312 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



with little danger of beiug discolored. Beaiis that are pulled with 

 their leaves on, do not cure easih- and may be ba-dlj'^ discolored. 



RATE OF SEEDING. 



The rate of seeding has proved to be a very important factor in rela- 

 tion to yield. 



TABLE IV— RATE OF SEEDINCi— RESULTS OBTAINED WITH NO. 40511 ROBUST. 



Investigations were begun in 1917, to determine the best rate of seeding 

 and were continued during the four years 1917-20. Plats ^\T.^e planted in 

 approximately 20, 30, 40, 50 and GO lbs. per acre, in duplicate just as 

 though they were planted with different varieties of beans. However 

 the check variety No. 40511 was used in all cases. 



The results in Table 1^' are expressed as perceuts of the yield obtained 

 wheii 40 pounds of beans were planted per acre. An average is taken for 

 the results obtained in the various years. These averages are expressed 

 as bushels per acre in the next column. These results show an increase 

 of 2.9 bushels per acre, between 20 and riO pound rates, and 2.1 bushels 

 per acre between 30 and 40 pound rates, but show that the grower would 

 no more than get his seed back when planting more than 40 pounds of 

 beans per acre. The results vary considerably in the latter result. 1917 

 shows a decrease in yield above 40 pounds, while 1919 .«hows good in- 

 creases above 40 pounds. In 1920 the results are much the same as the 



average. 



The following calculation interprets these results in terms of average 

 distance between beans in the row. A thousand Eobust No. 40511 beans 

 were found to weigh .5053 of a pound. According to this it w^ould take 

 37.73 pounds of such seed to plant an acre, planting the seeds three 

 inches apart, or 113.2 pounds of seed to plant the seeds one inch apart. 

 If we let a equal number of inches between the seeds in the row, and x 

 equal pounds per acre, ax equals 113.2, or the product of the distance 

 between beans in inches and the seeding in pounds per acre, equals 113.2. 

 Forty pounds per acre indicates that the beans were planted less than 

 three inches apart on an average. 



CONCLUSION. 



1. The Robust has no competitor at the Michigan Station when yield 

 is considered. 



2. The Robust is not an early bean, but as early as a number of varie- 

 ties now grown in the State. 



3. The Robust should be planted by the first week in June. 



4. When earliness is the determining factor it may be well to try 

 Robust on a small scale, but plant it early. 



