EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 429 



Hale — Was received in 1899. It bore a few specimens the following? year and 

 a full crop in 1901, but failed to produce anything last season and only a few speci- 

 mens this year. The nuts are of medium size, light-colored and of fair quality. 



Japan Giant — Planted in 1896. The tree is a very slow grower, with a round, 

 bushy head. Nuts are very large; quality poor; unproductive. 



.Japan Improved — A very slow grower and unproductive. Nuts of large size and 

 fair quality. 



Reliance — Bore very lightly this year but in past seasons has been the most 

 productive variety of this class. Tree is a rather slow grower, forming a spread- 

 ing, bushy head. Nuts of medium size and fair quality. 



FILBERTS. 



Cosford — Gave a full crop again this year. Tree not so vigorous as Kentish 

 Cob but more productive. The nuts are smaller and thinner shelled, with the 

 quality about the same as that kind. A very desirable variety for home use or 

 ornamental purposes. 



Kentish Cob — Hardy, vigorous and moderately productive. Nuts of large size 

 and excellent quality. Desirable also to plant with Cosford as a fertilizer. 



PECANS. 



Seedlings received In 1890 have failed to fruit as yet. One tree set quite a 

 number of specimens last spring but they failed to mature. The trees are hand- 

 some, thrifty growers and no doubt will mature some nuts in the next year or two. 



JAPAN WALNUTS. 



The trees of this species are rapid, thrifty growers and have been very produc- 

 tive in past seasons, but failed to give as heavy a yield as usual this season. The 

 nuts are borne in long clusters and are quite attractive in appearance. Are 

 smaller and in flavor are somewhat like our native butternut. 



ENGLISH WALNUTS. 



This class of nuts is a failure here. A number of varieties were received in the 

 spring of 1902 from the Division of Pomology. These were grafted upon different 

 stocks and it was hoped that in this way a hardy variety could be secured. Only 

 two trees have survived and are not promising. 



COVER CROPS. 



In the report for 1902 (Bulletin No. 205), the results of a cover crop experi- 

 ment in which there were eleven different plots of a quarter of an acre each were 

 given. It was stated that oats seemed to be the ideal plant for cover-crop pur- 

 poses, with barley, buckwheat, rape, winter vetch and the clovers less valuable. 

 In all instances where the oats were sown with other kinds of seed, their value as 

 a cover crop was increased. For instance with the vetch and clovers which do 

 not get very high before winter comes on, the oats catch and hold the snow to a 

 greater depth and protect the smaller plants from heaving out, at times when it 

 is freezing and thawing. Taking into consideration the value of clovers and vetch 

 in adding humus and plant food to the soil, as well as making a covering through 

 the winter, a few notes were taken when the crops were turned under in May. At 

 that time. Winter vetch, as an all-round plant for cover crop purposes was superior 

 to anything on trial. A thick mat of six or eight inches completely covered the 

 ground. Both Mammoth and Crimson clover made a fair showing, but the Mam- 

 moth was larger and heavier rooted than the Crimson. They also failed to grow 

 as well under the trees as the vetch. One of the objections against clover is that 

 the tramping in harvesting a large crop of fruit kills it out, especially in a dry 

 time. Vetch is the most valuable plant for cover crop purposes ever tested here, 

 but the seed is quite expensive. In plowing it under, a rolling coulter should be 

 used, as an ordinary jointer becomes clogged and it is not possible to turn it 

 under. The clovers were next in value. Rape Is a large, coarse plant that lives 



