262 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE 



Excelsior, from Crofjory. Vinos fiftopii inches hi;;;li. vi;,'orous: foliafjc liglit green. 

 Pods long and broad (3'/axTs i"-)- "Ot numerous, fairly well lilled, both ends rather 

 pointed, thick skin. Peas fairly sweet. This is an early variety, maturing four days 

 later than Alaska, and is of about the same quality. 



CJradus, from Ferry. Vines three feet higli, vigorous; foliage, light green. Pods 

 very large, long and l)road (4i/ix^{; in.), numerous, well filled, ))ointod at both ends, 

 very thick skin. Peas very sweet. Foliage was badly aflected with rust and an- 

 thracnose. 



Heroine, from Henderson. Vines two feet high, very vigorous; foliage dark green. 

 Pods very large, broad and Hat (3'^x% in.), not numerous, pointed at both ends, 

 thick skin. Peas fairly sweet. This variety averaged eight peas to the pod, thus exceed- 

 ing all others, excepting Stratagem. 



May Queen, from (Jregory. Vines thirty inches high, vigorous growing; foliage 

 light green. Pods medium lo large ( 3x% in.), not very numerous, not well filled, 

 stem end pointed, apex latlier blunt, very thick skin. Peas very sweet. This variety 

 is much like A-1 as to quality. 



New "i'ork Market, from U'eeber & Don. Vines thirty-six inches high, vigorous; 

 foliage dark green. Pods short and broad (3x% in.), very numerous, well iilled, 

 stem end pointed, apex blunt, thick skin. Peas of tine quality. 



Stratagem, from Ferry. Vines eighteen inches high, very vigorous ; foliage dark 

 green. Pods very large, long and broad (4x% in.), numerous, well filled, pointed at 

 both ends; skin very thick. Peas sweet. This is extra good as a large podded variety. 



Summary. — To secure a succession of peas the following varieties can be recom- 

 mended. 



For early sorts: Gradus, Alaska, Electric, May Queen and Xew York ]\Iarket. 



Second early sorts: Advancer and American Wonder. 



Medium sorts: Empire State. 



Late sorts: American Champion, Dwarf Telephone, Champion of England and 

 Heroine. 



POTATOES, 1900. 



The potato experimental plot for 1900 was located in the northeast corner of the 

 vegetable garden. Small fiuits had been grown on the land for several years and, 

 after the crop had been gathered in 1899, the ground M-as plowed, worked down and 

 sowed to turnips about August 1. The soil is a sand loam mixed with clay and is 

 rich in vegetable matter. After the root crop was harvested the ground was top dressed 

 with finely composted manure. In the spring, as soon as the soil was in suitable 

 condition, it was plowed, rolled and liarrowed at frequent intervals, until the time 

 of planting. The early sorts were planted May 5 and the late ones June 5. 



The seed was treated with corrosive sublimate (1-2000) for forty-five minutes 

 and only a small amount of scab developed. The season was vei-y favorable for the 

 growth of plants and irrigation was not necessarj': m fact, owing to the clay com- 

 position of the soil, a portion of it was too wet at times. 



At the time of planting the ground was marked and furrowed about five inches 

 deep and three and one-half apart, each variety being given forty feet space in the 

 row. Two pounds of seed was u.-ed for each variety, cut into twenty-five pieces, which 

 were dropped about eighteen indies apart and covered with a hoe. The ground was 

 then rolled and immediately worked with a Breed's weeder, which tool was used 

 at intervals of three to four days until the plants were injured by it ; then the 

 Planet Jr. cultivator was used as long as the crop needed cultivating. Shallow, 

 level cultivation was at all times strictly adhered to. 



But slight injury was done by the Colorado beetle, as twice during the season, to 

 prevent against insect and fungous attacks, the crop was sprayed with Bordeaux mix- 

 ture, with which an arsenite was mixed. Owing to its cheapness, white arsenic has 

 been used for several years with good results. It must be prepared l)y boiling it for 

 forty minutes with twice its weight of lime that has been freshly slaked, two gallons 

 of water being used for each pound of arsenic. One pound of arsenic will answer for 

 150 to 200 gallons of Bordeaux mixture. 



