48 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



aiKl by subirrigatioii the soil does not become compact. Experiments 

 have indicated that plants are less liable to suffer from over watering 

 and diseases by subirrigation than when the water is applied to tlie sur- 

 face; and all classes of plants that are usually grown upon greenhouse 

 benches have been found to thrive best by subirrigation. It is believed 

 that aeration of the soil is also favored by the presence of the tile. 

 Many garden vegetables and ornanieutal plants have been successfully 

 grown by this method. 



Detailed notes and tabulated data are given of 10 varieties of lettuce 

 grown by surface watering and subirrigation, with a gain in weight of 

 from 40 to 100 per cent in favor of the subirrigated plants. The 

 variety Grand Eapids was chiefly used in the experiment. The plants 

 were started in flats, watered by being set in shallow vats of water, 

 and transplanted as soon as the second leaf appeared, placing them 

 2 by 2 in. apart. The temperature was kept at 50 to 00° by day and 

 40 to 50° b}^ night, as a higher temperature was found to favor the 

 development of lettuce rot. Ventilation was also found to be impor- 

 tant. It is stated that the plants may be sprinkled once when set in 

 the bed, but after that it is not necessary, nor is there any need of 

 sprinkling the walks in order to render the air moist. A subirrigated 

 soil should be kept so that it is rather dry on tox) and wet enough 

 below to retain the shape given it when pressed in the hand. 



The illustrations are from photographs, showing different stages in 

 the construction of greenhouse benches for subirrigation and compar- 

 ing surface and subirrigated lettuce plants of the same age. 



Cabbages, H. P. Gould {2Iai)ie Sfa. Bui. 34, M ser., pp. 4). — Notes 

 on experiments with cabbages to test the influence of size of seed, 

 results of tying up the outer leaves, the effect of mulching, and to 

 compare shallow and deep cultivation. 



Three varieties were compared to test the effect of size of seed on 

 the heads. In 2 varieties the larger seed was found to produce much 

 heavier heads. Tying up of the outer leaves was found to have no 

 influence upon the maturity of the head, as is popularly sui)posed, 

 while it caused a marked decrease in size, and the moisture collecting 

 within the leaves almost invariably caused the heads to decay. Mulch- 

 ing the plants with swale hay produced heads slightly larger than were 

 borne by unmulched plants used as checks. But little effect on the size 

 of the heads was produced by deep cultivation, but plants so treated 

 appeared to mature more uniformly than when shallow cultivation was 

 given. Tabulated data are given on the different experiments. 



Garden peas, B. C. Buffum {Wyoming Sta. Bui. 26, pp. 159-167).— 

 This consists of cultural notes and tabulated data for 38 varieties of 

 peas that have been grown at the station for two or more years. In 

 1895 late frosts injured all varieties, more or less. Irrigation was 

 given 4 times during the summer. Extra Early Premium Gem gave 

 the heaviest weight of peas in the pod, amounting to 3 lbs. 9 oz. 



