120 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



SOY BEANS. 



This work started at about the same time as that with cowpeas with 

 similar results. Twenty-eight varieties survived the first culling and of 

 these twenty-one still exist in the one hundred six plots growing on 

 the station at the present time. 



ALFALFA. 



This has proven a marked success in sections where seed, home grown 

 seed, can be produced for use. Continuous importation of seed pre- 

 vents acclimation. The primary object of the alfalfa breeding work 

 has been to produce pure strains that will yield seed abundantly and 

 along with large quantities of fodder This work began in 1906 by sav- 

 ing seed from a few scattered plants. In the spring of 1907, this seed 

 was used to start 1760 individual plants, each one grown ifl a hill 

 by itself; some of these died during the summer and others winter 

 killed. In 1908 there remained 1188 plants from which the first yield 

 of forage was secured, some individuals producing over nine times as 

 much as others. The poor producers were rejected until only 649 large, 

 thrifty, healthy plants remained for comparison and seed production. 



This work was extended during the past spring by seed from various 

 parts of the world through the Department of Agriculture. These 

 seeds were started in beds but have just been transferred to the nursery 

 which now contains a total of 4128 plants from 104 different sources. 



CLOVER. 



The clover and alfalfa problems are somewhat similar. Clover is 

 not seeding as freely in Michigan as it should and pure strains have 

 not been isolated. The nursery now contains 4347 individual plants, 

 the progeny of seeds from eighty -one different sources. Twenty-four of 

 these lots are the progeny of plants which were seeded on the station. 

 As in the case of alfalfa a large number of the seed samples were fur- 

 nished by the Department of Agriculture from its world wide collection. 



TIMOTHY. 



From seed kindly furnished by the Experiment Station at Cornell 

 University, NeAv York, we now have 2000 individual plants which will 

 be ready to select from next year. Our object in selection will be to 

 secure plants with more leaf and less stem than is ordinarilv found. 



R. S. SHAW, 



Director. 

 East Lansing, June 30, 1908. 



