502 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



mens has been saved with a view of obtaining an earlier and better strain. The 

 small varieties used for preserving ripened much better and in proportion to their 

 small size, Red Currant, the smallest, ripening nearly one-half of its fruit after 

 August 10. The other varieties ripened best in the order named: Ground Cherry 

 or Husk Tomato, Red Cherry, Red Pear, Red Plum and Red Peach. One variety 

 of Husk Tomato (Physalis Francheti) sold as Chinese Lantern Plant, was planted 

 in May, 1903, and at the close of the season had produced numerous short, stocky 

 plants which proved to be very hardy. This variety propagates by underground 

 runners, and the plants came up after the 15th of May, blossoming July 5 and 

 ripening all their fruit before the close of the season. The plants are stout, 

 erect with few upright branches. The bright orange colored fruit averages 

 one inch in diameter, being enclosed in a much inflated husk which frequently 

 attains a circumference of nine inches. When beginning to ripen, the green husk 

 changes from deep orange to bright carmine, the different colors together with 

 the large size of the husks producing a highly ornamental effect. The fruit was 

 found to be bitter, and whether this is characteristic of the variety, could not 

 be ascertained. The plants ware scarcely damaged by September frosts and some 

 of the fruit was still in a healthy condition at the beginning of November. 



CABBAGE. 



The seed of the two early varieties. Early Jersey Wakefield, and Danish Sum- 

 mer Ballhead was planted on June 1 in hills S^^ by 21,4 feet, all but one plant to 

 each hill being subsequently removed. The plot was located north of the orchard, 

 the soil being a sandy loam of a fair quality. The plants of the other varieties 

 were raised by Fred Greenwood of Manistique, and were set out June 16, the 

 soil being a muck bed ZY-2 to 4 feet deep resting upon the ledge of calciferous 

 rock which underlies the Station grounds. The plot was partly tile drained dur- 

 ing the preceding season when the main vegetation consisted of cat tails and 

 sedges. The muck is friable, free from acid and well adapted for truck crops, 

 the original timber being cedar of very large size with a few scattering black 

 ash. The plowing was delayed until late spring, and owing to the very large 

 quantity of roots and remnants of wind falls which were plowed up, the soil 

 was not in good condition when the plants were set out, and 5 to 15 per cent of 

 the plants either failed to grow or formed small, loose heads. The rows were 

 ZV-2 feet apart and the plants 2V2 feet apart in the row. Cabbage worms were in 

 evidence from early until late in the season the greatest damage being done upon 

 the plot north of the orchard. The other plot was within 20 rods of a bridge on 

 the under side of which several families of swallows had built their nests. Here 

 the worms were exceedingly scarce, for the birds stopped the egg laying of the 

 cabbage butterflies with remarkable swiftness and untiring persistency. The 

 plot not being sufficiently drained, the plants made little progress during Sep- 

 tember, and 10 to 20 p^r cent of the heads upon the wettest part of the plot failed 

 to harden up properly. Danish Summer Ballhead has none of the characteristics 

 of the Danish Ballhead variety, being dark green with heads slightly flat, but 

 quite uniform in size, well hardened, fairly well blanched, tender and of good 

 keeping quality. Twentieth Century is an early variety with solid small heads 

 nearly globular and dark green. Glory of Enkhousen, a medium late variety. 

 Heads large, round, closing up well and quite hard. Color pale green and well 

 blanched inside. Danish Ballhead proved to be a worthless mixture of at least 

 four varieties, about ten per cent of the plants answering to the description of 

 this variety which is recognized by the bluish cast, the spherical shape, small to 

 medium size and extreme firmness of the heads. Dutch Winter is a late variety. 

 Heads small to medium size, round, slightly flattened, solid with outside leaves 

 dark green with red margin. Islcw Savoy Ironhcad is a very early variety, the 

 heads being uniformly large, pale green, quite flrm and tender. Marvin's Savoy 

 is medium late, the heads are small to medium size, very firm and of excellent 

 quality. Leaves dark green and very much curled. During this and former sea- 

 sons it was observed that cabbage worms are scarcely ever found on the Savoy 

 cabbages. Mammoth Rock Red is a medium early variety of very large size and 

 excellent quality. The heads are very firm, purplish red outside and deep red 

 to the center. The yields of the varieties are shown in the following table: 



