72 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



the growers who have slated thai the samples sent fairly represented the 

 seed sold to the factories under the name given. The results of the variety 

 tests have then been published as showing what seed of a given name 

 would do. The seed used in the variety tests this year have been obtained 

 from the factories themselves, each factory sending us. ten pounds of each 

 variety of seed used by its patrons. In tins way the tests at the Station 

 correspond, as far as the seed used is concerned, exactly with the work of 

 the farmer who gets his beet seed from the nearby factory. Three series 

 of plots are used in the variety tests— one on the College farm, another 

 on the farm of .Mr. N. V. Ooodnoe, three miles west of Lansing, and a third 

 on the farm of Fred Church, near Alma. 



In cooperation with the Department of Agriculture at Washington, 

 the Station is conducting some experiments to test the relative values 

 of clover seed grown in different parts of this country and in various 

 European countries. These experiments have not matured into results 

 ;is yet which are ready for publication. It should be reported here, how- 

 ever, that the plants grown from different samples of seed are widely 

 different in appearance and value, besides being widely different in their 

 ability to withstand diseases. Kesults of economic importance are sure 

 to follow. As to dates of sowing, results have accumulated sufficient to 

 warrant the publication of a bulletin as soon as the weighings from the 

 harvest of this season are completed. 



The work on the Davenport plots, so called, being the plots laid out 

 twelve years ago or more for work in crop rotation, is approaching the 

 time when results will be ready for publication. The effect of different 

 rotations on the fertility of the soil and the growing crops is becoming 

 more and more apparent and the final influence of successive applications 

 of different fertilizers and different mixtures of fertilizers is also being- 

 more apparent. Final results in these series of plots cannot be expected, 

 according to the plan adopted, until 1905. when the work will be available 

 for publication. Other experiments are under way to test the relative 

 influences of various crops on the soil itself and on succeeding crops, 

 prominent among the crops to be tested in this particular comes the sugar 

 beet. It is a matter of prime importance just at this time to know exaci ly 

 how seriously (he growing of a crop of sugar beets on a given area injures 

 succeeding crops. 



Cow peas, soy beans and other legumes are growing in popularity 

 among the farmers, and for that reason experiments on a somewhat large 

 scale are undertaken at the College and elsewhere in cooperation with 

 farmers who are feeding a large amount of stock, and can therefore utilize 

 these new crops in feeding. The aim is to test the feeding value sepa- 

 rately of the different varieties of cow peas, especially testing, .also, the 

 value of corn hill and Southern Prolific beans for planting with corn for 

 si Inge. 



On the sand dunes along the west coast of the State experiments are 

 under way in cooperation with the Department of Agriculture at Wash- 

 ington to find means of preventing the drifting of the sand. 



Among the comparatively new lines of work to be begun may be men- 

 tioned the analysis of stock foods in the markets of Michigan for the pur- 

 pose of discovering their condition at the present, and determining the 

 advisability of any legislation in regard to them. At the same time 



