166 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



the climate is suitable. In the eastern part of Michigan the native chest- 

 nut grows on deep, sandy, gravelly soils and usually on ridges. 



JAPAN VARIETIES. 



The trees of this group are dwarfish in habit and slow growers. Nuts 

 are from medium to large in size, but are inferior in quality to the Eu- 

 ropean varieties and are borne in much thin^ner burrs. Of the five vstri- 

 eties of this group o« trial. Hale, Superb, Japan Giant, ,Tap;in hnjM-oved 

 and Reliance, the last named was the only one which fruited iliis sea- 

 son. It promises to be the most productive variety of this gioiiji. Wove 

 a full crop this season from tree planted in 18!)!). Tree a slow grower 

 but this may be due somewhat to its productivene.ss. The nuts are of 

 medium size, good quality and borne in very thin burrs. 



FILBERTS. 



Cosford (Thin Shell). — A thin-shelled variety of fine quality. Hardy 

 and quite productive. Valuable for home use and ornamental purposes. 



Kentish Cob. — This variety is more vigorous than Cosford, but as yet 

 not quite so reliable. The nuts are much larger and of good quality. 



WALNUTS. 



Japan Walnuts (Juglans Seiboldii). — Trees hardy, vigorous and pro- 

 ductive. The nuts are borne in large clusters and are a little smaller in 

 size than the English walnut, which they resemble in shape. Quality 

 fair and in flavor something like our native butternut. 



COVER CROP EXPERIMENT. 



Eleven plots (of a quarter of an acre each) were sown with different 

 kinds of cover crops — cow peas, broadcast; cow ])eas in drills twenty 

 inches apart; sand vetch; Canada peas; Crimson clover; Mammoth clo- 

 ver, oats, buckwheat, rape and fiat turnips, broadcast. One end of all 

 but one of the plots was sown to oats with the original sowing, barley 

 being used on this plot in the place of oats. The plots were sown the 

 10th of August. At the beginning of winter the following points were 

 noted: As a cover crop, the cow pea is almost a failure except where 

 the oats were sown with it. It made a fine growth and was no doubt* 

 valuable in adding nitrogen to the soil. Drilling is to be preferred to 

 broadcasting in this case. As a cover crop, oats seem to be ideal this 

 season, with barley, buckwheat and sand vetch following closely, and 

 on all the plots where oats were used with them their value as a cover crop 

 was improved. No difference is noticeable at this time between Crimson 

 and Mammoth clover. While the clover has not made as good a showing 

 as a cover crop as some of the other plants, observations in the spring 

 at the time of plowing may show it to be of more value. It is conceded 

 by all that clover is the most valuable crop that can be sown in the 

 orchard, where the conditions are favorable for it, as it is much more 

 reliable on sandy soils than on clay. 



T. A. FARRAND. 



South Haven, January 7, 1903. 



