202 



dition had been noted, thus causing failure and disappoint- 

 ment. 



Co-operative Tests op Crimson Clover and Hairy Vetch. 



More than fifty tests of crimson clover have been made 

 by farmers in different parts of this State. The first tests 

 were made entirely with untreated seed. Each party making 

 the test was requested to send to the writer late in the spring 

 three average plants for examination. 



When untreated seed was used the plants were almost 

 invariably small and either devoid of tubercles or supplied 

 with only a limited number of very small tubercles. 



The same was true with hairy vetch. 



Our first supply of Nitragin was received January 6, 1897. 

 It was an unsuitable time for sowing seed of any legume, but 

 as soon as the weather permitted, seed of crimson clover and 

 of other legumes were treated and sent through the mail for 

 trial in different parts of the state. When used, the Nitragin 

 was several months old and apparently too old to be of any 

 value. At any rate the reports received indicated failure, the 

 responsibility for which might be charged to either the un- 

 suitable date of sowing or to the probable spoiling of the 

 Nitragin. Moreover, there was delay in getting the seed into 

 the ground. 



In the second co-operative test the conditions were 

 scarcely better. The very dry weather prevailing in the fall 

 of 1897 made it inexpedient to treat the seed before Novem- 

 ber. One lot of seed was treated here November 10, another 

 November 17, and still another November 27. 



As this Nitragin had been shipped from Germany in Sep- 

 tember, at least some of the bottles had fermented before be- 

 ing used. The sample plants sent in again showed every evi- 

 dence of failure and the general absence of an adequate sup- 

 ply of tubercles. 



There was one instance where crimson clover plants from 

 inoculated seed were strikingly better than those from or- 

 dinary seed. 



At Eutaw, Mr. R. E. Kirksey received the seed within 



