EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 439 



number of vines pulled up at random late in August, none measured less than 

 10 feet, while most exceeded 11 feet without being unduly stretched. Consider- 

 ing the weather and the mass of vines, the ripening of seed became a hopeless 

 task. As soon as the vines were removed and the weeds came up, the ground 

 was plowed and fitted for winter wheat. Before winter set in, a careful but un- 

 successful search was made for quack grass and it is doubtful if the vetches 

 have left any to reappear in the wheat next season. It should be stated that in 

 the southern part of the State, vetch has sometimes degenerated into a bad 

 weed, very hard to eradicate. 



One plot which had grown Giant Spurry during the preceding season, was 

 planted with Mammoth clover. The seed was evidently poor, as only a few 

 scattering plants came up. The vacancies became soon filled with spurry and 

 before the plants started to blossom the ground was plowed and harrowed a week 

 after. A second crop of spurry was soon in evidence and was disposed of with 

 the cutaway harrow, the ground being afterwards fitted for winter wheat. No 

 spurry plants could be found at the beginning of winter. 



Three small plots were planted with Japanese, Siberian and Broom Corn or 

 Hog Millet with the expectation of ripening the seed. Owing to the cold weather 

 in August the seed was slow in ripening and remained rather light after the 

 plants were damaged by the September frosts. Another variety. Pearl or Cat tail 

 Millet, failed to head out. 



The following varieties were planted May 15, and made a satisfactory growth 

 but not sufficient to warrant cutting during the same season: White Clover, 

 Meadow Fox Tail, Kentucky Bluegrass, Bromus Erectus and Meadow Fescue. 

 A small plot was planted with Yellow Lupine and a poor stand secured. The 

 plants which came up made a very good growth, blossoming August 21 and setting 

 numerous pods. No seed ripened though the plants showed no damage from 

 frosts until after October 24. 



Millo Maize, Japanese Broom Corn and Early Minnesota sorghum failed to 

 head out. 



Of three varieties of cow peas, the Early Black Eye and Hammond's Extra 

 Early made a growth of 5 and 3 inches respectively, while Evans' New Era 

 reached a height of IG inches before killed by the September frosts. 



Seven varieties of Soy Beans were tested. Ito San, Medium Early Black and 

 the Ogemaw made the best showing, blossoming August 22, 20 and 17, respectively, 

 and the pods being mostly well filled out, though none ripened sufficiently for 

 seed. The first two made a very dense gi'owth, the stalks averaging 36 inches 

 high, while the Ogemaw remained somewhat more slender and reached a height 

 of 30 inches. Extra Early Black (seed from Michigan Experiment Station) 

 made a better growth than Ogemaw, but fewer pods filled up, blossoming 

 August 22. Evans' Early Black Soy and Hammond's Extra Early Black blos- 

 somed August 31 and none of the pods filled up, while the Medium Early Green 

 soy had the finest stalks and most leafage but set no pods. 



One plot of Dwarf Essex Rape and one of Thousand Headed Kale were planted 

 May 27, in drills 18 inches apart and the plants thinned out to 10 inches in the 

 row. 'Three cultivations were given before the plants shaded the ground, and 

 the plants in both plots reached a height of 36 inches, being left for ripening 

 seed next season. No appreciable difference could be observed between the plants 

 of the two varieties, the Kale being slightly more branching and the color of the 

 leaves having a bluish cast. 



In 1902, a small plot, 4 rods square, upon which the rape seed had been broad- 

 casted was left for seed, after one-half of the plot was cut for feed by mowing 

 off the plants 5 inches above ground. The plants started a new growth before 

 the snow disappeared in the spring of 1903 and started to blossom June 2, the 

 lower branches ripening seed late in July. Stimulated by wet weather and by 

 myriads of cabbage aphis, the plants continued to blossom and ripen seed until 

 the end of the season, the aphis being kept in check by spraying with soap and 

 tobacco water Individual plants reached a height of 74 inches and by the latter 

 part of August the ground was covered with a thick mat of new rape plants 

 from the shelled out seed. Though a very large per cent of the seed was subse- 

 quently lost in handling the crop, 19 lbs. of prime seed were collected from he 

 plot, or at the rate of 760 lbs. per acre. Considering the favorable winter condi- 

 tions and the extreme hariness of the plants, the crop appears to be admirably 

 well adapted for this region and would seem to be profitable at least as long 

 as most of the seed is imported from Europe. Whenever it seems wise to provide 



