124 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



while the annuals are grouped, as far as possible, in families and with ref- 

 erence to their economic uses. It is here that many of the new plants 

 have made the promise that led to their trial and introduction into the 

 larger fields and experiments, while to the student and the visitor it has 

 proved to be one of the most attractive features of the farm. 



The area devoted to each of the above plants varied from one to four 

 rows, three feet apart and four rods long. These small areas and the 

 condition under which they were cultivated render the results wholly 

 unreliable to admit of making computations of yields per acre, but the 

 following notes on some of the new and more promising species may 

 convey an idea of their economic promise: 



Winter Yetch(Vicia Villosa) Sown May 15. — Three rows, three feetapart, 

 of this legume, completely covered the ground with a dense mat in full 

 blossom at the time it was cut on October 1. It formed a complete mulch, 

 under which the ground showed a degree of moisture far in excess of the 

 surrounding soil. Certainly this crop, even though a single trial has 

 showed it to be undesirable as a feed for cattle, bids fair to become a 

 favorite crop for green manuring, since it is a nitrogen catcher and may 

 be sown so as to attain a maximum growth at any time between June 

 and November. 



Sorghum and Kaffir Corn. — Four varieties of sorghum and 

 two of Kaffir corn all made excellent growth, which remained, 

 green and succulent long after the Indian corn had matured and 

 its stalks had dried. They even rallied after the early frost, and at the 

 date of havesting, October 15, their leaves were green and their stalks 

 fresh and juicy. The sorghums matured their seeds, but none could be 

 found on the Kaffir corn. 



A sample of seed corn brought from Georgia made a remarkable growth^ 

 attaining a height of 14 feet, though our season was too short for it 

 to mature. 



Bodourian Corn. — A small sample of which was received from Arme- 

 nia made a very promising growth, and will be tried on a large scale with 

 pure seed another year. 



Pearl Millet. — Grew to the height of nine and a half feet, averaging 

 eight feet, and produced a prolific growth of leafy stalks, but no seeds of 

 this plant matured. A similar growth was obtained with broom millet, 

 which attained an average height of six feet, and produced a few perfect 

 seeds. 



Two samples of Korean millet attracted much attention by their abun- 

 dant growth, which remained green the latest of all the millets in the 

 collection. Their stems were fine, leafy and erect, attaining a height of 

 seven feet, only a few of the seeds, however, coming to maturity. 



Velvet Beans. — A few seeds of this plant from Orange county, Florida, 

 were presented to us by Mr. H. Chambers, Lansing, Mich., and were 

 planted on June 29. Their early development was slow, but the late 

 fall permitted them to make a vigorous growth, which completely covered 

 the ground with climbing vines not unlike those of the cow pea and rang- 

 ing in length from five to seven feet. The seeds, however, did not mature, 

 but the promising growth which this legume made recommends it as a 

 substitute for the cow .peas, which have proved generally unsuccessful 

 here but have become favorite green manuring crops where they thrive^ 

 This crop will receive more attention here the coming year. 



