EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 247 



Lespedeza hicolor, Turez., from Japan. Planted May 15th, 10 inches high July 

 22cl, 15 to 22 inches high August 19th, reached 3G inches before killed by frosts 

 In the fall, no flowers. The climate is too cold and the season too short. 



Cicer arietinum, Linn., Gran. Planted May 15th, flowers July 2d until frost, 

 24 inches high August 19th, fruit matured September 27th. It endures light 

 frost Though this plant grew vigorously no nodules were found at any time 

 on its roots. It is grown in India for its seeds, but our climate is hardly hot 

 enough. 



Ervum lens hiemale, red winter lentil. Received from France, September 19th, 

 planted June 12th, first flowers August 19th, 5 inches high July 22d, 7 inches 

 August 19th. It continued long in bloom but set no fruit, it kept green all the 

 fall and is green under the snow. 



Ervum lens. Linn., Lentil. Planted May 15th, flowered July 1st, continued 

 with flowers and fruit to August 19th, died in fall, 12 inches high July 22d, 

 12 to IG inches August 19th. These plants produce little green matter and in 

 this climate they do not fruit freely. They are of no practical value here. 



Vicia orohus, D C, from Crete. Planted June 12th, flowers July 17th, flowers 

 and fruit August 19th, 6 inches high July 22d, 12 inches high August 19th, like 

 Ervum lens but decidedly better as it remains very green from spring to winter. 

 It also fruits freely, having 4 seeds in a pod. 



Pisiim sativum, Linn, Blackeye, Marrowfat Pea. Planted May 21st, flowers 

 July 13th to August 19th, ripe fruit August 19th. Vines 39 inches long July 22d, 

 the tangle of vines 24 inches high, August 19th, equal in growth to the field pea 

 and seed more valuable. 



Pisum sativum, Linn., Field Pea. Same as above but vines 36 inches long, 

 field peas are much grown in this state and are especially valuable for the 

 northern portion. Some farmers sow peas with oats for cows or with rape for 

 hogs. 



Lathyrus sativus, Linn , Seed from Moscow, Russia, June, 1898. Planted June 

 12th, first flowers July 21st, 10 inches high July 22d, stems 24 inches long 

 August 19th. Continued in bloom until September 27th, a little fruit matured. 



Lathyrus ochrus, D. C. Received from France, September, 1901. Planted June 

 12th, grew slowly at first, 3 inches high July 22d, stems 8 inches long August 

 19, flowers September 13th, no fruit was observed to mature. It forms a dense 

 tangled growth which remains tender and green throughout the season. It is 

 very hardy, remaining green under the snow. Perhaps no other species produce 

 so large a weight of nodules. It is a promising species. 



The Winter Flat Pea, L. cicer, Habl., was planted with rye on June 12th. It 

 grew but showed no flowers up to the 19th of August, when it was 12 inches high. 

 It remained green through the season and under the snow. 



Lathyrus silvestris, flat pea. An early bulletin, in 1892, reported the yield and 

 habit of growth of this importation from Germany. In 1895 and 1896 a great 

 deal of attention was paid to the Crop. The season of 1896 was damp and the 

 crop was luxuriant. On June 29th one acre was measured off and on this and 

 the two following days the crop was cut and weighed as fast as it could be 

 hauled to the scales. The total product from the acre in the green state was 

 12 tons. The cured hay weighed 5,431 pounds. On September 16th following, the 

 same acre was cut giving a yield of 3,636 pounds, or a little over one and three- 

 fourths tons. The total yield of hay from the acre was four and a half tons. 

 When it was attemptd to feed this Lathyrus hay to stock it was found that the 

 latter had to be starved to eat it at all. Sheep were pastured on the green 

 alfalfa but refused to eat it in suflScient quantity to sustain life. These facts, 

 combined with the further one that the seed is extremely expensive and very slow 

 to germinate and grow, makes the verdict of the station against the use of the 

 flat pea for any purpose whatever on the ordinary Michigan farm. 



At the conclusion of Mr. Barlow's work on the small plots it was decided to 

 confine the future investigation very largely to soy beans, cowpeas and hairy 

 vetch. The tests of soy beans and cowpeas were carried on, in 1903, on the 

 series of station plots known as 33 to 71. The ground is level, thoroughly under- 

 drained, clay loam. The seed was drilled in May 28th in rows 18 inches apart, 

 the length of the rows, 8 rods. They were drilled in the following order, begin- 

 ning at the west: 



