THE EXPERIMENT IN NEBRASKA. 25 



on June 20; that of tlio latter, June 21. Unlike the Baltic strain, 

 the Orel clover was the latest of all in coming into bloom, as well as 

 the latest in coming to proper maturity for harvesting. It was har- 

 vested on July 11. It will be seen from this that a period of exactly 

 three weeks elapsed between the date of cutting of the earhest and 

 the latest strains. This fact is ol direct importance under some con- 

 ditions, as will be pointed out later. 



WEATHER DURING GROWING SEASON OF 1905. 



The weather during those months of the growing season preceding 

 the cutting of the hay croj) was in all respects favorable. The growth 

 of the clover began in March, which month had a mean temj)erature 

 of 44.8° F., more than 8.4 degrees below the normal. The mean 

 temperature for April was 48.4° F., which is 3.2 degrees below the 

 normal for that month. The precipitation aggregated more than 5 

 inches, 2 inches above normal. The temperature for May, 58.9° F., 

 was 2.4 degrees cooler than the established normal for that month, 

 while the precipitation, 4.76 inches, was practically normal. The 

 June temperature of 70° F. was very near the normal, but the rain- 

 fall for that month, 2.75 inches, was more than 3 inches less than 

 normal. None of the plats seemed to have suffered any injury de- 

 spite the seeming dryness of the month. In July again the tempera- 

 ture w^as normal, while the rainfall was about 2 inches below normal. 



E.UILINESS OF VARIETIES AND ORDER IN WHICH THEY MATURED. 



On account of their reaching maturity at practically the same 

 time, the strains were harvested in the following groups. The varie- 

 ties in each group are arranged as nearly as possible in the order of 

 then- earliness. The groups themselves are given in the same order, 

 the earliest being first : 



Group I. — Courland, Russia; Nebraska; Pennsylvania. 



Group II. — Missouri; Iowa; Kentucky; Wisconsin. 



Group III. — Eastern Ohio; Oregon. 



Group IV. — Tennessee; Kief, Russia. 



Group V. — Illinois; northern Indiana; Michigan; southern In- 

 diana; northwestern Ohio. 



Group VI. — The commercial samples, Nos. 1, 8, and 9; Mogi- 

 leff, Russia; Orel, Russia. 

 Despite the fact that the earliest and latest maturing kinds are of 

 Russian origin, it will be noted that the American strains present 

 almost as great diversity in this regard. However, leaving out of 

 consideration the commercial samples whose region of origin is un- 

 known, the latest of the American strains of known origin is that 

 from northern Ohio, which was grown west of Toledo near the north- 

 ern boundary of the State. Tliis strain came into bloom only nine 



95 



