION WEATHER each summer. Except for 1941, RECORDS subzero temperatures were re- Precipitation, temperature, corded each winter. The ex- wind velocity, and evaporation tremes were 117° F. July 13, records have been kept at the 1934, and —24° F. February 7, Hays Station since 1907. Rec- 1895. The average date of the last killing frost in the spring (d) Effect of irrigating in is April 29 and of the first winter only. killing frost in the fall, Octo- Garden vegetables, potatoes, ber 15. Through 59 years the sugar beets, alfalfa and other frost-free period varied from field crops were i r r i g a t e d 114 to 199 days. when there was sufficient water. IRRIGATION A well was dug near Big Irrigation investigations at Creek to a depth of 40 feet, and the Hays Station were started the water level rose to 24 in 1903. The first work was feet. A Knowles pump was in- in cooperation with the United stalled and operated with a J. States Department of Agricul- I. Case traction engine and the ture, covered by a memoran- regular thresher belt used. It dum of understanding dated was estimated that the pump February 22, 1904 (21). This had a capacity of 22,000 gal- memorandum described the lons per hour. Cost of the well work to be undertaken coop- with pump installed was eratively both at the Hays $865.65. A complete descrip- Station and in the Arkansas tion of the project is given in River Valley near Garden City. Bulletin 128, Kansas Agricul- Work at the Hays Station was tural Experiment Station (22). done to determine: It was found that irrigation (a) Cost of pumping water by centrifugal pump and trac- from a well and of its applica- tion engine was too costly to tion to the land. be practical for field crops un- (b) Maximum amount of der conditions that existed at water that a well will furnish, that time. The cooperative by lowering the water level by irrigation experimental work pumping at different rates. was discontinued in 1909. (c) Amount of water ap- However, the pump equipment plied and yield of crops. was used later to irrigate the forest nursery and the vege- shale across the valley in 1926 table garden. showed that little water-bear- A demonstration of the use ing gravel existed in any well; of vitrified tile for supplying consequently there could be water underneath the surface little movement of water from to irrigate garden crops was the creek to surrounding bot- undertaken in 1913 with little tomland. Water measurements success. in the wells over a period of Subirrigation. It was five years showed little rela- thought that deep -rooted crops tionship between the position such as alfalfa could be as- of the well in the valley and sisted materially in growth by the height of the water in the raising the level of under- well. The dam was not rebuilt, ground water by means of A well that supplied the gar- dams in streams. The alfalfa den and nursery after the irri- growing on the bottomland gation project of 1909 was dis- along Big Creek provided an continued provided a limited opportunity to study this prob- quantity of water. A more lem. A dam had been built in liberal supply was obtained by the early days of the Station pumping the water from Big to attempt to raise the water Creek. A dam was constructed level in the valley. The dam across Big Creek in 1933 by held a maximum of five feet the C i v i 1 i a n Conservation of water and backed water up Corps, and a pump to irrigate the creek for nearly a mile. the nursery installed above the When the dam was washed dam. Some defects developed out in 1924 a question arose in the pumping outfit, which as to whether it should be re- were corrected in 1935 when built. Ten test wells dug to construction of a new bridge across the creek on Highway a Caterpillar tractor. This U.S. 181 required the lowering portable outfit supplied water of the water in the creek. A to any part of the valley land new suction line with a larger adjacent to the creek. Irriga- intake was also installed. tion water has been used prin- Irrigation water to save cipally to irrigate such crops valuable forage plants under as grass and certified sorghum investigation in the forage for seed production. Since crop nursery was provided in 1950 the system has been en- 1938 by a well completed in larged and it is used exten- February of that year. A Fair- sively for winter as well as banks - Morse electric pump summer irrigation. with a capacity of 125 gallons per minute was installed. FOREST PLANTINGS The drouth of the 1930’s AND NURSERY forcefully demonstrated the A forest nursery was one of need for irrigation water to of the first projects started at insure production of seed of the Station. In the spring of improved varieties and to pro- 1903, 1,000 deciduous forest tect important types of inves- trees, 4,000 cedar and pine tigational w o r k , especially trees, 300 fruit trees, and 500 grasses and alfalfa, as well as vines were planted. It was re- to safeguard feed supplies. In corded in 1904 that 32 percent 1942 a small dam of loose of the evergreens grew and rocks was placed in the creek that some Austrian pines to create a pool from which made a first-year growth of 12 water was pumped. Capacity to 15 inches without irriga- of the pump was 900 gallons tion. Additional p 1 a n t i n g s a minute and it irrigated made in 1905 consisted of about 50 acres. Until 1950 all 8,000 forest trees, 1,400 of irrigation was by flooding. In which were black walnut and 1950 a sprinkler system was oak. About 2,500 were planted purchased and operated with in the State Park. Early Shelterbelt. In 1907 tion. Superintendent Helder 60 acres a half mile south of in his report for 1914 stated, the Station campus were set “The forest plantation on up- aside as a demonstration of land . . . 10 rods wide, sur- the value of windbreaks under rounding a field of 30 acres western Kansas conditions for of upland prairie land had no the protection of orchard pruning and very little culti- plantings. About 30 acres in vation because of insufficient the center of the tract were help during the rush season of planted to some 1,000 fruit harvest and threshing.” (23) trees. A windbreak 10 rods The shelterbelt gradually wide occupying about 30 acres deteriorated and was disposed was planted around the or- of completely in 1925 by pull- chard. At the start about ing up the old stumps and 17,000 forest trees were cleaning the field. At that planted, consisting of catalpa, time most of the trees were honey locust, and Osage dead and served only to catch orange. A severe drouth in blowing Russian thistle and 1907 made it necessary to re- trash carried into the area by plant most of the trees, both the high winds of western fruit and forest. In the spring Kansas. of 1909 2,200 more trees were Nursery Established. June planted, but a destructive hail 1, 1910, a state forester was that summer killed 97 percent appointed. He was stationed of the fruit trees and severely at Kansas State Agricultural damaged the forest trees in College but worked with the the surrounding shelterbelt. Hays Station. It was his rec- The orchard was not replaced. ommendation that a forest Replantings were made in the nursery be established. An as- shelterbelt, but after the hail sistant state forester, Chris- the area did not receive the tian Jensen, was appointed care required to maintain and placed in charge of the trees in good growing condi- forestry work. A nursery was established to produce forest, funds equal to those expended shade, and ornamental trees, by the state to distribute forest and shrubs and vines of spe- tree seedlings at low cost to cies and varieties found adapt- farmers; 10,000 seedlings were able and desirable. distributed in 1928. Maximum In January, 1912, the Re- distribution was 868,000 in gents directed that nursery 1948. From 1941 to 1951, stock be grown at the Station 5,154,642 trees were distributed. and made available to Kansas Orders were received from residents at cost. J. W. Pres- nearly every county in the ton, a graduate of the College, state, especially those in west- was appointed nursery fore- ern and central Kansas. Seed- man March 15, 1912. lings were purchased also by The propagation and com- Colorado farmers for shelter- mercial distribution of nursery belt plantings. The program stock were continued without was discontinued in 1952. much emphasis on experimen- Chinese Elm.8 Mention has tal work until 1923. In April, been made of the Chinese elm 1927, E. W. Johnson, a gradu- tree first planted at the Sta- ate in horticulture and forestry tion in 1913. This tree was at Colorado Agricultural Col- one of two obtained from lege, was appointed forester. China and was the first Chi- He immediately began testing nese elm planted in Kansas. new trees and shrubs for ad- The tree grew rapidly and aptation to western Kansas gained great popularity. conditions. The Chinese elm Thousands of trees propagated was proving a rapid-growing, from this mother tree were hardy tree, apparently well planted throughout the state adapted to western Kansas. A upon the recommendation of scarcity of seed existed, so a the Station. The March 26, grove of Chinese elm was 1931, blizzard, most severe to planted in 1925 and enlarged hit western Kansas in 68 in 1930, for propagation pur- years, killed thousands of Chi- poses. A new greenhouse com- nese elms and severely injured pleted in 1925 provided facili- more by rupturing their cam- ties to propagate Chinese elms bium layers. Two-thirds of the with root cuttings. Several trees in the planting of 1925 thousand root cuttings were were killed. Many trees not made and planted in the green- killed outright recovered sat- house in December, 1925. isfactorily, demonstrating re- These cuttings grew well, markable power of recupera- with 85 percent surviving. tion. Distribution of forest tree The next severe damage to seedlings in cooperation with Chinese elm from cold oc- the U.S. Forest Service, as au- curred with the “Armistice thorized by the Clarke-McNary Day Freeze” in 1940. The tem- Act, was started in 1928. Un- der this act the Forest Service was authorized to provide perature at Hays dropped to damaged. The old tree that 0° and to —1° F. November was planted in 1913 was 13 and 14, respectively. No killed, except for one branch cold weather to harden off on the north side. It was felled vegetation had occurred prior the next fall. At 3 feet above to the freeze. The freeze de- the ground the tree had an stroyed all tender types of aver age diameter of 24 1/2 vegetation. Chinese elm par- inches inside the bark, with ticularly s u f f e r e d severely. the greatest diameter being 26 Practically all Station Chi- inches. The circumference at nese elm over 16 inches in this height was almost 7 feet. diameter were killed, and most The tree was 52 feet tall. The of the other young trees were loss of Chinese elm from the freezes of 1931 and 1940 less- and honey locust were dam- ened the enthusiasm of west- aged little. Most of those spe- ern Kansas people for this species were sufficiently dormant cies. Prior to this time many before the cold weather struck. had planted Chinese elm to Since the state forest nurs- the exclusion of all other ery closed in 1952, the Station kinds. The freezes may have has devoted little attention to been useful in demonstrating tree propagation or distribu- that the Chinese elm was not tion. Commercial nurseries, the only kind of tree to plant the Extension Service, and the in western Kansas. Soil Conservation Service now Chinese elm and cherry perform those services. trees were the only deciduous trees on the Station that suf- ORCHARDS AND GARDENS fered severely from the freeze, An orchard and vineyard of although several other species 300 fruit trees and 500 vines in the nursery were affected. was planted in 1903 and made Most of the Chinese arborvitae a “splendid start.” This or- were killed. No pines were chard was planted on the killed outright. The red cedar north side of what is now the and Pfitzer juniper were dam- Station campus and nursery. aged. Among seedlings in the It contained different varieties nursery, black locust and of apple, plum, and peach Osage orange were a total loss, trees. In 1910 it was reported as were most of the catalpa. that there were a number of Hackberry, R u s s i a n olive, bearing trees in the orchard American elm, black walnut, but that “The high winds of western Kansas and the late the varieties gave promise of spring frosts are the greatest being able to withstand west- detriment to rapid growth of ern Kansas conditions. Of fruit culture. The old orchard these, only three varieties shows the effect of these high have borne fruit in quantity. winds in the number of de- Commonest difficulty w i t h formed trees growing in ex- grapes in western Kansas is posed locations.” (24) winterkilling. As the trees in the orchard The Cherry Orchard. An died, they were replaced prin- experimental cherry orchard cipally with cherry trees. A was planted in 1930 on ter- large number of apple trees raced land that was too rough were removed in the winter to be used for field crops. of 1927-28 and replaced with Earth terraces were con- Early Richmond and Montmo- structed on the contour and rency cherries. This orchard the trees planted with 20-foot suffered in the Armistice Day spacings in the row and the freeze. Before that it had pro- rows spaced 22 to 28 feet duced full crops. It continued apart. In all, 1,040 trees were to be maintained, principally planted, consisting of 12 va- as a cherry orchard. rieties of cherries and 10 va- Grape Variety Test. A varieties of plums; 400 of these riety test of 21 varieties of trees were Early Richmond grapes was planted the spring and 300, Montmorency cherry. of 1927. By 1931 only six of The trees were hand watered the first year but received no Results w e r e disappointing irrigation later. The orchard and the experiment was dis- was top-dressed the first year continued in 1930. with barnyard manure to sup- Paper Mulches for Vege- ply nutrients and to retard tables. An experiment to de- erosion. Regardless of the dry termine the value of paper conditions of the 1930’s the mulches for vegetables was trees produced well. By the conducted for two years-1929 summer of 1940 when meas- and 1930. Most promising re- urements were made of the sults were obtained with growth of the trees, the largest beans, peas, carrots, and can- had reached a height of 12 feet taloupe, with yields ranging and a diameter of 8 1/2 inches. from 114 percent to 190 per- The orchard was killed by the cent of those from the plots 1940 Armistice Day freeze and without paper mulch. Nega- was not replanted. tive results were obtained with Experimental Fruit Plant- lettuce, radishes, and one va- ings. When commercial cherry riety of watermelons. The and plum trees were planted paper mulch proved unsatis- on the contour (1930), experi- factory under the windy con- mental plantings of cherry, ditions in western Kansas. plum, and apricot were made Tomatoes. Tomatoes in in the nursery. They made w e s t e r n Kansas produced good, upright growth in con- vines but little fruit. The Hor- trast to exposed trees in the ticultural Field Station of the terraced orchard on the up- U.S.D.A. at Cheyenne, Wyo- land that had a decided north ming, had started to study this “lean.” Most of the varieties problem with the Hays Sta- produced fruit in 1932. Fruit tion cooperating. In 1937 seed plantings are still being made of a number of varieties was as an important phase of ex- secured from Cheyenne, and perimental work at the Sta- purchases were made of tion. others. The results, while not Gardens. Garden crops were conclusive, showed that some first grown at the Station in of the old standard varieties 1903 when 9 acres were were not dependable. The va- planted in part to potatoes, riety Bison, despite numerous cabbage, tomatoes, beans, and faults, gave an excellent yield corn for irrigation studies in and was recommended for cooperation with the U.S.D.A. western Kansas. This experimental work was of short duration. WORK ANIMALS In 1928 five varieties of All tillage work on the Sta- seedling potatoes descended tion farm the first year of its from the South American yel- operation (1902) was done by low-fleshed potato were re- hired and contract labor. The ceived from the Presque Isle regents on March 4 passed the Potato Station of the Bureau following resolution relating of Plant Industry, U.S.D.A. to the first tillage work: “Moved by Regent Nichols to tion now has 15 horses and break at once at Hays about 12 mules. . . . This number 340 acres at best terms avail- is inadequate to properly carry able.” (25) on the farm work at the time The first authorization by such work should be done, so the regents for the purchase that at harvest and plowing of work animals was August time, additional teams have 8, 1902, as stated in the follow- been rented.” (27) ing resolution offered by Re- Mechanical p o w e r equip- gent Fairchild: “Whereas, the ment was being tried in an ex- available funds for use at the perimental way for tillage. Hays Branch Station for the Steam plowing outfits were current year are not more than being manufactured. The Leg- $1,000, and believing that the islature of 1907 appropriated importance of the work at $3,500 to purchase a steam Hays justifies the most liberal plowing outfit for the Hays treatment, be it resolved that Station. A minute of the $350 or so much thereof as Board July 31, 1907, was: may be necessary be appropri- “Moved by Regent Nichols ated for the purpose of pur- that the act of the committee chasing a team of young in purchasing steam plow out- horses and harness for use at fit and Otto9 engine be ap- the Hays Experiment Sta- proved. Carried.” (28) tion.” (26) That this purchase was en- The Legislatures of 1903 tered into with some skepti- and 1905 appropriated for cism is indicated by another horses, mules, and equipment. minute of the Board passed The report of the Director of the Experiment Station for 1907 contains the following: “The Branch Experiment Sta- at the same meeting: “Re- for 1913, reported: “It is pro- solved that Mr. Colliver, in the posed that effort be made to absence of Mr. McClelland, be dispose of the steam plowing instructed to offer $1.50 per outfit, either by direct sale or acre for plowing to the extent trade, and acquiring a tractor of 200 acres in case the steam for farm use, perhaps as large plow does satisfactory work; as 35 hp. Or, procure a 20 hp. and in case the plow fails to tractor and engine plow of not work satisfactorily, he will to exceed 5 gang size, so that then hire done whatever por- demonstrations of the practi- tion of the remainder of the cability of such equipment for summer plowing may be nec- farm needs may be made.” essary in his judgment to (31) bring about the best results.” The steam engine was not (29) disposed of but remained on That the steam plow outfit the Station as a source of did not give satisfactory re- power for threshing and other sults is indicated by a minute stationary engine jobs. of the Regents passed June The Station depended chief- 28, 1909: “Moved by Regent ly on horses and mules as Capper that Director Webster power for field work. A num- be requested to investigate gas ber of mares were purchased and tractor engines, also pos- and an effort made to produce sibility of trading the old horse and mule colts as a steam engine plowing outfit.” source of supply of young (30) work stock. During 1913 and This effort to dispose of the 1914 one of the stallions from steam plowing outfit was un- the Department of Animal successful, and Superintendent Husbandry at the College was Helder, in his annual report loaned to the Station. In 1914 a well bred, two-year-old jack and a Caterpillar Diesel 40 was purchased by the Station tractor purchased in 1936. The for $800. The effort to pro- S t a t i o n became completely duce colts was not overly suc- mechanized in 1947. The last cessful and reliance was placed use made of work horses at chiefly on the purchase of the Station was in the winter young work stock. In 1915, 34 of 1944 when a team was used young mules ranging up to in feeding cattle. Fourteen two years old and 2 two-year- horses were still on the Sta- old colts were purchased for tion in 1947. Twelve of these $3,321.50. The Station inven- were large black Percheron tory at the close of 1915 horses weighing about a ton showed 1 stallion, 1 jack, 11 each. They were beautiful geldings, 6 colts, 15 mares, 7 teams but were sold for $45 fillies, 26 mules, and 35 mule a head to a packing house. colts-for a total of 102, and The only horses remaining on the most work stock ever the place were two saddle owned by the Station. Interest horses. Riding horses have increased in tractors for always been and are still kept power. In 1915 the J I. Case at the Station to handle cattle. Implement Company .provided the Station a Case 40 tractor. BEEF CATTLE A few years later a Rumley Management. The most ex- Oil Pull tractor was pur- tensive work with livestock at chased. These tractors supple- the Station has been with beef mented team work and reduced cattle. Management and feed- somewhat the animal power ing work started the second requirements. year of the operation of the In 1921, 96 head of horses Station and has continued and mules were in use on the without interruption to the Station farm, and as many as present time. The first herd, 66 head of work animals were acquired in 1903, consisted of put into the field at one time 144 head of common cattle, for tillage operations. The use mostly breeding stock. They of work animals presented were bred to good Shorthorn many problems; keeping up and Hereford bulls to demon- equipment was a great ex- strate what could be done by pense, and runaways, many of using good sires to improve which were permitted by in- the quality of this kind of cat- competent teamsters, w e r e tle. common. Substituting tractors The Legislature of 1907 ap- for horsepower began in ear- propriated $5,000 for livestock nest in 1924. An Allis-Chal- experimental work. In antici- mers, a Farmall, and two Cat- pation of starting new work erpillar tractors were pur- the regents authorized the sale chased within the next 10 of all cattle on the Station. A years. A Caterpillar Diesel minute pertaining to the mat- No. 35 tractor was secured on ter reads: “Moved by Regent the college loan plan in 1934, Griffith that ten (10) cows and their calves, ten (10) well understood by the super- two-year-olds, and ten (10) intendent of the Station. In yearlings be fattened and that 1913 Superintendent Helder the remainder of the herd be reported regarding this work: sold when in condition. Car- “So far as the Hays Station of- ried.” (32) fice was informed, no definite An experiment started in the plan was organized and put year 1907-08 compared the into execution concerning the four common breeds of beef lines of investigation to be cattle-Shorthorn, A n g u s , studied. The consequences of Hereford, and Galloway. A it resulted in conflict of orders new herd of each breed was and method of maintenance obtained consisting of 25 head for the greater period of four of high-grade yearlings. Each years. Hence, no valuable herd was headed by a pure- data is accumulated regarding bred sire of the very best features of beef cattle produc- breeding. The animals were tion, such as must have been purchased with the aid of Pro- the intent when the project fessor Kinzer10 of the College was first undertaken.” (33) at different times during the In 1915 the cow herd on the fall, winter, and spring. All Station farm, including calves animals were TB free. They dropped that year, numbered were reported to be splendid 51 Galloways, 69 Angus, 31 individuals, fairly representa- Shorthorn, and 285 Hereford. tive of their respective breeds. One hundred of the Herefords The plan was to raise three that bore the XI brand were crops of calves, and at the end purchased as yearling heifers of four years fatten and sell in 1914 from the Adams Ranch the entire number : cows, at Maple Hill. In the fall of three-year-olds, two-year- 1915 an outbreak of blackleg olds, and calves. Results resulted in a loss of 26 head, would be compared by feeding and considerable trouble had out the different ages, includ- arisen from abortion. ing maintenance and selling Developing the Hereford value. Each herd was to be In October 1915 the Sta- pastured and fed separately Herd. but given similar conditions tion purchased 100 Hereford and the same kind and quality calves at $43 a head from of feed. In 1910 the herds con- Poole Bros. of Manhattan. sisted of the individuals shown These heifers were to be used above. The experiment was never in a breeding experiment that year. In the fall of 1924, where one half were to be bred 75 off-type cows, including to calve at two years old and those that had lost their the other half at three years calves, or had not produced a old. Paragon Rupert and Beau calf, and all bulls, were Parsifal, two well bred bulls, shipped to market. This cut were purchased in the spring the cow herd to 98 head com- of 1919. In the fall of 1919, posed almost entirely of cows 30 Hereford heifer calves and of Poole Bros. and Adams XI 9 yearling bulls were pur- breeding. These were old cows chased from Alex Philip at remaining from the purchases Hays. These heifers were also made in 1914 and 1915. The used in the breeding experi- Hereford heifers purchased in ment. It was found that the 1919 were the last to be intro- two-year-old heifers had a duced into the herd. Since that hard time calving. Much as- time all females used in the sistance was required of the Station herd have been bred herdsman, and despite the as- and raised on the Station. sistance many calves and a In the fall of 1924 four bulls few heifers died at calving were purchased at the disper- time. sal sale of the W. E. Dickey In the spring of 1922 abor- purebred Hereford herd at tion among the young cows Kansas City, Missouri. Two of again became a problem. these bulls rendered outstand- Nineteen abortions were re- ing service. They were deep- corded at the close of the bodied, thick-fleshed, and calving period that year. heavy-quartered individuals Changes were made in the with great scale. They passed methods of handling and feed- on these qualities to their off- ing the cow herd during the spring. fall and winter of 1923. Abor- In 1929 three purebred tions were reduced to 11 for Hereford bulls were purchased from Robert H. Hazlett of El Bulls purchased between 1940 Dorado. Among these bulls and 1950 included Battle Mis- was a son of Hazford Rupert chief, Delson Rupert, Rollo 25th. He proved an outstand- Mischief 8th, Real Pioneer ing sire. In the fall of 1931 23rd, Perfect Tredway, Prince four yearling bulls of Regula- Tredway, and J. O. Royal Lad. tor breeding were purchased Bulls obtained in the period from the E. L. Mathews herd at 1951 to 1955 inclusive had Kinsley. The service of these similar breeding and included bulls proved most outstanding. Dandy Tredway 4th, Duke R. The bulls were all from the Domino 2nd; P. Royal Duke same sire. They passed on ex- 92nd; P. Royal Duke 33rd; J. cellent qualities and uniform- 0. Duke Pride 71st; and two ity to their calves. Many of Princeps Mixer bulls the 44th the heifer calves were used as and 46th, respectively. herd replacements. Another In 1955 a series of breeding good sire of similar breeding investigations was begun that was purchased of Mathews in involved the relationship of 1934. Other bulls have been the feedlot performance of a purchased as follows: in the sire to that of his progeny. fall of 1935 Carlos Domino III Since the heritability of bull from the Wyoming Here- feedlot gain is relatively high, ford Ranch at Cheyenne, Wyo- this project was initiated to ming; in 1936 an Advance study the feasibility of feed- Mischief bull from John M. ing a fattening ration to a Lewis and Sons of Lamed; in group of bulls for 180 days 1937 a Regality Bred bull from after weaning, in order to de- the College; in 1940 a Domino termine their ability to gain Mixer bull from the Roths- when on full feed and to inves- of considering this factor this way it was possible to de- when selecting a herd sire. termine the kind and quality Nine bull calves all sired by of calves each bull was siring. the same bull and from closely During the 1930’s great dif- related dams were selected ficulty was experienced in during the period 1955 to 1962, maintaining the herd. Fol- from the herds of the follow- lowing the exceedingly hot, ing purebred Hereford breed- dry season of 1934, poor pas- ers: William F. Winzer, tures and depleted finances Reece; L. W. Henry, Leoti: made it necessary to dispose Thad Douthit, St. Francis; and of breeding cattle in 1935. All the Sun Ranch, Salina. Addi- the yearlings were sold and tional sires for use on the re- the old cows culled, reducing mainder of the cow herd not the herd to 89 cows and 81 used in the progeny-testing calves. The herd then was investigations were obtained shipped to Manhattan and from the Forest J. Scrivner grazed on the Alvin Springer herd at Haigler, Nebraska. pastures north of town. In In 1933 a policy was inau- 1937 following the exceedingly gurated of marking each calf dry year of 1936 the cow herd, with tattoo numbers. In one including 2-year-old replace- ear the tattoos recorded own- ment heifers, totaling 123 ership and the number of the head and 94 calves, was mother; in the other ear the shipped to Niles for summer tattoos recorded the year of grazing. Forty-four yearling birth and the calf number. In steers were grazed that summer on rented pasture 15 miles ing of 76 cows and calves and north of Hays, and a few year- 23 yearling heifers were ling heifers were given the moved by truck in June to pas- run of the entire pasture area ture near White City. The av- of the Station. There were erage weight of calves off 185 females in the herd upon grass that fall was 520 pounds, return from pasture in 1937. showing the value of good All were given the Bangs test grass and of selecting good and found negative, resulting cows and herd sires proved by in the Station’s being awarded the herd sire testing program. a Bangs-free certificate. The Hereford cow herd was Feed shortage and insuffi- developed at the Station to cient funds made it necessary provide uniform stock for ex- in December 1937 to sell 50 perimental work and a demon- cows, heavy with calf. Be- stration of good cow herd cause of continued dry weath- management. er it again became necessary The cattle inventory reached in 1939 to rent pasture for the an all-time high of 774 head cows and calves. Good pasture in the fall of 1961. All were was located in Mitchell Coun- used as experimental animals. ty. Thirty-seven cows were There were 150 head in the sorted out and sold before the cow herd, and 275 steer calves herd was moved to pasture, in were purchased that fall. Half order to provide funds for Sta- of the steer calves were win- tion operation. The continued tered in the lots and used in drouth situation and shortage the summer feeding programs. of funds in 1940 again made The others were held over for it necessary to sell breeding use for annual grazing trials cattle. Thirty-three 10- and followed by fattening tests the 11-year-old cows and 12 two- second winter. Calves from year-old heifers were sold. the cow herd were on creep- The rest of the herd consist- feeding tests. Fencing the cattle-feeding The feeding test authorized corrals with pipe and cables, by the regents July 31, 1907 arranging gates and pens, and (32) with a herd of 40 cattle building concrete fence-line consisting of 10 head of calves, bunks began in 1960. Feeding 10 one-year-olds, 10 two-year- operations were mechanized olds, and 10 head of old cows by addition of a silo unloader, was started on November 14, a mixer-auger-conveyor ar- 1907, and continued until Feb- rangement at the elevator, and ruary 7, 1908, at which time a three-compartment feeding all lots were shipped to mar- trailer. These changes im- ket. Each group was fed in a proved the appearance of the separate lot on rations of corn cattle-feeding area, reduced and kafir meal in equal parts costs, and reduced labor with alfalfa and kafir stover. needed for winter operations. The old cows and the two- Feeding. The first feeding year-olds were well finished experiment was started De- by this time; the yearlings cember 21, 1903, when 51 head were in fair condition, but of grade Hereford and Short- calves were not in shape to horn calves 8 to 10 months old bring a good price as baby were put on feed in seven lots beef. for 182 days. Best gains were These examples of early ex- obtained from the lot receiv- periments indicate some of ing corn and alfalfa, and the the types of feeding investiga- poorest from the lot receiving tions that were to be conducted corn and sorghum hay, with during the next five decades. corn and oat straw a close sec- They stressed the feeding ond. The same winter, 1903- value of types of grain and 04, a study was made of the forage which could be grown comparison of penicillaria sto- successfully in western Kan- ver with kafir stover as rough- sas. Emphasis was placed on age for cattle. determining the relative values of different roughages portant studies of this kind and on increasing the utiliza- have related to different ratios tion of roughages. Important of grain to silage and feed studies were conducted com- supplements. They have been paring dry feed and silage, repeated and refined over the fodder and stover, sweet sor- years as management systems ghums and kafir, and grind- and carcass grade specifica- ing and chopping. tions have changed. Because Little full feeding was un- of the tremendous production dertaken until 1944, when the of sorghum grain during the combine types of grain sor- late 1950’s, experiments were ghum became popular in west- conducted to determine the ern Kansas and sorghum feasibility of ensiling sorghum grains became available in heads, grain, and the forage quantity for feeding. Since at different stages of maturity. 1944 fattening trials have be- Concentrates that have been come an important phase of evaluated for fattening cattle the beef cattle feeding re- include Midland milo, West- search, and most of the stock land milo, Martin milo, hybrid have been marketed as fin- sorghum grains, corn, barley, ished animals. The most im- wheat, and molasses. Interest- ing experiments have been kept at the Station prior to the conducted with the various establishment of a dairy farm minerals and antibiotics such unit in 1913. The Legislature as Purdue Supplement A, co- of 1911 appropriated $3,000 balt, calcium, phosphorus, and for the purpose of starting a vitamin A. The use of stil- dairy project. The intention besterol and aureomycin in was to operate the dairy farm various beef cattle programs as a separate and distinct unit also was studied. in a practical businesslike manner to demonstrate the LIVESTOCK PUBLICATIONS desirability of more dairying Results of the beef cattle for western Kansas. A tract work have been reported of 160 acres of upland on the chiefly in Roundup Circulars, south edge of the Station lo- the first of which was pre- cated on the main highway pared in 1913 as a mimeo- south of Hays was set aside graphed circular. These publi- for the purpose. During 1913 cations were numbered con- the fields of the dairy unit, secutively as Roundup Circu- were cropped in anticipation lars until 1945. Since that of the needs of the dairy herd time they have been published during the coming winter. as Roundup Circulars and cir- Two 100-ton silos were built culars or bulletins of the Kan- and partly filled from the crop sas Agricultural Experiment of 1912. In the summer the Station, the first such circular construction of a modern dairy being No. 271 for the year barn was begun. It had a con- 1946-47. Other circulars pub- crete floor and feedways, fix- lished since that time carry tures for stalling the cows, the following Experiment Sta- and feed and manure handling tion numbers: 260, 261, 272, facilities. A wing separated 278, 292, 295, 307, 322, 334, by the two silos adjoined the 348, 359, 363, 377, and 382. barn and provided accommo- A number of technical arti- dations for the teams used in cles have been published in the farm work. Corral yards scientific journals. separated from each other were provided for the cows, DAIRY CATTLE calves, bull, and hogs. The first cow owned by the About one-third of the Station was purchased to sup- $3,000 appropriation was ex- ply milk to the station person- pended in building the silos nel. Authorization was given and in making other improve- by the Board of Regents on ments. The Station secured March 28, 1903, in a resolu- permission from the Board of tion as follows: “Moved by Regents to use station fees to Regent Tulloss that Superin- complete the dairy unit and tendent Haney be authorized buy the dairy cattle. Eighteen to buy one cow at a cost not well bred Holstein cows were to exceed $40. Carried.” (34) purchased in Wisconsin by Only a few milk cows were Prof. O. E. Reed, Head of the Department of Dairy Hus- and immediately following bandry at the College. They World War I. Operating the were brought to the Station in unit separated as it was from September, 1913. The cost of the headquarters unit also the investment in the dairy proved inefficient and un- unit at the end of 1913 was: profitable. It was decided, dairy barn, $3,800; two silos, therefore, in 1922 to convert 100 tons each, $500; hog the dairy unit farm into facili- sheds, corrals, etc., $91; one- ties for wintering the beef room house (for man), $46; herd and to move the dairy well, equipment and well- to the headquarters unit. house, $435; fixtures and The severe drouth of 1934 equipment, $278; 18 Holstein resulting in poor pasture con- cows, $1,950; total, $7,100. ditions and a limited feed sup- The project was in charge ply forced the Station to re- of H. E. Dodge, a dairy hus- duce its livestock population. bandry graduate of the Col- A large part of the dairy herd lege. Mr. Dodge resigned Sep- was leased to the State School tember 1914 and was succeeded for the Deaf at Olathe and the by R. E. Turner, an experi- State Orphanage at Atchison enced dairyman from the Col- until June 1, 1935. At the ter- lege. In 1914 three rooms mination of the lease agree- were added to the small cot- ment the institutions bought tage which provided living ac- the cows. Nine Holstein cows commodations for a married were sold to the State Orphan- man helper for the dairyman. age at $80 a head. The cows The dairy farm was operated at the State School for the as a unit until 1922. Compe- Deaf at Olathe were sold to tent help was scarce during the institution for $70 a head. Seven calves about six months ters a year, bred to farrow in of age were sold to the two April and in September or institutions at $35 a head. October. One good purebred Twenty-three 2-year-old heif- boar was purchased each year. ers were sold locally at private No special hog yards were sales at about $65 each. The maintained, the stock being remaining 16 head of heifers given liberty in cattle pens, on were sold at public sale at alfalfa range, or in feed lots Hutchinson on October 28, for fattening. The sows were 1935. A few heavy springers given such accommodations sold well, but the other bred as the farrowing sheds af- heifers not so far along sold forded and were grazed on for $35 to $50 a head. Buyers alfalfa during the summer were looking for cows in milk months. or heavy springers. All of The Legislature of 1923 ap- these cattle were purebred, of propriated for the con- excellent type. One herd bull $1,000 was sold to the State School struction of a hog house. In for the Deaf for $200 and the 1924 a new hog house was other to the Fort Hays Kansas built, with feed lots adjoining, State College. all of which were provided The Station has not main- with running water. The equipment provided economi- tained a dairy herd since 1985. cal handling of several hun- SWINE dred pigs. By 1928 the entire herd of The first swine owned by swine was purebred Durocs, the Station were purchased in with some of the best breed- 1904. Three breeds of hogs ing in the state. Many gilts were obtained: Duroc Jersey, and male hogs were sold to the Poland China, and Berkshire. farmers throughout western Feeding experiments with Kansas and eastern Colorado. hogs were started in 1905 and In 1929, 42 sows were far- continued through the early rowed, producing 373 pigs, of years of the Station. Compari- which 299 were saved. In- sons were made of the gains testinal parasites necessitated by hogs following cattle fed worming the litters. The cost different rations and of differ- of worming and keeping the ent types of hogs fed the com- pens sanitary and free from mon feeds of western Kansas. worm infestation became al- By January 1913, swine on most prohibitive. Alternating the Station had been reduced the use of the yards for one to one breed-Duroc Jersey. year with fallow was started The herd numbered 386 head, in 1930 in order to attempt to 32 being bred sows. During eliminate the worms. The the year 517 head were sold change was successful and less for $6,529.69. The plan of trouble occurred. The exceed- management at this time con- ingly dry weather of the 1930’s sisted of breeding 20 to 30 reduced grain production and sows, these to bring two lit- the excessive heat was detri- mental. A temperature of 106° Since the project was not con- on June 4, 1933, resulted in tributing to the experimental the death of two sows. In 1936 findings of the Station, it was the Station decided to dispose decided to discontinue the pro- of the Duroc Jersey breed and duction of swine in 1950. No start a herd of Poland Chinas. pigs have been kept on the Since no grain sorghums were Station since that time. produced on the Station that year and feed had to be pur- SHEEP chased at a high price, it was The first and only sheep decided to keep the hog popu- owned by the Station were lation at a minimum. In 1937, purchased from the College in 18 pigs were saved from the December, 1912. The flock of two gilts purchased the year 57 grade ewes and two pure- before. They developed into bred Shropshire rams cost an attractive lot of gilts and $550. The flock was purchased fat barrows. As weather for with two objectives: to demon- crops improved and feed grain strate sheep production in production increased, condi- western Kansas, and to deter- tions became more favorable mine the possibility of exter- for swine production. In 1940, minating bindweed with sheep. 103 pigs were farrowed. A It was hoped that a flock of purebred Poland China boar 80 to 100 ewes might be kept was purchased. Between 1940 and a carload of lambs mar- and 1950 only a sufficient keted annually. In the fall of number (10 to 20) sows were 1915 the flock consisted of 90 kept to produce the pigs ewes bred for spring lambing. needed to utilize waste grain. During the summer of 1915 the flock was grazed on a 12- creased to 98 ewes, 3 rams, 78 acre field heavily infested with lambs, and 2 wethers valued bindweed to determine the ef- at $1,374. By 1917 the inven- fectiveness of sheep in utiliz- tory value was $1,635. Labor ing the weed and the possibil- became hard to obtain during ity of exterminating the weed the World War I period. It in this way. The field also was difficult also to protect c o n t a i n e d a considerable the flock from dogs. It was growth of lamb’s quarter, sun- considered advisable to dis- flowers, red root, and wild mil- continue the sheep project in let. The sheep fed upon these 1922. No sheep have been weeds first. After about two kept on the Station since that weeks the sheep were eating time. bindweed liberally and continued to graze it until the CEREAL INVESTIGATIONS weed failed to supply forage, The earliest investigational at which time it was eaten work with crops at the Hays down to stubble and small station was with cereals as stems. The sheep grazed sat- stated under the section of isfactorily upon bindweed, but this report entitled “Early did not exterminate it. A Work at the Station” (p. 32). growth of bindweed sufficient The work was cooperative to supply satisfactory grazing with the United States Depart- for sheep was also sufficient ment of Agriculture almost to maintain a continuing stand from the beginning. The re- of the weed. port of the Experiment Sta- By 1916 the flock had in- tion of 1902 states that “The fall wheat and rye seeding during the past 60 years are comprise 200 acres, a trial of not the work of a single 165 varieties and several agency. Co-ordination by the methods of seeding. The va- U.S.D.A. has made the work riety trial is in cooperation more productive. with the United States De- Methods of Work. From partment of Agriculture. The 1903 to 1925 investigations varieties of wheat tried are with cereals consisted chiefly those which have been se- of varietal testing of wheat, lected as being adapted to this oats, barley, sorghum, and climate. Careful notes are be- corn. Improvement was car- ing taken on each variety as ried out largely by establish- to its vigor, manner of growth, ing pure lines from foreign in- yield, etc. A large number of troductions. Wheat, the chief varieties are direct importa- crop, prior to 1920 was con- tions while others are hybrids fined largely to the variety of the best wheats grown in Turkey and to Crimean intro- the state. . . . Spring work ductions from Russia. Sor- comprised the planting of 18 ghum selections and pure lines varieties of spring wheat, were established from African mostly macaroni, 22 of barley, and Asiatic introductions. 16 of oats, and one of spelt. Experiments were con- The area devoted to this is 140 ducted in cultural practices acres.” (35) such as rates and dates of The work was financed seeding wheat and sorghum, jointly by the U.S.D.A. and the fertilizer top dressing, chemi- Station. In 1905 the U.S. De- cal seed treatment, and pas- partment of Agriculture fur- turing experiments with win- nished the seed and $200. The ter wheat. The growth re- Station furnished the man in sponse of wheat on cropped charge and all permanent and fallowed land was studied. equipment, fencing, land, la- From 1920 to 1950 improve- bor, and supplies. Subse- ment through hybridization quently, a larger share of sup- followed by selection domi- port came from the Depart- nated the creation of the new ment, with the Department crop varieties which were in- paying the salary of the cere- creased and released through alist and the Station furnish- certification. New s t r a i n s ing his living quarters, facili- were also created which were ties for work, labor, and the not of commercial importance major portion of all operating but became useful for their costs. germ plasm. The cereal investigational From 1950 to the present, work has been cooperative breeding emphasis has been with the U.S.D.A. and with on the critical and highly spe- other experiment stations in cialized study of genetic and the G r e at Plains. Conse- cytoplasmic inheritance. This quently, many of the new and led to the development and use improved varieties developed of male sterility in hybridization, which in sorghum has ferent varieties of cereals for been of great economic value western Kansas. The adapta- to the region. bility of Turkey and Kharkov More recently the Station wheat was shown. When Kan- has made use of backcrossing red wheat was developed at for the improvement of wheat the College, the Station dem- and sorghums to improve onstrated its value for the re- existing good varieties and to gion. Tenmarq and Comanche e 1 i m i n a t e weaknesses. In wheat, both developed at the wheat, emphasis has been College, were tested and dem- placed on quality as well as onstrated by the St at ion. on yield. Largely through the efforts of The improvement of crops A. F. Swanson, cerealist from from pure line selections and 1917 to 1951 who rendered hybridization to methods of signal service, Kiowa and Bi- genetic and cytoplasmic in- son wheats were developed as heritance has p r o g r e s s e d replacements for Tenmarq and steadily at the Station for 60 Comanche. Bison in 1961 was years. Pure seed has been sup- grown on 27 percent of the plied in quantity to the farm- Kansas wheat acreage. ers as a result of this breeding Bison is highly regarded for program. Most of the work its strong gluten strength. It has been in cooperation with has high yield and has spread the U.S.D.A. and in close col- into Colorado and Nebraska. laboration with the central Apache was developed at the station at Manhattan. Station and was made ready Cereals Developed or Fos- for certification and distribu- tered. D u r i n g the first 30 tion, but it lodged badly in a years the Station served prin- wet year and was never ap- cipally to test the value of dif- proved. The foundation seed was sent to the Clayton Ex- emergency, but was later dis- periment Station in New Mex- continued. Other minor varie- ico and was distributed in New ties developed or fostered were Mexico and in the Texas Pan- Dwarf Freed, Modoc, Greeley, handle. It came back into Weskan, Coes, and Gurno. southwestern Kansas during Some of these have been used the early 1950’s, and in 1960 by plant breeders for new was grown on 1 percent of the germ plasm. Gurno at one wheat area of the state. time was grown extensively Hays Golden corn, acquired in South Dakota, while Coes by A. F. Swanson on the Flem- had a distribution in Colo- ing Farm in Ness County in rado. 1923, was further purified and Of the more important va- was rather widely distributed. rieties, Early Kalo, approved It is still being used by corn in 1940, came into competition breeders as germ plasm for with Westland but later was drouth resistance. replaced by Midland which Pink kafir isolated in 1910 had much better standability. by the Station was highly re- Early Kalo’s distribution cov- garded and had the longest ered much of western Kansas period of distribution of any and reached into Nebraska. sorghum variety ever grown All the varieties were replaced there. Early Sumac sorgo had in the late 1950’s with the new wide distribution and is still hybrids. By 1961 these pre- grown. Dawn kafir, Dwarf dominated the grain sorghum yellow milo, and feterita, production of the state. while not of Hays origin, were In 1948 the white-seeded grown for seed production. Ellis sorgo from the Station Wheatland was the first was approved for distribution combine sorghum to become and still is grown extensively established firmly on the in central Kansas. It is highly Great Plains. It was brought regarded for its quality, even to the Station in 1929 from though the tonnage is rela- Woodward, Oklahoma, a n d tively low. was approved for distribution Since 1955 the hybrid sor- in 1931. It later was replaced ghums KS601, KS602, KS651, by Westland from the Garden and KS701, developed at the City station and by Midland Station, have been released. from Hays. Use of pure-line grain sor- From 1920 to 1950 the Sta- ghums on the farms has de- tion developed a number of clined rapidly since 1956 so sorghum varieties from plant that seed production now is breeding. Approved for certi- almost zero. This older ma- fication but reaching only terial has been replaced with limited distribution were Kalo, hybrids produced by large Club Kafir, Norkan, and Cody. commercial seed companies The latter was grown for a having skilled personnel using specialized starch d u r i n g highly specialized methods World War II to meet an and extensive equipment. FORT HAYS BRANCH EXPERIMENT STATION HISTORY 61

PROJECT LEADERS IN CEREAL INVESTIGATIONS Name Appointment Termination A. D. Colliver April 1, 1905 December 31, 1908 C. C. Cunningham January 21, 1909 July 31, 1911 B. E. Rothgeb April 1, 1910 March 1, 1912 F. A. Kiene March 1, 1910 April 30, 1919 A. F. Swanson June 1, 1919 October 3, 1951 Lowell Penny April 1947 June 1, 1949 A. J. Casady June 1, 1949 June 30, 1951 Wayne L. Fowler July 1, 1952 July 31, 1953 W. M. Ross September 1, 1951 To date John D. Miller August 17, 1953 August 28, 1957 James A. Wilson September 16, 1957 October 1, 1961 Ronald W. Livers February 1, 1962 To date

PUBLICATIONS RELATING TO CEREAL CROPS 1. Aicher, L. C. 1935. Growing Combine Sorghums. Kans. Agr. Expt. Sta. Circ. 170. 2. Aubel, C. E., and Swanson, A. F. 1951. Testing the Comparative Palatability of Different Sorghums. 38th Annual Livestock Feed- ers' Day Rpt., Kans. Agr. Expt. Sta. Circ. 273, pp. 6-7. 3. Bieberly, Frank G., Cleavinger, E. A., Walter, Ted L., Miller, John D., Hansing, Earl D., Painter, R. H., and Heyne, E. G. 1957. Bar- ley in Kansas. Kans. Agr. Exten. Circ. C-262. 4. Clapp, A. L., Ross, W. M., Walter, Ted L., Stegmeier, W. D., Gwin, Roy E., Moore, W. A., Axelton, M. C., and Raney, R. J. 1960. Grain Sorghum Performance Tests, 1959. Kans. Agr. Expt. Sta. Bul. 420. 5. Heyne, E. G., Miller, John D., Finney, K. F., and Hansing, E. D. 1957. Bison Winter Wheat (CI 12518). Kans. Agr. Expt. Sta. Cir. 352. 6. Laude, H. H. and Swanson, A. F. 1933, Sorghum Production in Kansas. Kans. Agr. Expt. Sta. Bul. 265. 7. Laude, H. H. and Swanson, A. F. 1942. Natural Selection in Varie- tal Mixtures in Winter Wheat. Jour. Amer. Soc. Agron. 34: 270-274. 8. Pauli, A. W., Wilson, J. A., and Stickler, F. C. 1962, Flowering Re- sponse in Winter Wheat as Influenced by Temperature, Light, and Gibberellic Acid. Crop Sci. 2 : 271-274. 9. Price, Mary E. and Ross, W. M. 1957. Cytological Study of a Trip- loid x Diploid Cross of Sorghum vulgare Pers. Agron. Jour. 49: 237- 240. 10. Price, Mary E, and Ross, W. M. 1955, The Occurrence of Trisomics and Other Aneuploids in a Cross of Triploid x Diploid Sorghum vulgare. Agron. Jour. 47: 591-592. 11. Martin, John H., Sieglinger, John B., Swanson, A. F., Burnham, D. R., Clemmer, H. J., Coles, E. H., Keating, F. E., and Osborn, W. M. 1929. USDA Tech. Bul. 131. 12. Miller, John D. and Ross, W. M. 1955. A Four-row V-Belt Nursery Seeder. Agron. Jour. 47: 282-283. 13. Miller, John D. and Ross, W. M. 1955. Relative Yields of Varieties of Wheat on Fallow and on Cropland at Hays, Kansas, 1921-52. Agron. Jour. 47: 308-311. 14. Ross, W. M. 1956. Bright Future for Sorghum Hybrids. Kans. State Board of Agr. 39th Bien. Rpt., pp. 58-60. 15. Ross, W. M. 1957. Stigma Receptivity in Cytoplasmic Male-Sterile Sorghum. Agron. Jour. 49 : 219-220. 16. Ross, W. M. 1958. A Comparison of Grain Sorghum Varieties in Plots with and without Border Rows. Agron. Jour. 50:344-345. 6 2 KANSAS BULLETIN 453

17. Ross, W. M. and Bieberly, Frank G. 1962. Growing and Utilizing Sorghums in Kansas. Kans. Agr. Exten. Cir. C-,301. 18. Ross, W. M. and Laude, H. H. 1955. Growing Sorghums in Kansas. Kans. Agr. Expt. Sta. Cir. 319. 19. Ross, W. M. and Miller, John D. 1955. A Comparison of Hill and Conventional Yield Tests Using Oats and Spring Barley. Agron. Jour. 47:253-255. 20. Ross, W. M. and Webster, 0. J. 1959. Additional Notes on Cyto- plasmic Male Sterility in Sorghum. Agron. Jour. 51:682. 21. Ross, W. M, and Webster, 0. J. 1960. Cultivation and Utilization of Grain Sorghum. USDA Agr. Info. Bul. 218. 22. Sieglinger, J. B., Swanson, A. F., and Martin, J. H. 1934. Inherit- ance of Awn Development in Sorghums. Jour. Agr. Res. 49:663- 668. 23. Swanson, A. F. 1926. Relation of the Seed Coat of Feterita to the Rate of Water Absorption and Germination. Jour. Amer. Soc. Agron. 18:428-432. 24. Swanson, A. F. 1927. Cereal Experiments at the Fort Hays Branch Station, Hays, Kans., 1912-23. USDA Tech. Bul. 14. 25. Swanson, A. F. 1928. Seed-coat Structure and Inheritance of Seed Color in Sorghums. Jour. Agr. Res. 37: 577-589. 26. Swanson, A. F. and Getty, R. E. 1930. Chemical Seed Treatments for Sorghum. Jour. Amer. Soc. Agron. 22 : 272-275. 27. Swanson, A. F. 1930. Variability of Grain Sorghum Yields as In- fluenced by Size, Shape, and Number of Plots. Jour. Amer. Soc. Agron. 22:833-838. 28. Swanson, A. F. 1934. Sorghum-The Emigrant Crop of Kansas. Arend 5:109-113. 29. Swanson, A. F. 1935. The Development of Sorghum Culture in Kan- sas. Kans. State Board of Agr. 29th Bien. Rpt., pp. 165-174. 30. Swanson, A. F. 1938. "Weak Neck" in Sorghum. Jour. Amer. Soc. Agron. 30:720-724. 31. Swanson, A. F. 1939. Long-time Storage of Winter Wheat. Jour. Amer. Soc. Agron. 31: 896-897. 32. Swanson, A. F. 1941. Relation of Leaf Area to Grain Yield of Sor- ghum. Jour. Amer. Soc. Agron. 33 : 908-914. 33. Swanson, A. F. 1949. Recent Developments in Grain Sorghum Pro- duction by Plant Breeding Methods. Agron. Jour. 41: l79-l9l. 34. Swanson, A. F. 1950. Starch-A New Outlet for Grain Sorghum. Kans. State Board of Agr. Rpt. Aug. 1949. Vol. 68, No. 292, pp. 49-59. 35. Swanson, A. F. 1950. Sorghum-Its Production and Utilization. Kans. State Board of Agr. Rept. Aug. 1949. Vol. 68, No. 292, pp. 32-38. 36. Swanson, A. F. 1951. Relation of Rainfall and Other Climatic Fac- tors to Crop Production in the Great Plains. Agron. Jour. 43:397- 400. 37. Swanson, A. F. Making Pellets of Forage Sorghum. USDA Yearbook 1950-51. pp. 353-356. 38. Swanson, A. F. and Anderson, K. L. 1951. Winter Wheat for Pas- ture. Kans. Agr. Expt. Sta. Bul. 345. 39. Swanson, A. F. and Hunter, Robert. 1936. Effect of Germination and Seed Size on Sorghum Stands. Jour. Amer. Soc. Agron. 28: 997- 1004. 40. Swanson, A. F. and Laude, H. H. 1934. Varieties of Sorghums in Kansas. Kans. Agr. Expt. Sta. Bul. 266. 41. Swanson, A. F. and Laude, H. H. 1935. Pasturing Winter Wheat in Kansas. Kans. Agr. Expt. Sta. Bul. 271. 42. Swanson, A. F. and Laude, H. H. 1938. Barley Production in Kan- sas. Kans. Agr. Expt. Sta. Bul. 280. 43. Swanson, A. F. and Laude, H. H. 1942. Sorghums for Kansas. Kans. Agr. Expt. Sta. Bul. 304. FORT HAYS BRANCH EXPERIMENT STATION HISTORY 63

44. Swanson, A. F. and Laude, H. H. 1943. Sorghums for Kansas. Kans. Agr. Expt. Sta. Bul. 318. 45. Swanson, A. F. and Laude, H. H. 1951. Grain and Forage Sorghum for Kansas. Kans. Agr. Expt. Sta. Bul. 349. 46. Swanson, A. F. and Parker, John H. 1931. Inheritance of Smut Re- sistance and Juiciness of Stalk. Jour. Hered. 22:51-56. 47. Tanner, Fred W., Swanson, A. F., and Curtis, J. J. 1949. Breeding for Niacin Content in a Sorghum Cross, Westland x Cody. Cereal Chem. 6:333-338. 48. Walter, Ted L., Clapp, A. L., Ross, W. M., Lawless, John R., Steg- meier, W. D., Gwin, Roy E. Jr., Moore, W. A., Axelton, M. C., and Raney, R. J. 1961. Kansas Grain Sorghum Performance Tests, 1960. Kans. Agr. Expt. Sta. Bul. 435. 49. Walter, Ted L., Gwin, Roy E. Jr., Lawless, John R., Ross, W. M., Stegmeier, W. D., Axelton, M. C., Moore, W. A., Peterson, V. H., and Raney, R. J. 1962. Grain Sorghum Performance Tests, 1961. Kans. Agr. Expt. Sta. Bul. 446. 50. Wilson, J. A. and Ross, W. M. 1961. Haploidy in Twin Seedlings of Winter Wheat. Crop Sci. 1:82. 51. Wilson, J. A. and Ross, W. M. 1961. Cross-breeding in Wheat, Triticum aestivum. I. Frequency of the Pollen-restoring Character in Hybrid Wheats Having Aegilops ovata cytoplasm. Crop Sci. 1:191 -193. 52. Wilson, J. A. and Ross, W. M. 1962. Cross-breeding Wheat, Triticum aestivum. II. Hybrid Seed Set on a Cytoplasmic Male-sterile Win- ter Wheat Subjected to Cross-pollination. Crop Sci. 2: 415-417. 1962. 53. Wilson, J. A. and Ross, W. M. 1962. Male Sterility Interaction of the Triticum aestivum nucleus and Triticum timopheevi cytoplasm. Wheat Info. Service 14:29. 54. Wilson, J. A. and Swanson, A. F. 1962. Effect of Plant Spacing on the Development of Winter Wheat. Agron. Jour. 54: 327-328.

GRAIN STORAGE of the Department of Agricul- INVESTIGATIONS tural Engineering and the Introduction of the combine milling and baking studies un- resulted in much wheat being der the direction of Dr. C. O. harvested while too moist for Swanson of the Department safe storage. It is estimated of Milling Industry of the Col- that high moisture content lege. caused injury to 10 to 25 per- The 1929 harvest began cent of the total Kansas wheat June 28 when windrowed crop during the latter part of wheat was picked up and the 1920’s and the early 1930’s. threshed. The weather was Work was undertaken at the hot, dry, and windy, drying Hays Station in 1929 to study the grain rapidly. Grain that whether the type of bin in contained 18 percent moisture which the wheat was stored in the morning was down to immediately after harvest 14 percent in the afternoon. might influence the extent of A second combine was started the damage. Eleven 500-bush- in another field of standing el grain bins were erected on grain that was still green in the Station grounds. The low places. This wheat ranged storage work was under the in moisture content from 16.2 direction of Prof. F. C. Fenton to 18.6 percent moisture. Three bins of the mixture of work in 1929 indicated that the green and ripe wheat the material of which a bin proved to be the most difficult was constructed was probably to store without damage. of less importance than the While the grain available type of ventilation. was not sufficiently uniform In 1930 work was under- in moisture to permit compari- taken to determine the best son for the different types of methods of ventilation and the bins, it was possible to arrive effect of ventilation upon cool- at certain conclusions: 1. Any ing, the removal of moisture, wheat stored with moisture and the prevention of damage. content of 15 percent or Wheat was stored in five higher is likely to be damaged 1,000-bushel bins, each repre- because of heating. 2. Wheat senting a different type of stored in tight-walled bins ventilation. The wheat used seems more likely to heat than in the study was combined be- that stored in ventilated bins. fore it was entirely ripe and 3. Severe damage in damp contained enough moisture to wheat may be prevented by create a difficult storage prob- moving it as soon as it starts lem. Each load of wheat as it heating; this moving will be came from the field was di- effective to the extent that it vided equally among the five cools the wheat and removes bins. No attempt was made to moisture. 4. Power cost of force air through the wheat moving wheat is small, artificially. This study led to amounting to 8 to 15 cents for the following conclusions: 1. 500 bushels. 5. Hot weather Wheat with a moisture con- influences heating of wheat in tent of 17.5 percent is too steel bins more than in better damp for safe storage in any insulated bins. 6. When the ordinary type of bin in hot outside temperature is low and weather. 2. Cooling wheat by the bin is filled with hot transferring it from one bin wheat, there is a decided con- to another is not very effec- densation of moisture on the tive when the weather is ex- wheat near the outside walls, tremely hot. 3. Ventilation is especially in the steel and very valuable in lowering the concrete stave bins; this temperature in damp wheat in causes the outside 6 or 8 storage. 4. Ventilated bottom inches of wheat to mold more bins proved to be the most ef- rapidly. 7. Ventilation ap- fective in lowering the tem- pears to be an important fac- perature during the summer tor in preventing heating of of 1930. 5. A bin with venti- wheat in storage. This ven- lated side walls, a flue in the tilation, however, must facili- center, and suction cupola on tate air movement sufficiently top was also effective in cool- to cool the wheat and remove ing the wheat. 6. Ventilation moisture. Ventilators which flues of perforated metal were do not accomplish this do of little value in cooling the more harm than good. The grain; in fact, they might have promoted molding. 7. The tion with the Bureau of Agri- blower type of elevator cultural Chemistry and Engi- cracked much of the grain if neering, United States De- the moisture content was be- partment of Agriculture, in low 15 percent. 8. The wheat 1936 and continued through in all the bins was damaged 1937 and 1938. The experi- from the standpoint of mill- ments embraced work with ing. both natural and forced ven- The studies to this time had tilation and various types of demonstrated the value of ven- bin construction. The follow- tilation in preventing damage ing conclusions were drawn to damp wheat in storage. from these studies: “The re- They had shown that when the sults seem to indicate that in moisture content was too high this area wheat can be stored and the weather hot, no sys- safely for several years in tem of natural ventilation was tight unventilated bins if the effective. It was d e c i d e d , moisture content is 13 per- therefore, to try methods of cent or less. In order to store forced ventilation in 1931 and wheat safely that has a mois- to compare them with those ture content in the range of methods of natural ventila- 13 to 14.5 percent, it appears tion that in previous studies necessary to provide ventila- had shown the greatest prom- tion. This may be accom- ise. Four 1,000-bushel steel plished in many ways, but the bins were used having differ- following types of wind-ven- ent types of forced and natural tilated bins (in order of effi- ventilation. ciency) have proved effective Harvest started June 29, in field tests: (1) Bins having 1931. The moisture content of a system of horizontal flues the wheat when stored varied with alternate layers con- from 10.8 percent to 17.23 per- nected to suction and pressure cent. The following conclu- cowls and so spaced that the sions were drawn: 1. Forced maximum air travel between ventilation was more effective the flues is 2 feet. (2) Bins than natural ventilation in having a suction or pressure cooling the wheat. 2. The evi- cowl which is connected to a dence comparing suction of air perforated chamber so pro- with forcing of air was limited, portioned and located in the but indications were that forc- center of the mass of grain ing was more effective. 3. The that the maximum distance temperature of wheat stored the air travels through the in the ventilated bins approxi- wheat is 3 1/2 feet. These bins mated outside air tempera- must have perforated floors tures more closely than did a n d , preferably, perforated that stored in unventilated walls. (3) Bins having a suc- bins. tion cowl connected to the Further experiments in the space above the grain in such storage of damp wheat were a fashion that the air is drawn u n d e r t a k e n in coopera- through a perforated floor and not more than 8 feet of grain. Kansas Agricultural Experi- (4) Bins having a suction or ment Station Technical Bulle- pressure cowl connected to a tin No. 33, December, 1932. perforated central chimney so The Quality of Wheat as Af- the air enters through perfo- fected by Farm Storage. 2. rated walls and passes through U.S.D.A. Circular 544, April, not more than 6 feet of grain. 1940. Methods of Ventilating Any of the naturally venti- Wheat in Farm Storages. lated types enumerated above can be provided with power FORAGE INVESTIGATIONS ventilation to prevent damage Experimental work with to grain having more than forage crops began with the 14.5 percent of moisture. If establishment of the Station. the weather is favorable for Efforts to improve alfalfa, drying, wheat at 18 percent bromegrass, and big bluestem moisture content can be were attempted. Observational stored in ventilated bins if the plantings of sweetclover and air travel is very short and various large-seeded annual the blowers have high capac- legumes such as soybeans were ity.” (36) made. A selection of pink A complete report of the kafir, made in 1907, led to its grain storage investigations subsequent widespread distri- at Hays is contained in the bution. Not until 1913 when following publications : 1. a cooperative agreement was initiated with the Bureau of was explored. They were Plant Industry of the U.S.D.A. shown to be less valuable for did the work become firmly forage than were sorghums or established. Under this agree- sudangrass. Varietal and cul- ment the department paid the tural studies with v a r i o u s salary of a scientific worker large-seeded annual legumes, stationed at Hays and the Sta- root crops, and miscellaneous tion provided the physical fa- crops continued through the cilities and most of the labor. mid-1930’s. From 1937 half of the scien- Drouth that prevailed from tific worker’s salary was paid 1932 to 1936 permitted exten- by the Station to conduct full- sive studies on survival of na- time re s e arch on alfalfa, tive grasses. Studies were grasses, and sweetclover. Fed- made of time, depth, rate of eral support for the project seeding, and methods of pre- terminated in 1950. paratory cropping for seeding The most extensive work at native grasses. It was found the beginning was with for- that protective stubble such as age sorghums, relating to the sudangrass or close - drilled choice of varieties, their im- sorghums provided best con- provement, and development ditions for spring seeding of of the most effective methods warm-season grasses. of culture and utilization. Va- The breeding program for rieties of forage sorghum im- improvement of buffalograss proved by selection and recom- was begun in 1936. A selec- mended for distribution were tion that was superior in seed Early Sumac, Red Amber, production was increased veg- Western Blackhull, and Atlas. etatively in 1942. Pollination Although major e m p h a s i s of this plant with selected prior to 1930 was placed on ex- male plants resulted in a periments with sweet sor- strain with superior seeding ghums, many other forage vigor. Seed produced from crops were investigated. Stud- this planting was named Hays ies with sudangrass involved buffalograss. The use of Hays rate and date of seeding, de- buffalograss and its impor- termination of o p t i m u m tance in revegetating western growth, and stage of harvest- Kansas is discussed fully in ing for hay. With newer se- another section of this report lections of sudangrass, tests (page 83). were initiated on palatability With the establishment of and grazing. In 1951 a sudan- the Station in 1902 alfalfa at grass breeding program was once assumed an important initiated, and with the advent role on the bottomland of the of cytoplasmic male sterility farm. Problems associated in sorghums efforts were di- with establishment and pro- rected toward the development duction were studied. Lines of male-sterile lines, useful in developed by the breeding pro- hybrid combinations. gram at the College were The value of foxtail millets evaluated, including the bac- 68 KANSAS BULLETIN 453 terial wilt-resistant variety sisting under grazing in as- Buffalo. Foundation plantings sociation with grasses. of Buffalo alfalfa were made. No consistently satisfactory With the appearance of and reliable method has been spotted alfalfa aphids in 1954, found for establishment of an alfalfa breeding project sweetclover. Attention is be- was initiated as a part of the ing given to the possible ex- U.S.D.A. interdepartmental co- ploitation of large - seeded operative breeding program. types which appear to be more readily established. Madrid A spotted alfalfa aphid-resist- sweetclover, a selection from ant variety, Cody, was released introductions of sweetclover in 1959. The program has in- seed from the Madrid Botani- creased in scope and is now cal Garden in Spain, was centered on insect resistance tested extensively both at the and breeding of types of al- College and the Station and falfa better suited to upland released for increase and dis- conditions and capable of per- tribution in 1937.

PROJECT LEADERS IN FORAGE CROPS Name Appointment Termination R. E. Getty April 1, 1913 March 31, 1929 D. A. Savage April 1, 1929 January 23, 1937 L. E. Wenger March 1, 1937 August 6, 1943 R. E. Wagner October 20, 1943 May 1, 1945 F. E. Meenen March 5, 1945 June 16, 1951 A. J. Casady July 1, 1951 August 28, 1954 H. L. Hackerott November 1, 1954 To date

Fig. 48.-Planting grass seed in Sudan stubble with the new improved grass drill built in the Station shop. It was found that protective stubble such as Sudan grass or close-drilled sorghum provided best conditions for spring seeding of warm-season grasses. FORT HAYS BRANCH EXPERIMENT STATION HISTORY 69

PUBLICATIONS RELATING TO FORAGE CROPS Weeks, Charles R. 1919. Growing Alfalfa in Western Kansas. Kans. Agr. Expt. Sta. Cir. 73. 10 pp. Vinall, H. N. and Getty, R. E. 1920. Growing and Utilizing Sorghums for Forage. U.S. Dept. Agr. Farmers' Bul. 1158. 32 pp. Vinall, H. N. and Getty, R. E. 1921. Sudan Grass and Related Plants. USDA Bul. 981. 66 pp. Getty, R. E. 1921. Forage Crops in Western Kansas. Kans. Agr. Expt. Sta. Bul. 225. 54 pp. Vinall, A. N., Getty, R. E., and Cron, A. B. 1924. Sorghum Experi- ments on the Great Plains. USDA Bul. 1260. 88 pp. Savage, D. A. 1933. Buffalo Grass for Fairways in the Plains States. Bulletin U.S. Golf Assn. Grass Sec. 13: 144-149. Getty, R. E. 1934. Experiments with Forage Crops at the Fort Hays Branch Station, Hays, Kansas, 1913 to 1928. USDA Tech. Bul. 410. 92 PP. Savage, D. A. 1934. Methods of Re-establishing Buffalo Grass on Cultivated Land in the Great Plains. USDA Cir. 328. 20 pp. Savage, D. A. 1935. A Field Aspirator for Emasculating Sweet Clover Flowers. Jour. Amer. Soc. Agron. 27: 774-775. Savage, D. A. 1935. "They Came Through"-Survey Shows Where Drought Met Most Resistance. USDA Soil Conservation News Or- gan. 1(2):4-5. Savage, D. A, and Jacobson, A. L. 1935. The Killing Effect of Heat and Drought on Buffalo Grass and Blue Grama at Hays, Kansas. Jour. Amer. Soc. Agron. 27: 566-582. Savage, D. A. 1937. Drought Survival of Native Grass Species in the Central and Southern Great Plains, 1935. USDA Bul. 549. 54 pp. Savage, D. A. and Runyon, H. Everett. 1937. Natural Revegetation of Abandoned Farm Land in the Central and Southern Great Plains. Intern. Grassland Cong. Aberystwyth, Great Britain, Rpt. Sec. 1, Grassland Ecology, 178-18 2. Wenger, Leon E. 1940. Inflorescence Variations in Buffalo Grass. Jour, Amer. Soc. Agron. 3 2: 274-277. Wenger, Leon E. 1941. Improvement of Buffalo Grass in Kansas. 32nd Bien. Rpt., Kans. State Board of Agr., pp. 211-224. Wenger, Leon E. 1941. Soaking Buffalo Grass Seed to Improve Its Germination. Jour. Amer. Soc. Agron. 33 : 13 5-141. Wenger, Leon. E. 1941. Re-establishing Native Grasses by the Hay Method. Kans. Agr. Expt. Sta. Cir. 208. 16 pp. Wenger, Leon. E. 1943. Buffalo Grass. Kans. Agr. Expt. Sta. Bul. 321. 78 pp. Meenen, F. E. and Timmons, F. L. 1949. Use of Herbicides in Pro- duction of Buffalo Grass Seed. Agron. Jour. 41:98-99. Casady, Alfred J. and Anderson, Kling L. 1952. Hybridization, Cytological, and Inheritance Studies of a Sorghum Cross-Autotet- raploid Sudan Grass x (Johnsongrass x 4 N Sudangrass). Agron. Jour. 44:189-194. Harvey, T. L. and Hackerott, H. L. 1956. Apparent Resistance to the Spotted Alfalfa Aphid Selected from Seedlings of Susceptible Alfalfa Varieties. Jour. Econ. Ent. 49: 289-291. Harvey, T. L. and Hackerott, H. L. 1958. Spotted Alfalfa Aphid Reaction and Injury to Resistant and Susceptible Alfalfa Clones Reciprocally Grafted. Jour. Econ. Ent. 51:760-762. Hackerott, H. L., Harvey, T. L., Sorensen, E. L., and Painter, R. H. 1958. Varietal Differences in Survival of Alfalfa Seedlings In- fested with Spotted Alfalfa Aphids. Agron. Jour. 50: 139-141. Hackerott, H. L. and Harvey, T. L. 1959. Effect of Temperature on Spotted Alfalfa Aphid Reaction to Resistance in Alfalfa. Jour. Econ. Ent. 52: 949-953 70 KANSAS BULLETIN 453

25. Ortman, E. E., Sorensen, E. L., Painter, R. H., Harvey, T. L., and Hackerott, H. L. 1960. Selection and Evaluation of Pea Aphid- resistant Alfalfa Plants. Jour. Econ. Ent. 53: 881-887. 26. Harvey, T. L., Hackerott, H. L., Sorensen, E. L., Painter, R. H., Ort- man, E. E., and Peters, D. C. 1960. The Development and Per- formance of Cody Alfalfa, a Spotted Alfalfa Aphid Resistant Va- riety. Kans. Agr. Expt. Sta. Tech. Bul. 114. 26 pp. 27. Sorensen, E. L., Painter, R. H., Ortrnan, E. E., Hackerott, H. L., and Harvey, T. L. 1961. Cody Alfalfa. Kans. Agr. Expt. Sta. Cir. 381. 10 pp. 28. Anonymous. 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, and 1956. Fall Field Day Re- ports of Fort Hays Branch Station. Circulars 289, 302, 315, 330, and 345. Part of these reports concerned with investigations on sudangrass, sweetclover, tepary beans, safflower, cool-season perennial grasses, foxtail millets, and spotted alfalfa aphids.

SEED PRODUCTION that year. Prof. A. M. Ten- AND DISTRIBUTION Eyck in the 17th Biennial Re- Distribution of seed of im- port of the Station (June proved varieties has been an 1910) reported regarding the important service of the Hays production and distribution of station. In the beginning, em- seed, “In fact nearly all the phasis was not placed on the grain planted on the station production of crops primarily farm is improved or pedigreed for the production of seed for and is grown primarily for distribution; but good seed of seed production. The best of the best known varieties was the crop is reserved for seed, used for all field work, and a which is graded, sold and dis- demand of farmers for this tributed among the farmers of seed soon developed. The Sta- Kansas and bordering states. tion sold for seed 4,500 pounds 4,000 bushels of well-bred seed of miscellaneous sorghums in wheat and several thousand 1904 and 152,700 pounds of bushels of improved corn, kaf- winter wheat in 1908, prin- ir corn and small grains have cipally of the Turkey variety. been distributed from the Hays The wheat seed was released Branch Station during the last in lots of 2 to 15 bushels per four years (1907-1910). The farm and reached nearly all crops now growing or being western Kansas counties. A harvested are largely from total of 10,400 pounds of seed purebred seed, included in corn was sold the same year. which are 300 acres of pure In the spring of 1909 large Kharkov wheat, all of the sur- quantities of seed corn and plus of which will be offered some spring wheat, barley, for sale for seed and distribu- and oats were distributed. tion to Kansas farmers.” (37) Pink kafir seed was sold for As sorghums became more the first time this year, as was important to western Kansas seed of dwarf yellow milo. the demand for sorghum seed On June 13, 1909, a hail- from the Station increased. storm destroyed the entire Superintendent Helder in his wheat crop so that no seed report for 1914 says “An ex- was available for distribution tensive work in growing sorghum seed for distribution has Kafir, Whitehull Kafir, Fete- always been performed at the rita, and Dwarf Yellow Milo. Station. The demand is ex- The sweet sorghum varieties tensive this winter from all were Red Amber, Black Am- parts of Kansas and from ad- ber, Freeds Sorgo, Western joining states. The supply will Orange, and Black Dwarf. In not prove adequate for the de- 1914, increase plots were mand, but will be distributed planted to the five varieties of as its possibilities permit. sweet sorghum. This seed was Four varieties of grain sor- available for distribution in ghum, and five varieties of 1915. cane seed are available from The sorghums as a crop, the 1914 crop.” (38) both grain and forage, in- The four grain sorghums creased gradually in impor- mentioned by Superintendent tance, in part due to the avail- Helder were Dwarf Blackhull ability of pure improved seed of the standard varieties from Sorghum seed production at the Station. By 1925 the de- the Station reached a peak in mand for pure certified sor- 1925. The crop was produced ghum seed became so great under nearly ideal conditions. that the superintendent re- The seed produced was plump ported, “It seems as if the and bright, of high germina- amount of seed that can be tion and excellent quality. produced on the Station is the Heads of seed had been hand only limit to the amount that selected the previous year and can be sold.” (39) the fields had been carefully rogued several times. The seed. The hay was used in a fields were widely separated feeding experiment and proved from other sorghum varieties highly palatable to livestock. to prevent cross-pollination. The 900 pounds of seed were Fields were at least 40 rods widely distributed in Kansas. apart. Great care was exer- The amount of seed was cised in harvesting, reclean- limited to four pounds to any ing, grading, and storing the one farmer. Instructions for seed to maintain color, purity, growing the crop accompanied and germination. Good clean- each shipment. The seed sold ing facilities meticulously op- for $2 per pound. In 1915 erated assisted in maintaining larger lots of seed were sold purity. Prompt harvesting and to selected cooperators of the threshing with proper storage College and the Station, and of seed in bags piled so as to seed produced by them was provide ventilation insured sold to other farmers. high germination. The goal Pink kafir, the first grain was 90 percent or higher ger- sorghum developed at the Sta- mination. Pink Kafir, Dawn tion, was produced during the Kafir, Early Sumac, and Fete- period 1907-1910. It proved rita were the principal varie- to be an exceptionally good ties grown. variety for central and west- The sale of certified sor- ern Kansas, in yield of both ghum seed reached a maxi- grain and forage. It had a mum for the early years in the wide distribution and was con- period 1925-1930. In 1925, sidered by growers as one of 121,906 pounds were sold. the most valuable sorghum The next year sales reached crops. Some seed of the va- 244,659 pounds, and in 1930 riety was sold to farmers in they were 285,456 pounds. The 1909. Two fields on the Sta- sale of all kinds of certified tion were planted to Pink kaf- seed of crop plants reached a ir in 1915. They produced a maximum for the early years good crop of forage as well as in 1930 with a total of 709,561 grain. Pink kafir was the pounds. These sales consisted most dependable grain sor- of 412,650 pounds of seed ghum for western Kansas be- wheat and 285,456 pounds of fore the combine types of sorghum seed. The seed went grain sorghums were devel- to 86 Kansas counties and 11 oped. Seed sales of the variety states. reached a maximum in 1926 Sudangrass was introduced when 122,056 pounds were from Africa by the U.S.D.A. in 1908. It was planted first at sold. The sales during the the Hays Station by R. E. eight-year period 1922-1929 Getty¹¹ in 1913, and recognized were 359,061 pounds. As late at once to be an excellent for- as 1942, 81,172 pounds of Pink age and pasture crop. In 1914, kafir seed were sold, but after 23 acres were planted to su- that time Pink kafir for grain dangrass, which produced 100 tons of hay and 900 pounds of was replaced rapidly by the waxy endosperm from which combine sorghums. this type of starch could be Atlas Sorgo, a cross between produced. From only a few sourless sorgo and Blackhull seeds, Cody was increased by kafir made by I. N. Farr of growing a second crop during Stockton and purified by the the winter in the greenhouse Kansas stations at Manhattan and as a winter crop in south- and Hays, became a popular ern California, Arizona, and variety because of its white Texas. Cody grain was pro- seed, high yield, quality, and duced for the General Foods strength of stalk. It was Corporation both by the Sta- grown first for seed distribution and by farmers to whom tion in 1927. Over 12,000 Cody seed had been supplied. pounds of seed were produced In 1945 the Station sold 35,760 in 1928 and 11,918 pounds pounds of Cody seed. There were distributed in 1929. was no demand for the crop after the close of the war, Wheatland, the first combine-type grain sorghum, was when supplies of glutinous distributed by the Station for starch from the tropics be- seed in 1931. Since the crop came available again. was new and popular, it was Norkan, an early white- considered advisable to obtain seeded sorghum produced at as wide a distribution as pos- the Hays station from a cross sible. Sales were limited to made between Atlas and Early 120 pounds to a grower, the Sumac, was released first and quantity needed to plant 40 sold for planting in 1941. A acres. A total of 8,216 pounds total of 12,010 pounds of seed was sold to 82 growers in 35 was distributed, of which 9,- counties, principally in west- 892 went to Kansas farmers ern Kansas. and 2,128 were sold outside Early Kalo and Pink Kafir the state. were planted first at the Sta- Ellis, another variety pro- tion in 1938, but the grain duced at the Hays station, was was not sufficiently pure to be first released for planting in distributed as seed. The first 1948. The variety is a cross distribution of pure seed was between Atlas and Leoti Red. in 1940 when 5,940 pounds of It has white seed and a sweet Early Kalo were sold. stalk. It is valued for its pala- Cody. During World War tability and earliness, matur- II when the country was cut ing about the same time as off from supplies of glutinous Early Sumac. The first seed starch made from cassava, a of the variety, 15,397 pounds, tropical plant, acute shortages was sold in 1948. of this type of starch developed. This type of starch was FEDERAL SEED needed for adhesives and for STOCKS COMMITTEE the manufacture of tapioca. The serious drouth in 1934 Cody sorghum, developed at caused an acute shortage of the Hays station, contained a sorghum seed for planting in western Kansas in 1935. To las seed, produced on bottom- aid farmers in securing seed, land that had been flooded, the U.S.D.A. set up in the was sold at 15 cents a pound. Plains states Federal Seed Stocks Committees. One of SEED WHEAT these committees was at the DISTRIBUTION Hays station. The superin- Seed wheat distribution by tendent and the cerealist were the Station was made exten- made collaborators of the de- sively in 1910 when 6,400 partment to purchase and dis- bushels of Kharkov seed were tribute seed. High - quality sold. This variety had been Dawn Kafir seed was shipped introduced recently into the from Texas. Some good United States by the U.S.D.A. Wheatland was obtained near It went to all parts of Kansas Lakin and Sublette, and Dwarf and many other states. Yellow Milo obtained near Kanred wheat, released for Elkhart. This seed, produced distribution to fa r m e r s in under irrigation, was distrib- 1918, was the only variety uted by the committee grown and distributed by the throughout the drylands of Hays station between 1919 and western Kansas. The drouth 1932. In 1925, 233,250 pounds was severe again in 1936. This of Kanred seed wheat were year was the first in over 15 sold and in 1930 the sales in- that the Station sorghum crop creased to 412,650 pounds. In failed completely to produce 1931, due to drouth, the wheat seed. A small quantity of At- seed was shriveled and sales of Kanred dropped to 167,032 Bison, a bearded hard red pounds. Most of the seed sold winter wheat recommended that year had been produced for the western three-fifths of in 1930. Kansas, was selected from a Tenmarq wheat, a new va- cross of Chiefkan x Oro x Ten - riety produced by the College, marq made at the College in was planted first at the Sta- 1938. The first generation was tion in the fall of 1932. The grown at the College in 1939. season of 1933 was very dry. Later generationswere grown The Tenmarq field produced at Hays where A. F. Swanson only 15 bushels per acre of made the final selection result- shriveled grain, with a total ing in Bison wheat in 1943. yield of 1,600 bushels. Only The variety is closely related a small quantity of this grain to Kiowa. It possesses supe- was sufficiently plump to be rior characteristics of high suitable for seed. This seed yield, good test weight, resist- was used to plant a 120-acre ance to stinking smut (bunt), field in the fall of 1933. The tolerance to wheat streak mo- rest of the good seed was sold saic, stiff straw, and good mill- to farmers, each sale being ing and baking qualities. Bi- limited to 20 bushels. In 1939 son was first released from a carload of Tenmarq seed was the Station in 1956. Over shipped for distribution to 15,000 bushels of seed of the farmers in Texas. Tenmarq variety were distributed. continued to be distributed un- DISTRIBUTION OF SEED til 1945. OF OTHER CROP PLANTS Comanche, released by the College, had superior milling Seed of crop plants other than wheat and sorghum has and baking quality and was been grown and distributed planted first at the Station in by the Station. As has been 1943. The variety lodged badly stated, fairly large quantities at the Station in both 1944 and of seed corn and some Stavro- 1945. Due to this weakness, pol and six-rowed barley were little Comanche seed was dis- distributed in the early years. tributed. Burt, considered to be the best Kiowa wheat, a cross be- variety of oats in early years, tween Chiefkan and Oro and was sold to farmers in small Tenmarq, produced coopera- quantities. Barley was the tively by the Manhattan and best of the spring grains. Hays stations and the US. Flynn barley, a smooth-awn D.A., was released for distribu- variety, proved well adapted tion in 1950. A total of 1,700 to western Kansas conditions. bushels of Kiowa was sold for It was produced in limited seed that year. Kiowa out- quantities beginning in 1935. yielded Comanchetwo to three Only 2,018 pounds were re- bushels per acre and had a leased that year, but 10,444 stiffer straw than Comanche pounds were sold in 1937. or Tenmarq. Osage oats, a variety produced by the College, were grown blow lands of western Kansas. first at the Station in 1946, In addition to buffalograss, with 28,126 pounds of seed be- the seed of sideoats grama, ing distributed that year. blue grama, and western Alfalfa. Alfalfa was one of wheatgrass was grown and the first crops planted on the distributed. Station. It was grown pri- The most certified seed dis- marily for hay, but under fa- tributed in any one year by vorable conditions seed crops the Station was in 1951 when were produced. A total of 35,- a total of 1,197,367 pounds of seed was sold, 783,940 pounds 172 pounds of seed of Kansas Common alfalfa was distrib- of sorghum, 340,310 pounds of uted in 1937. Buffalo alfalfa, wheat, 66,628 pounds of oats, a wilt-resistant strain selected 374 pounds of alfalfa, and 115 from Kansas Common, was pounds of buffalograss. released first in 1944. The DRYLAND AGRICULTURE highest production and sale of The Division of Dryland this variety was in 1947 when Agriculture of the U.S.D.A. in 14,113 pounds were sold. This the early part of the twentieth seed was in demand and had century established in the a wide distribution. A new Great Plains area a number of strain of alfalfa resistant to experimental stations to study both bacterial wilt and spotted crop adaptation, the effect of alfalfa aphids was developed different cultural m e t h o d s , and released in 1959 under the cropping systems, and fertiliz- name of Cody. Over 6,000 er practices upon crop produc- pounds of foundation Cody tion, and the adaptation of seed have been released during various practices to farming the last three years (1959- in this area. These stations 1961) and there are presently provided reliable information growing at the Station about about crops that could be 100 acres of Cody eligible for grown and successful methods the production of foundation of farming in a new region. seed. One of these stations was Buffalograss. The n a t i v e started cooperatively at the grasses proved to be best for Hays Station, in 1906, with the re-establishment of grass on arrival of L. E. Hazen, an em- the Great Plains following the ployee of the Department of dust storms of the 1930’s. A Agriculture. Mr. Hazen was high-yielding strain of buffa- followed in 1909 by A. L. Hall- lograss called Hays Buffalo sted who served as project was released in 1943. A large leader until 1945, a period of quantity of Hays Buffalo as 36 years. Mr. Hallsted’s long well as Common Buffalograss period of service and devotion seed was distributed. This to the work contributed seed contributed greatly to the greatly to the success of the re-establishment of grass on project. The Office of Dryland the Plains and resulted in the Agriculture paid the salary of stabilization of much of the the project leader and the Sta- tion furnished the land, equip- ping systems with winter ment, and most of the labor. wheat, spring wheat, grain The work as a cooperative sorghums (kafir, milo, etc.), project terminated in 1958. barley, oats, corn, sorgo, su- The experimental work con- dan, alfalfa, and bromegrass. sisted of a study of cropping Most of the systems were in systems, tillage practices, and use during most of the years cultural methods for dryland of the dryland studies. farming. The first experimen- Summer fallowing, a com- tal plots were laid out for the mon practice in the dry areas 1906 crop year on what was of the western states, was in- essentially virgin land, the troduced into many cropping sod having been broken less systems. Several crops were than five years. Thirteen grown both continuously and acres were devoted to experi- in alternate fallow-crop sys- mental plots the first year, tems over a long period. Mois- but the area in plots was later ture stored in the soil during increased to about 60 acres. the fallow period in addition The plots were 2 x 8 rods, to the rainfall during a crop- divided by 40-inch alleys, and ping season usually insured the ends separated by 20-foot increased crop yields. roadways. Standard recom- Winter wheat, the major mended varieties of each crop crop in central and western were grown. The same va- Kansas, was grown after fal- riety was planted on all plots low in 10 cropping systems, of a given crop in any one after wheat in 8 systems, after year. Improved varieties were green manure in 4, after bar- substituted whenever seed be- ley in 4, and after both sor- came available. ghum and corn in 3. Kafir Cropping Systems. The was included in 15 cropping work embraced over 50 crop- systems, barley in 21, oats in 16, corn in 11, and spring Yields of milo after fallow wheat in 7. were nearly twice those ob- Yield data from more than tained with continuous crop- 30 cropping systems indicate ping. The percentage increase that average wheat yields are was greater than for any other not greatly different when the crop. Sorghum crops appar- crop of the previous year or ently make more effective use the land use has been the of stored soil moisture. Milo same. An exception shows a averaged about twice the pro- lower average yield from con- duction of corn. tinuous wheat as compared to Barley was the highest- wheat after wheat in systems yielding spring grain, exceed- including fallow. Weed con- ing oats or spring wheat. trol has been a problem with Spring wheat produced about continuous cropping with half as much as winter wheat. small grain. Green manuring Neither corn nor spring wheat crops in the rotation were of compared favorably with sor- no benefit for winter wheat ghum or winter wheat. production. Any value they Tillage Experiments. Till- might have had was offset by age studies included time and their use of soil moisture method of preparing seedbeds which could have been utilized for winter wheat, comparison better by the main crop. As of listing and plowing, fre- much wheat was produced by quency of plowing, and tillage fallowing one year in four as methods for summer crops. with continuous cropping to Seedbed preparation studies to wheat. Fallowing lends sta- for more than 50 years show bility to production because of that the initial tillage should higher yields and fewer crop begin as soon after harvest as failures. possible when land is to be reseeded to winter wheat. Early was superior to spring tillage p 1 o w i n g consistently gave for preparing the seedbed for higher yields than late plow- spring crops. ing, by some 5 bushels per Cultural Practices. Cultural acre. Yield from early listing practices studied included sub- was 2 bushels greater than for soiling in deep tillage, burn- early plowing for the 51 years. ing stubble, barnyard manure Increased moisture storage in for winter wheat and for sor- listed plots apparently ac- ghum, crop response to com- counted for the higher yield. mercial fertilizer, crop spac- Shallow cultivation, such as ing, and contour tillage. Av- can be done with a one-way erage yields of several crops disc plow and subsurface till- grown continuously, or of age equipment, was as satis- those grown the second year factory for wheat production after fallow, were increased as deeper tillage with a mold- substantially by subsoiling. board plow or lister. Subsur- The method is expensive and face tillage leaves the crop the need for frequent subsoil- residues on the surface and ing is questionable. Plowing provides protection against 14 inches deep had no effect soil blowing. These residues on the yield of wheat after also increase the infiltration fallow. rate of moisture. Fall tillage A 10-year experiment to determine the effect of stubble nure and straw had little or burning on subsequent wheat no effect during this period yields with different tillage on yield of either wheat or methods was started in 1945. kafir. Straw and the heaviest Winter wheat was grown con- manure applications tended to tinuously; stubble was burned depress straw yields slightly. in July after harvest. Burning Kafir grain yields were not af- did not affect average yields. fected significantly but kafir However, burning is a poor forage yields were increased practice because it increases slightly by manuring. the wind erosion hazard. An experiment with com- The effect of barnyard ma- mercial fertilizer began in nure in a three-year rotation 1920 with continuous winter of fallow - wheat - kafir was wheat. Fertilizers that were studied from 1914 to 1957. predominantly phosphatic Straw at the rate of 2 1/2 tons showed no response for the and manure at the rates of 3 27-year period. Another ex- and 6 tons per acre were ap- periment was initiated in 1950 plied in the spring on the to study the effect of both ni- growing wheat crop, and trogen and phosphorus on spring manure applications of winter wheat grown continu- 3, 6, 9, and 12 tons per acre ously or grown the second made on plots planted to sor- year after fallow. Significant ghum. All treated plots re- and profitable yields were ob- ceived manure and straw every tained four of nine years with third year. Yields obtained for 30 pounds of nitrogen per 44 years indicated that ma- acre, but there was no re- KANSAS BULLETIN 453

sponse in yield for five years, for 10 years-1948 to 1957. 1953 to 1957. Dr. R. E. Luebs The soil was moderate or low reported, “The data indicate in permeability. A one-way three factors largely deter- disc plow or disc harrow was mine response to nitrogen. used for the initial seedbed They are (1) surface soil mois- tillage operations the first 6 ture at planting, (2) subsoil years. The last 4 years subsur- moisture at planting, and (3) face tillage methods were spring rainfall. All these were used. The same tillage opera- above average in the four tions were performed on both years yield increases were ob- the contour and noncontour tained with nitrogen fertilizer. plots. Average increases of 10 The opposite was generally to 20 percent were obtained true the five years when no from contour tillage for first- response was obtained.” (40) year wheat, second - year Corn and kafir were planted wheat, milo, and barley rein rows 40 inches and 80 spectively. Moisture stored in inches apart to compare the the contour plots averaged an yields of both the row crops additional 2.9 inches. and the wheat crops that fol- The half century of investi- lowed in a 2-year rotation. In gational work in dryland this 24-year study (1924-1948), farming indicates that the suc- corn yields were reduced 5.4 cessful dryland farmer in this bushels and kafir yields 4.9 area, insofar as possible, must bushels per acre when planted follow a flexible system in his in the wider rows, but the cropping sequences, tillage yield of wheat that followed methods, and cultural prac- was increased 1.5 bushels fol- tices and choose them to fit lowing corn and 2.9 bushels the weather and soil condi- following kafir. tions, taking into considera- Planting on the contour of tion the preceding crops, sur- crops in a rotation of wheat- face residues, weed popula- milo-barley, on land with a 2 tions, soil moisture, and soil to 3 percent slope, was studied tilth.

PROJECT LEADERS IN DRYLAND AGRICULTURE Name Year appointed Year terminated Hazen, L. E. 1907 1908 Hallsted, A. L. 1909 1945 Erhart, Andrew B. 1946 1948 Brown, Paul L. 1949 1956 Luebs, R. E. 1956 1959

PUBLICATIONS RELATING TO DRYLAND AGRICULTURE 1. Call, L. E. and Hallsted, A. L. 1915. The Relationship of Moisture to Yield of Winter Wheat in Western Kansas. Kans. Agr. Expt. Sta. Bul. 206. 2. Chilcott, E. C. and Cole, John S. 1918. Subsoiling, Deep Tillage and Soil Density in the Great Plains. Jour. of Agri. Research. 14:481- 521. FORT HAYS BRANCH EXPERIMENT STATION HISTORY 83

3. Cole, John S. and Hallsted, A. L. 1922. Methods of Winter Wheat Production at the Fort Hays Branch Experiment Station. USDA Bul. 1094. 4. Hallsted, A. L. and Coles, E. H. 1930. A Preliminary Report of the Relation Between Winter Wheat and Moisture in Soil at Seeding Time. Jour. of Agri. Research. 41 : 4 67-477. 5. Hallsted, A. L. and Mathews, D. R. 1936. Soil Moisture and Winter Wheat with Suggestions on Abandonment. Kans. Agr. Expt. Sta. Bul. 273. 6. Hallsted, A. L. 1937. Reducing the Risk in Wheat Farming in West- ern Kansas. 13th Annual Report of the Kansas State Board of Agriculture, pp. 98-112. 7. Mathews, D. R. 1961. Place of Summer Fallow in the Agriculture of Western States. USDA Circular 886. 8. Hobbs, J. A. and Brown, Paul L. 1957. Nitrogen and Organic Car- bon Changes in Cultivated Western Kansas Soils. Kans, Agr. Expt. Sta. Tech. Bul. 89. 9. Brown, Paul L. and Shrader, W. D. 1959. Grain Yields. Evapo- transpiration and Water Use Efficiency of Grain Sorghums Under Different Cultural Practices. Agri. Jour 339-343. 10. Luebs, R. E. Investigations of Cropping Systems. Tillage Methods and Cultural Practices for Dryland Farming at the Fort Hays (Kansas) Branch Station. Kans. Agri. Expt. Sta. Bul. 449. BUFFALOGRASS from which to make selections The need of a grass to re- for types suitable for this vast vegetate western Kansas and revegetative program. the importance of buffalograss “The inherent good quali- for this purpose is set forth in ties of buffalograss together the annual report of the super- with its valuable surface sto- intendent of the Hays Station loniferous method of spread- for 1940: “The need for re- ing, makes this a most useful vegetating vast areas of land species for western Kansas.’’ in western Kansas has been (41) apparent to many interested in Buffalograss, as found grow- the agricultural welfare of the ing over the Great Plains, va- state. The plowing up of thou- ried greatly and had tremen- sands of acres of prairie land dous possibilities for improve- immediately following t h e ment. This was recognized first World War to grow more by Leon Wenger, a grass spe- wheat, coupled with over-graz- cialist at the Station from ing, soil blowing and water 1937 to 1943. Upon his arrival erosion, have provided thou- at the Station he started to sands upon thousands of acres make field selections from where grass surface cover buffalograss plants f o u n d should be restored. growing in various parts of “Experimental work at the western Kansas, Texas, Ne- Fort Hays Experiment Station braska, and South Dakota. At has determined after years of the height of this selection investigation that the native work more than 10,000 in- grasses, particularly buffalo- dividual plants were growing grass and blue grama, provide in the Station breeding nurs- the most promising material ery. All of these plants had at least one generation of se- and the Dakotas. The south- lection. Plants that had supe- ern types from Texas grew rior qualities were increased much taller, were more vege- by growing them in larger tative in character, and pro- blocks. Some of the superior duced higher yields of forage. selections when grown under Since buffalograss is a dioe- irrigation produced as much cious plant, only female plants as 2,400 pounds of seed and were started vegetatively for 3.69 tons of hay per acre. lawn purposes, thus eliminat- A few of the superior selec- ing the flaglike pollen stalks tions were planted in 10-acre of the male plants. blocks. It was from one of Buffalograss produces its these that the variety named seed on stalks that grow close “Hays Buffalo” was obtained. to the ground, making the This variety was selected for seed difficult to harvest. adaptation to general use. Various methods of harvesting Some of the selections had have been used at the Station, characteristics that adapted starting first by hand picking them to specialized uses. A with forceps. The first method type was selected and adapted of collecting the seed me- to lawn purposes. This type chanically was by using a pan had fine quality and a dense- attached to the cutter bar of a leaved, short - growing turf mowing machine. Much seed characteristic of buffalograss was lost with this method. found in northern Nebraska Then a large home-made suction sweeper having a 6-foot 15, 1941. It proved so success- nozzle was mounted on an ful that others interested in automobile chassis and pro- harvesting buffalograss seed pelled by a small truck. The adopted the plan and rebuilt sweeper and suction fan were their own combines. Much operated by a gasoline motor. seed was harvested during the The outfit sucked up the seed fall of 1941 and in other sea- satisfactorily but also gathered sons whenever the weather cow chips, gravel, cacti, etc. favored the production of buf- A rotating sweeper attached falograss seed. to the rear of a small combine Nature has endowed buffalo- was developed next. It proved grass seed with a natural dor- too cumbersome and also col- mancy that assures the per- lected trash. petuation of the species under A successful and satisfac- adverse conditions. The ger- tory method of harvesting the mination of newly harvested seed finally was developed seed rarely exceeds 7 percent, from a small combine har- making new seed unsatisfac- vester. This combine was re- tory for planting. Under most built in the Station shops and conditions the seed increases was equipped with a remod- germinability slowly, so it was eled cutter bar riding on the necessary to develop some ground. A slatted canvas on method to break the dormancy the elevator platform elevated of the seed if buffalograss was the cut material. This ma- to be reseeded successfully. .. , attacked the problem, and by seed after soaking and refrig- 1941 had worked out a suc- eration. Through the assist- cessful treating process. The ance of the U.S. Army, with seed was soaked in a 1/2 per- which the Station was cooper- cent solution of saltpeter (po- ating in establishing grass on tassium nitrate) for 24 hours, air fields, two 10,000-pound then chilled in a refrigerator refrigerators were procured. at a temperature of 40° F. for Large vats of several thousand six weeks. During this period gallons capacity were built in the seed was resoaked twice the Station shops. A satisfac- at intervals of two weeks. The tory drier was built after trial seed was dried immediately and error. When taken from after being removed from the the refrigerator the seed av- refrigerator. This treatment eraged 85 percent moisture. i n c r e a s e d the germination After drying, the moisture from about 7 percent to some content was 14 to 16 percent. 80 or 85 percent, thus produc- World War II was under ing seed satisfactory for im- way and an acute need existed mediate planting. for buffalograss seed that After a successful experi- would grow promptly. Air mental treating method had fields were being built been developed, it became nec- throughout the Great Plains, essary to apply the results to one of the largest at Walker, commercial usage. This re- about 30 miles from the Sta- quired large treating tanks, tion. Great difficulty was be- large refrigerators, and equip- ing experienced with blowing ment for rapidly drying the soil damaging the propellers on the large B-17 bombers. Officers from the Walker Air Base came to the Station for assistance. It was recommended that the air field be sodded with buffalograss. The Army procured 60,000 pounds of seed, which was the first processed by the equipment at the Station. The seed for the Army was dried at the rate of 100 pounds of seed per hour, on a 24-hour basis. Later the equipment was used to process seed for the Station itself and for collectors, dealers, and processors. Seed for processing came not only from Kan- sas but from Colorado, Ne- braska, and Texas. The first year 63,919 pounds were treated. By the end of 1950 a total of 534,763 pounds had been treated.

PASTURE MANAGEMENT STUDIES An experiment was started in 1946 to study the effect of heavy, moderate, and light age rainfall. Western wheat- summer grazing on the native grass appeared best as a long- shortgrass range. It was en- term pasture, while buffalo- larged in 1948 to compare late grass was the poorest on this season protein supplementa- lowland site. tion with no supplementation Pasture and range research on moderately grazed pas- was expanded beginning in tures, Plant cover and soil 1955. In addition to livestock moisture determinations were performance, increased em- made. Grazing investigations phasis was placed on vegeta- were expanded in 1948 when tion studies under the various buffalograss, western wheat- systems of grazing. Studies grass, and intermediate wheat- initiated since 1955 include grass were planted separately three intensities of winter on three fields on a cultivated grazing on native shortgrass lowland site to compare the range; summer grazing trials grasses as summer pasture for on four types of upland re- steers. seeded pasture; a comparison Grazing comparisons were of cottonseed meal and sor- made from 1949 to 1960. The ghum grain as late season sup- intermediate wheatgrass pas- plements on moderately ture was abandoned in 1955 grazed summer range; plot because of injury to the grass studies involving heights, date by drouth, and the buffalo- of mowing, date of burning, grass pasture was returned to rates and dates of fertiliza- cultivation in 1958 after heavy tion, and pasture weed con- silting from a flood in June trol on both native and re- 1957. Intensity - of - grazing seeded pastures; and range trials were conducted on the reseeding investigations that western wheatgrass until 1960. include date of planting, type Intermediate w h e a t g r a s s of mulching materials for proved the best in terms of seedbed cover, and amount of livestock performance during mulching material needed for years of good or above-aver- seedbed cover. FORT HAYS BRANCH EXPERIMENT STATION HISTORY 89

PROJECT LEADERS IN PASTURE MANAGEMENT Name Year appointed Year termination F. B. Kessler March 6, 1946 March 11, 1957 F. E. Meenen March 5, 1945 June 16, 195l J. L. Launchbaugh October, 1955 To date

PUBLICATIONS RELATING TO PASTURE MANAGEMENT 1. Kessler, Frank B., Aicher, L. C., and Meenen, F. E. 1947. Beef Cat- tle Feeding and Grazing Investigations. Kans. Agr. Expt. Sta. Cir. 271, pp. 13-14 2. Kessler, Frank B., ,Aic .cher, L. C., and Meenen, F. E. 1948. Beef Cat- tle Feeding and Grazing Investigations. Kans. Agr. Expt. Sta. Cir. 260, pp. 14-15. 3. Kessler, Frank B., Aicher, L. C., and Meenen, F. E. 1949. Beef Cat- tle Feeding and Grazing Investigations. Kans. Agr. Expt. Sta. Cir. 261, pp. 13-15. 4. Kessler, Frank B., Aicher, L. C., and Meenen, F. E. 1950. Beef Cat- tle Feeding and Grazing Investigations. Kans. Agr. Expt. Sta. Cir. 272, pp. 14-19, incl. 5. Kessler, Frank B., Aicher, L. C., and Meenen, F. E. Dec. 1951. Grass Utilization and Pasture Management Investigations. Kans. Agr. Expt. Sta. Cir 276. 6. Kessler, Frank B 1952. Grass Utilization and Pasture Management Investigations, Fall Field Day Report, Fort Hays Branch Experi- ment Station. Kans. Agr. Expt. Sta. Cir. 289, pp. 25-28. 7. Kessler, Frank B. 1953. Grass Utilization and Pasture Management. Fall Field Day Report, Fort Hays Branch Experiment Station. Kans. Agr. Expt. Sta. Cir. 302, pp. 26-29. 8. Kessler, Frank B. 1954. Grass Utilization and Pasture Management. Fall Field Day Report, Fort Hays Branch Experiment Station. Kans Agr. Expt. Sta. Cir. 315, pp. 19-22. 9. Kessler, Frank B. 1955. Grass Utilization and Pasture Management. Fall Field Day Report, Fort Hays Branch Experiment Station. Kans. Agr. Expt. Sta. Cir. 330, pp. 21-24. 10. Launchbaugh, J. L. 1957. The Effect of Stocking Rate on Cattle Gains and on Native Shortgrass Vegetation in West-Central Kan- sas. Kans. Agr. Expt. Sta. Bul. 394. 11. Launchbaugh, J. L. 1957. Grazing Reseeded Pastures, Buffalo Grass, Western Wheat Grass, Intermediate Wheat Grass on Low- lands at Hays, Kansas. Kans. Agr. Expt. Sta. Bul. 400. 12. Launchbaugh, J. L. 1962. Soil Fertility Investigations and Effects of Commercial Fertilizers on Reseeded Vegetation in West-Central Kansas. Jour. Range Mangt. 15 : 27-3 4.

BINDWEED and many other crops that INVESTIGATIONS cognizance of the problem Bindweed, Convolvulus ar- reached the Legislature. The vensis, a deep-rooted perennial Legislature of 1907 included noxious weed introduced in in House Bill No. 877 Miscel- Kansas from Europe, probably laneous Appropriations, under in Turkey seed wheat and in item No. 7, an appropriation garden seed, became well es- of $1,000 “to be expended un- tablished in many parts of der the direction of the Board central Kansas about the time of Regents for experiments to the Station was started. It exterminate bindweed.” proved so destructive to wheat The money appropriated under this act was placed with As to results, Professor Ten- the Department of Agronomy Eyck of the Department of at the College at Manhattan; Agronomy at the College re- but since the problem was ported: “It appears from the most acute in central Kansas, work of a single season that the work undertaken was di- ordinary methods of destroy- rected through the Hays sta- ing the bindweed by thorough tion. Since bindweed on the cultivation has only resulted Station land itself was not ex- in more favorable conditions tensive, it was decided to rent for growth by storing and heavily infested bindweed land conserving soil moisture and from private owners. A satis- by providing an abundant sup- factory field was secured, rent ply of readily available plant free, on the farm of Andrew food. Although the plants may Sander near Victoria, about 7 be cut off and apparently de- miles east of the Hays station. stroyed, many times during Mr. Sander was employed to the season, the live roots re- look after the work required main in the soil and quickly in carrying out the experi- start new shoots again after ments. each cultivation. There is The experiments consisted some promise, however, that of 16 treatments of cropping by winter plowing and the and cultivation, carried out on proper use of smother crops 16 one-acre plots. Two gen- such as sorghum and kafir eral plans of extermination of corn, the bindweed may be de- bindweed were tried: (1) dif- stroyed or at least weakened ferent cultural methods, and in vitality and greatly reduced (2) the use of smother crops. in numbers. With a year or two of such treatment and It was not until cooperative preparation, it may be possi- work with the U.S.D.A. in the ble to check the weed so that study of noxious weeds was profitable crops of wheat and started in 1935 that success- other grain may be grown on fully planned and executed ex- bindweed-infested land. . , . perimental work again was Small patches of bindweed undertaken. The Department may be destroyed by very established cooperative proj- frequent hoeing. In order that ects with a number of stations, hoeing may be successful, including Kansas at the Hays however, it will be necessary Branch Station. The work at to prevent the weed from mak- Hays was coordinated with ing any growth of foliage. work in Idaho, Nebraska, Young plants must be cut off Minnesota, and Iowa. F. L. just as soon and as often as Timmons was appointed as they appear above the ground. project leader at Hays. His The patch should be hoed salary was paid by the U.S. regularly, say once a week, D.A. and operating costs of during the growing season. the project were paid by the Again, the weed may be de- Station. stroyed by poisoning the The first work consisted of ground with salt or brine, by methods of controlling field applying such a quantity that bindweed by intensive cultiva- the soil will be “killed” so tion, competitive cropping, that nothing will grow on it and use of sodium chlorate. for several years.” (42) Detailed studies were made of Appropriations w e r e not the root system and root food continued for bindweed stud- reserves of the bindweed plant ies and the work was discon- as affected by various treat- tinued after the second year; ments. In 1945 a chemical, not, however, until unsuccess- 2,4-D, became available for ex- ful attempts were made to perimental use as a herbicide. smother the weed with heavy A large number of experi- applications of straw. After ments indicated that while the the termination of this work chemical was effective, it limited studies were continued would not give complete con- on the Hays Station land. An trol unless combined with in- unsuccessful attempt to eradi- tensive cultivation and com- cate bindweed by grazing with petitive cropping. Practical sheep was undertaken in 1915 methods were soon developed as reported on page 57. Small where 2,4-D could be substi- areas of bindweed were salted tuted for some of the cultiva- and large areas were culti- tion operations, c o m b i n i n g vated intensively and planted cultivation and competitive to smother crops. Every pre- cropping to control the weed caution was taken not to at minimum expense. These spread the weed by carrying methods were best for con- live roots on tillage machines trolling extensive infestations. from infested land to unin- An equally important problem fested land. was how best to prevent small patches of bindweed from songrass. Studies were also spreading. A study was made undertaken for the control of of many sterilizing herbicides. weeds in growing crops, prin- Chlorinated benzoic acid com- cipally wheat and sorghum. A pounds were found to be as ef- practical method of control- fective for this purpose as ling broad-leaved weeds in sodium chlorate, and in many growing wheat was developed. cases more effective. Also a pre-emergence chemi- Originally it was planned to cal became available for weed study only the control of bind- control in sorghums. W. M. weed. Soon a study was un- Phillips succeeded F. L. Tim- dertaken of other serious mons as project leader in 1948. weed species, Russian knap- He has directed the work since weed, hoary cress, and John- that time.

94 KANSAS BULLETIN 453

ENTOMOLOGICAL STUDIES aphid, pea aphid, and green- Entomological studies were bug. This work contributed started at the Station in 1947. to the release in 1959 of Cody During the first three years alfalfa, a variety resistant to studies were made of the the spotted alfalfa aphid. The pollinating activities of vari- development of Cody is de- ous bees on alfalfa flowers, scribed in Technical Bulletin and results published in Tech- No. 114 of the Kansas Agricul- nical Bulletin No. 70 of the tural Experiment Station. Kansas Agricultural Experi- Studies to evaluate systemic ment Station. In 1950 through insecticides for the control of 1955 the pollination work was insects affecting man and ani- conducted, but emphasis was mals have been under way placed on chemical control since 1956. and the project broadened to The work was under the di- include insects attacking rection of Dr. W. W. Franklin wheat. Since 1956 the work from May 15, 1948, to Novem- has consisted of host plant re- ber 10, 1953, and of T. L. Har- sistance to the spotted alfalfa vey since March 15, 1954.

PUBLICATIONS RELATING TO ENTOMOLOGICAL STUDIES 1. Franklin, W. W. 1952. Wild Bees as Supplementary Pollinators. Agr. Bee Jour. 92 (7): 290-291. 2. Franklin, W. W. 1952. Insecticidal Control Plot Tests for the Pea Aphid in Relation to Alfalfa Hay Yields in Kansas in 1952. Jour. Econ. Ent. 46(3):462-67. 3. Franklin, W. w. 1952. Insect Control in Alfalfa Seed Fields. Kans. Agr. Expt. Sta. Cir. 289:21-24. 4. Phillips, W. M., Casady, A. J., and Franklin, W. W. 1952. The Ef- fects of Pre-harvest Spraying on the Seed Yield of Buffalo Alfalfa. Res. Rpt., 9th Annual Meeting North Central Weed Control Con- ference. p. 146. 5. Phillips, W. M., and Franklin, W. W. 1953. Pre-harvest Use of Several Chemicals for the Drying and Curing of Seed Alfalfa. Res. Rpt., 10th Annual Meeting North Central Weed Control Confer- ence. 6. Franklin, W. W. 1953. The Effects of Nosema apis on Package and Overwintered Honey-bee Colonies Used for Alfalfa Pollination. Jour. Econ. Ent. 46(5) :780-785. 7. Smith, R. C., and Franklin, W. W. 1954. The Garden Webworm, Loxostege similalis Guen., as an Alfalfa Pest in Kansas. Jour. Kans. Ent. Soc. 27(1):27-38. 8. Harvey, T. L. 1955. Pea Aphids and Lady Beetles in Relation to Alfalfa Hay Yields. Kans. Agr. Expt. Sta. Cir. 330. pp. 17-19. 9. Harvey, T. L., and Hackerott, H. L. 1956. Apparent Resistance to the Spotted Alfalfa Aphid Selected from Seedlings of Susceptible Alfalfa Varieties. Jour. Econ. Ent. 49 (3) : 289-291. 10. DePew, L. J., and Harvey, T. L. 1957. Toxicity of Certain Insecti- cides for Control of Pale Western Cutworm Attacking Wheat in Kansas. Jour. Econ. Ent. 50:640-642. 11. Hackerott, H. L., Harvey, T. L., Sorensen, E. L., and Painter, R. H. 1958. Varietal Differences in Survival of Alfalfa Seedlings Infested with Spotted Alfalfa Aphids. Agron. Jour. 50:139-141. 12. Harvey, T. L., and Hackerott, H. L. 1958. Spotted Alfalfa Aphid Reaction and Injury to Resistant and Susceptible Alfalfa Clones Reciprocally Grafted. Jour. Econ. Ent. 51 ( 6 ) : 760-762. FORT HAYS BRANCH EXPERIMENT STATION HISTORY 95

13. Hackerott, H. L., and Harvey, T. L. 1959. Effect of Temperature on Spotted Alfalfa Aphid Reactions to Resistance in Alfalfa. Jour. Econ. Ent. 52 (5): 949-953. 14. Knapp, F. W., Brethour, J. R., Harvey, T. L., and Roan, C. C. 1959. Field Observations of Increasing Resistance of Cattle to Cattle Grubs. Jour. Econ. Ent. 52: 1022-1023. 15. Harvey, T. L., and Brethour, J. R. 1960. Feed Additives for Control of House Fly Larvae in Livestock Feces. Jour. Econ. Ent. 53: 774- 776. 16. Ortman, Eldon E., Sorensen, E. L., Painter, R. H., Harvey, T. L., and Hackerott, H. L. 1960. Selection and Evaluation of Pea Aphid- Alfalfa Plants. Jour. Econ. Ent. 53 (5): 881-887. 17. Harvey, T. L., Hackerott, H. L., Sorensen, E. L., Painter, R. H., Ort- man, E. E., and Peters, D. C. 1960. The Development and Per- formance of Cody Alfalfa, a Spotted Alfalfa Aphid Resistant Va- riety. Kans. Agr. Expt. Sta. Bul. 114. 27 pp. 18. Sorensen, E. L., Painter, R. H., Ortman, E. E., Hackerott, H. L., and Harvey, T. L. 1961. Cody Alfalfa. Kans. Agr. Expt. Sta. Cir. 381. 19. Harvey, T. L., and Brethour, J. R. 1961. Effectiveness of Ruelene and Ronnel for Ear Tick Compared with Cattle Grub Control. Jour. Econ. Ent. 54(4):814-815. 20. Harvey, T. L., and Wilson, J. A. 1962. Greenbug Injury to Resistant and Susceptible Winter Wheat in the Field. Jour. Econ. Ent. 55N; 2. pp. 258-263.

MACHINERY AND of a skilled mechanic and the EQUIPMENT operation of a well-equipped An outstanding contribu- farm shop. tion of the Station has been The first attempt to use me- the improvement and adapta- chanical power in tillage work tion of farm machinery to spe- was in 1907 when a steam cialized uses on the farm. plowing outfit was purchased. New pieces of equipment have In 1914 a three-wheeled J. I. been invented that saved labor Case gasoline tractor was or increased output, and im- “made available.” None of provements have been made this power equipment proved that better adapt farm equip- satisfactory or was in use for ment to the function for which field work by the fall of 1921. it was manufactured. Up to Immediately thereafter, pur- 1922, the Station had done its chases of power equipment work principally with hand- increased rapidly. An Allis- operated or horse - drawn Chalmers 30-hp gasoline trac- equipment. The change that tor and a 30-60 Rumley oil took place about this time in pull tractor that burned kero- adapting farm machinery to sene were purchased in 1922 mechanical power presented and 1924, respectively. They an unusual opportunity. Two were put into use for listing, conditions at the Station con- plowing, and belt work. The tributed to this opportunity: most important job for the first, the Station operations Rumley tractor was to pull a were sufficiently extensive to 15-foot sidehill-type Holt com- justify the use of mechanical bine acquired in 1924 to har- power, and second, the volume vest a big wheat crop. Much of work required the service other machinery and equipment was purchased during chanic was employed. A ma- the period 1921 to 1927. This chine shop was built and equipment consisted of grain equipped. wagons, binders, headers, ma- While the machine shop was nure spreaders, plows, har- used primarily to care for rows, rakes, press grain drills, routine repair work of a 3600- seed-cleaning machinery, cul- acre experimental farm, much tivators, listers, ridge busters, rebuilding and remodeling of corn binders, bundle toppers, machinery was undertaken pumps, hay loaders, feed and many new pieces of equip- g r i n d e r s , concrete mixer, ment were built. A few of the small gasoline engines, tree most outstanding accomplish- digger, electric motors, and a ments were the following: freight elevator for the seed- Mechanical Posthole Digger, house. Much of this equip- The need for a mechanical ment needed to be modified to posthole digger became al- adapt it better to the purpose most a necessity about 1925 for which it was to be used. when several miles of fence For other types of work no had to be rebuilt. The digger equipment was available that that was constructed consisted was well adapted for the pur- of an 8-inch auger rolled on pose. special order by a machine In 1924, a full-time shop me- shop in Chicago. It was made of ¼-inch steel. The auger ties and kinds of pure seed was welded to a 1½-inch shaft stocks. Several changes were and fitted into the rear end of made to facilitate cleaning. an auto differential to power The rear end of the separator the auger. This unit was that included the heavy straw fitted into a f r am e and blower was unbolted, and mounted on the front end of large hinges attached. This an Allis-Chalmers tractor and permitted the rear end to be was driven by a belt from the swung out of the way so that flywheel of the tractor. The the separator could be equipment was used to dig thoroughly cleaned quickly thousands of postholes for and with ease. This change fences on the Station, and not only facilitated cleaning many farmers used the plan but insured that mixtures to build similar equipment for would be avoided when pure their own farms. seed stocks of different kinds Remodeling of J. I. Case were threshed. Thresher. The J. I. Case sep- Automatic Hay Baler. Mak- arator in use at the Station ing alfalfa hay was time con- did satisfactory work but was suming and laborious. Stack- difficult to clean preparatory ing the hay in the field with to threshing different varie- buck rakes and baling the hay out of the stacks was custom- works fine when competent ary. Many leaves and much help can be secured to tie the hay were lost due to weather- bales as fast as the machine is ing in the stack and excessive ready to make them. If auto- handling. It was decided to matic tying equipment can be build a portable pick-up hay successfully i n s t a 1 1 e d on baler. A hay loader, used for balers, one of the greatest loading loose hay on wagons steps forward in automatic from the windrow, was pur- hay baling will have been chased. It was attached to the taken. Automatic tying will side of an old truck chassis on eliminate two men, which which a stationary hay baler should reduce the cost of had been mounted. A metal baling hay in the field. The chute was added to guide the Station will make consider- hay from the loader to the ably more effort along the line platform of the baler. Seats of improving upon this hay were provided for two men, baling equipment, as the one on each side of the baler, quality of the hay is greatly to push bale ties through the improved by this method.” bale blocks and twist the bale (43) ties. The 1922-1927 report Experimental Plot Com- says: “This outfit bales hay bine. In 1928, a small self-pro- out of the windrow as it is pelled combine was con- pulled along with either a structed to harvest small ex- tractor or horses. This device perimental plots of 1/10 acre FORT HAYS BRANCH EXPERIMENT STATION HISTORY 99 or less. A small rebuilt Gleaner combine face of the seed. A satisfactory machine was mounted on a small 2-ton of this type with a large capacity was Caterpillar tractor. The machine was designed and constructed in the Station especially valuable because of its shops in 1935. The scarifying unit mobility. It could be turned around in its consisted of two metal perforated cones, own length. It could be manipulated to one inside the other. The seed to be do work that was impossible with other scarified was introduced between the equipment. It reduced greatly the cost of cones, one stationary and the other harvesting experimental plots. The rotating. The sharp edges of the combine worked so successfully that perforated metal scratched the surface of requests were received from other the seed. The degree of scratching was experiment stations for similar outfits. determined by adjusting the space Four additional plot combines were built between the cones and by the speed of at cost, one for the Colby Branch the rotating cone. The machine was Experiment Station delivered for the powered with a small electric motor. A 1931 harvest, and others completed in blower recleaned the seed as it came out the fall of 1931 for the Garden City of the scarifier. Branch Experiment Station, the Three scarifiers were built: one for the U.S.D.A. Field Station at Woodward, Station, one for U.S.D.A., and one for Oklahoma, and the U.S.D.A. Soil the Agronomy Department of the Erosion Project at Hays. The combine College. A fourth machine with capacity built for the Soil Erosion Project was four times that of the original machine mounted on a McCormick-Deering was made for the Russell County Farm wheel tractor since a tractor of this make Bureau. was available. It worked satisfactorily Power Hitches. The Caterpillar tractor for harvesting irregular plots of wheat owned by the Station was used to propel and sorghum but was not as mobile as a number of implements such as listers, the combines mounted on crawler-type plows, ridge busters, planters, weeders, tractors. Since that time a smaller self- etc. Different types of hitches were propelled combine has been designed required to accommodate the length of and is now in use. tongue, turning radius, and lever control. Sweetclover Seed Scarifier. Several hitches were designed and built Newly harvested sweetclover seed is low at the Station shops in 1933 to in germination because many of the accommodate the different implements. seeds are so hard that they will not For example, the Station was the first to absorb moisture. This condition can be use 6-row listing, planting, and weeding overcome by passing the seed through a equipment. Since special hitches for scarifier that scratches or chips the sur- such use were not being manu- the dam on a rebuilt Chase 2- factured, 2-row, and in some row lister. New 38-inch wheels cases 3-row equipment, was were substituted for the lower purchased and remodeled into planter-type wheels. Auxil- 6-row equipment. The Cater- iary cam rollers were mounted pillar Tractor Company of in each wheel to lift the dam- Peoria, Illinois, requested and mers at proper intervals to was furnished with blueprints make the dams about 10 feet of all the hitches designed at apart. The damming equip- the Station. Working plan ment was attached to the prints were supplied to many lister frame with angle irons Caterpillar tractor owners mounted at the rear end of the over the United States and lister beam. This provided a much favorable comment re- hinge so that the damming at- sulted. tachments could be raised and Basin Lister. A successful lowered. Mounted this way basin lister to catch and re- the dammer attachment be- tain moisture on listed land came a part of the lister, and by mechanically placing small the entire machine became as dams in the lister furrows was portable as the lister itself. constructed at the Station in The blade forming the dams the fall of 1935 after a number was made to conform to the of unsuccessful attempts. The furrows made by the lister so machine was built by mount- that the blade moved only soil ing the equipment that made that had been loosened. The height of the dam in the lister the basins held all of the water furrows could be varied by the without run-off. depth at which the lister ran Following the successful op- and speed at which it was eration and use of the basin pulled. A speed not exceeding lister on the Station, a small 3 miles an hour proved best. trailer was built on which the In 1936 this machine was used basin lister was mounted in to basin list a field with a 4 order that it might be trans- percent slope. A photograph ported f o r demonstrations. taken 12 hours after a 2 1/2- Demonstrations were put on inch rain, 1 inch of which fell in 30 counties in western in 30 minutes, showed that Kansas with an attendance of over 3,000 farmers. The equip- was needed urgently for this ment was also demonstrated purpose. An old elevating in Colorado and at the soil road grader borrowed from and water conservation con- Ellis county and remodeled ference at Stillwater, Okla- was used first. When this ma- homa. Following these dem- chine was sold by the county onstrations the Station was and became unavailable for deluged with inquiries. Blue- Station use, it was decided to prints of the machine were build a grader designed espe- made and sold at cost to 500 cially for terrace construction. individuals in 1936 and more An old wheel-driven elevating in 1937. Machinery manufac- grader was purchased from the turers recognized the value of Lincoln County Highway De- this type of equipment and partment for $300 and re- were quick to capitalize on modeled in the Station shop. the interest created by the The terraces built with this work of the Station in water machine had a 60-foot base conservation. During the dry and a height of 18 inches. period of the 1930’s many These terraces could be types of damming and basin- crossed readily with all types making attachments for list- of farm equipment, including ers were manufactured and a 20-foot combine harvester. sold by commercial interests. In addition to constructing over 10 miles of terraces on Elevating Grader. To con- the Station and on some of the serve water and control soil Fort Hays State College land, erosion on the cultivated land the equipment was used to of the Station, it became nec- construct several miles of road essary to construct at least 10 on the Station, much of it to miles of terraces. Properly de- divert flood waters from cross- signed labor-saving equipment ing cropland. Self-propelled Field Sllage from 1 to 14 miles per hour, Cutter. A self-propelled field Field cutting speed usually silage cutter designed and varied from 3 to 5 miles an built in the Station shop was hour, depending on tonnage first used to harvest the 1947 of the crop. Hydraulic brakes silage crop. This was con- operating independently on ceived following the construc- each wheel enabled the ma- tion and successful operation chine to turn in a small ra- of a 2-row tractor-pulled field silage cutter built in 1945. The dius. The machine easily cut first machine did a good job 30 tons of silage an hour. of cutting silage but knocked Silage making was one of down considerable feed when the most laborious jobs on the opening up new lands. To farm before field cutters were avoid this loss and to econo- available. A 14-man crew was mize on labor, the machine required by the old method. was converted into a self-pro- The new method used a crew pelled unit. The cutter assem- of 6 and eliminated entirely bly was mounted on a heavy the back-breaking labor of frame carried by two home- handling the heavy bundle made wheels fitted with 12” feed. The introduction of the x 24” tractor tires. A 72-hp self-propelled unit reduced by Continental motor to power 62 percent the cost of putting the cutting and transport unit, up silage. It also made it pos- with necessary forward and sible to secure farm labor for reverse driving mechanism, the work, since the job was completed the outfit. A now entirely mechanized and Thomas varidraulic drive was had become a simple tractor- installed to permit speeds of and-truck operation. This ma- KANSAS BULLETIN 453

Fig. 73.-An automatic bale pickup and loader was designed and built at the Station in 1946 . chine is still (1962) in use on the m a c h i n e immediately the Station. It has been dem- stimulated farmer interest, onstrated many times, twice and the demand for it en- at the Kansas State Fair at couraged manufacturers to Hutchinson where it was build self-propelled field silage closely observed by many cutters. They became avail- farmers and machine manu- able commercially in 1950 facturers. The success with and 1951.

MACHINES AND EQUIPMENT DEVELOPED OR IMPROVED AT THE STATION Type of Equipment Year Produced 1. Power posthole digger ...... 1927 2 . Automatic field hay baler ...... 1927 3. Tractor duckfoot with 28-inch sweeps for heavy tillage. especially for bindweed ...... 1927 4. Power metal saw for shop ...... 1928 5. Homemade triphammer for shop ...... 1928 6. Two-row corn binder bundle-loading attachment ...... 1930 7. Windrow header dump box ...... 1931 8. Buffalograss sod cutter ...... 1934 9. Road roller (made with tractor wheels filled with concrete) .... 1934 10. Vacuum-type buffalograss seed harvester ...... 1935 11 . Sweetclover seed scarifier ...... 1935 12 . Power cross cut log saw ...... 1935 13. Basin lister ...... 1935 14. Dam-busting attachment for ridge buster ...... 1937 15. Nursery thresher ...... 1937 16. Motorized hopper dozer ...... 1937 17 . Six-row flexible automatic lift tractor lister ...... 1937 FORT HAYS BRANCH EXPERIMENT STATION HISTORY 105

Rebuilt press grain drills ...... Tractor hitches ...... Elevating grader rebuilt for terracing machine ...... Automatic grain seed-treating machine ...... Duckfoot corn cultivator ...... Calf dehorning chute ...... Buffalograss seed-harvesting attachment ...... Tree-digging attachment for tractor ...... Blade weeder for terrace cultivation ...... Grasshopper poison spreader ...... Buffalograss seed combine ...... Drill for sowing grass seed ...... Improved buffalograss combine with pick-up attachment ...... Buffalograss seed drier ...... Motorized hay buck ...... Two-row field silage cutter ...... Pick-up bale loader ...... Self-propelled field silage cutter ......

GERMAN WAR PRISONERS those employing war prisoners Labor for farm work be- to comply with the require- came difficult to obtain during ments of the Army for the use World War II, both at the Sta- of such labor. tion and on other fa r m s These conditions were met throughout the country. In by establishing at the Station August, 1943, it was learned a prison war camp and arrang- that arrangements were being with farmers in Ellis and ing made by the Army to the four surrounding counties make available German pris- for the use of prison labor. oners of war for farm work. The camp for the prisoners It also developed that German was built by utilizing the old prisoners were available for feed barn and the utility build- such work at a war prison ing. The compound was sur- camp in Nebraska, providing rounded by a barbed-wire bar- the requirements of the Army ricade. The guard detail was for use of the prisoners could housed in comfortable quar- be met. Among the require- ters in the new brick and con- ments were the following: crete seed-house. The facili- 1. Satisfactory housing and ties provided passed the in- mess facilities, the housing to spection of both the Medical be such as to make difficult Department of the Army and the escape of the prisoners, the commandant of the Pris- oner of War Camp in Nebras- 2. Facilities for housing and ka. The first contingent of 100 feeding the detail of soldiers war prisoners was received who could guard the prisoners. early in September, 1943. 3. Work available either on A maximum of 150 prisoners the Station farm or on farms was available for work on the within a driving distance of Station and on farms in the 50 miles that would occupy the five counties. The farmers us- time of the prisoners. ing the prisoners came to the 4. Assurance that all pre- Station, signed up for the cautions would be taken by number of workers desired, returned with the prisoners to OIL AND GAS LEASES the farm, fed them at noon, The oil and gas develop- and returned them at a speci- ment which has been exten- fied time to the camp in the sive in central Kansas had evening. One or more guards reached an area near the Sta- accompanied each contingent tion by 1942. Some very good of prisoners. wells had been obtained in The work performed varied. Ellis county, though none was Many were used in construc- discovered close to the Station tion work such as erecting a land. Geological formations garage, laying a concrete floor appeared favorable, and great in a large feedlot, construct- pressure was placed upon the ing foundations for a farm Station administration to lease building, and digging a well. the land for oil and gas devel- The labor performed by the opment. This pressure at first prisoners proved on the whole was resisted, but the Board of satisfactory. The labor per- Regents decided that bids mitted much Station work to would be accepted with the be done that otherwise would stipulation that certain lands, have been impossible during the least valuable for experi- the war years. Some tech- mental work, should be desig- nically trained prisoners were nated for development areas; used in the Station labora- other lands, the most valuable tories. The service of the pris- for experimental work, should oners ended shortly after the be designated as non-develop- close of the war with Ger- ment areas. many. The first contingent Bids were received June 22, left in November, 1945, and 1942, and a lease awarded to the other shortly thereafter. the Darby Petroleum Corpora- tion of Kansas City, Mo., for portions of the Station land a bonus of $18,267.20 plus $1 have been under lease to var- an acre a year delayed rental. ious corporations and individ- The lease covered the entire uals more or less continuously, 3,260 acres of the Station, both with total income from all the development and the non- rentals and leases amounting development areas. The lease to about $31,000. No produc- was renewed June 22, 1943, ing wells have been drilled for one year upon the payment under any of these leases. of $2,740. The lease was discontinued by the Darby Cor- MAKING THE RESULTS poration on June 20, 1944, KNOWN after a dry well had been The Station has been active drilled in the center of the in bringing the results of its southeast pasture area. research to the attention of A second lease was awarded the public. This has been June 26, 1948, to the Union done through numerous publi- Oil Company of Wichita on a cations, by inviting the public bonus of $1,428, covering 560 to visit the Station, and by the acres, of which 252 acres were technical staff attending pub- designated as drilling area lic gatherings where the work and 308 acres non-drilling of the Station was explained area. Annual rental of $1 an and the results presented. acre per year was also stipu- In the first 60 years about lated. 170 formal publications were From 1948 to the present, issued. These reports were in 108 KANSAS BULLETIN 453 the form of popular bulletins and tests, and informal visits by groups and circulars as well as technical bulletins individual farmers. and journal articles. Fifty of these Annual round-ups have been held publications presented results of winter each year since 1913, usually the last feeding experiments with cattle. The week in April. These events have placed first reports on experimental feeding special emphasis on work with cattle, were mimeographed circulars, but especially the presentation of results starting with 1947 they have been with winter feeding, although on these issued as formal circulars and bulletins occasions the results of other work have of the Kansas Agricultural Experiment been presented. Attendance at the round- Station. About 45 publications relate to ups has varied with the condition of the cereal and forage crop work, while weather, ranging from fewer than 100 others relate to weed control, trees and when the weather was especially bad to shrubs, orchards and gardens, soil more than 1,500 when conditions were management, soil moisture, tillage favorable. Visitors came each year from operations, restoring native grasses, many of the counties in the state and new farm implements, insect control, from a number of adjoining states. and other subjects relating to work of Judging contests have been held as a the Station. feature of the round-ups. 4-H group boys These publications have been and girls and vocational agriculture distributed both to individuals and to students have participated each year in such agencies as newspapers, farm the judging of livestock, crops, clothing, journals, agricultural extension and foods. workers, and vocational agriculture Attendance at these contests has teachers. These agencies have made the varied over the years, from 13 teams of information available to many four individuals each the first year, thousands of citizens. Also, many 1922 to 494 teams in 1956 with more popular news articles have been than 1,500 individuals in competition. prepared each year by the technical Of these teams 241 judged livestock, 66 staff and distributed to the press. A judged grain, and 187 judged clothing daily radio program has emanated from and foods. While the students attending the Station since 1953. were concerned chiefly with judging, A second method of acquainting the they also became acquainted with public with the work has been through general work of the Station. public events at the Station, when the Field days have been another method results of the work of the Station have of acquainting the public with the work been presented through demonstrations, of the Station. On such occasions exhibits, and oral reports. These have included annual roundups, field days, judging con- visitors were invited to study the Station individually or in some particular phase of work small groups, usually led by at a time when results were county agricultural agents or most evident. The first meet- vocational agriculture teach- ing of this kind was in June, ers. Recently numerous rep- 1910, when the annual assem- resentatives of foreign coun- bly of the Kansas Dry Farm tries have visited the Station. Association convened at the Superintendents and other Station. A number of other members of the technical staff meetings of this group were have spoken at public gather- held in subsequent years, ings and held demonstrations some in the spring and others at agricultural fairs and other in the fall. More typical field gatherings of farmers. days came later. Since that These methods of acquaint- time numerous wheat, sor- ing the public with the work ghum, soil conservation, and of the Station have been effec- other field days have been tive. Farmers have accepted held. Schools have been held the findings of the Station to for weed supervisors, county a gratifying extent, and rea- agents, and grain graders, sonable financial support for with attendance ranging from the work of the Station has a few to several hundred. been provided by the State Many other visitors came to Legislature. 110 KANSAS BULLETIN 453

REFERENCES 1. 15th Annual Report, Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station, 1901- 1902. p.XVI. 2. 15th Annual Report, Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station, 1901- 1902. pp. XVI-XVII. 3. 15th Annual Report, Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station, 1901- 1902. p. XVIII. 4. 15th Annual Report, Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station, 1901- 1902. pp. XVIII-XIX. 5. 15th Annual Report, Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station, 1901- 1902. pp. XIX-XX. 6. Board of Regents Minutes, KSAC. Book B, p. 378. 7. 15th Annual Report, Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station, 1902- 1903. p. XVIII. 8. 15th Annual Report, Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station, 1901- 1902. p. XVIII. 9. Session Laws of Kansas, 1931. pp. 116-117. 10. Aicher, L. C. Report of Hays Branch Experiment Station, 1931. p. 79. 11. Industrialist, Jan. 22, 1901. p. 200. 12. Kansas Farmer, Dec. 19, 1901. p. 1096. 13. Kansas Farmer, May 8, 1902. p. 503. 14. Board of Regents Minutes, KSAC. Book B, pp. 423-424. 15. Board of Regents Minutes, KSAC. July 3, 1905. Book B, p. 529. 16. Board of Regents Minutes, KSAC. Sept. 26, 1906. Book B, p. 571. 17. Kansas Farmer, July 31, 1902. p. 772. 18. Board of Regents Minutes, KSAC, Aug. 8, 1902. Book C, p. 17. 19. Board of Regents Minutes, KSAC. July 15, 1910. Book C, p. 167. 20. Board off Regents Minutes, KSAC. March 6, 1902. Book B, p. 430. 21. 18th Annual Report, Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station, 1905. pp. XXVI-XXVII. 22. 18th Annual Report, Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station, 1905. pp. 279-290 and 307-315. 23. Helder, George K. Report, Hays Branch Experiment Station, 1914. 24. 17th Annual Report, Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station, 1902. p. 48. 25. Board of Regents Minutes, KSAC. 1902. Book B, p. 427. 26. Board of Regents Minutes, KSAC. Aug. 8, 1902. Book B, p. 447. 27. 12th Annual Report, KSAC, 1906-1907. p. XI. 28, Board of Regents Minutes, KSAC. July 31, 1907. Book C, p. 18. 29, Board of Regents Minutes, KSAC. July 31, 1907. Book C, p. 16. 30. Board of Regents Minutes, KSAC. June 28, 1909. Book C, p. 97. 31. Report of Superintendent, Hays Branch Experiment Station, 1913. p. 44. 32. Board of Regents Minutes, KSAC. July 31, 1907. Book C, p. 16. 33. Report, Hays Branch Experiment Station, 1913. 34. Board of Regents Minutes, KSAC. March 28, 1903. Book B, p. 463. 3 5. 16th Annual Report, Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station, 1902. p. XVI. 36. United States Department of Agriculture, Circular No. 544, p. 48. 37. TenEyck, A. M. 17th Biennial Report. Kans. Agr. Expt. Sta. June, 1909-10. p. 43. FORT HAYS BRANCH EXPERIMENT STATION HISTORY 111

38. Helder, George K. Report, Hays Branch Experiment Station, 1914. p. 35. 39. Aicher, L. C. Report, Hays Branch Experiment Station, 1925. p. 19. 40. Luebs, R. E. Investigations of Cropping Systems, Tillage Methods and Cultural Practices for Dryland Farming at the Hays Branch Experiment Station. Kans. Agr. Expt. Sta. Bul. 449. October, 1962. 41. Aicher, L. C. Report, Hays Branch Experiment Station, 1940. p. 191. 42. TenEyck, A. M. The Industrialist, May 16, 1908, Vol. 34, No. 32, pp. 499-501. 43. Aicher, L. C. Report of the Hays Branch Experiment Station, 1922- 27. p. 129.