8(]G EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



drought seriously interfered with tbe sowing and growth of the crops, 

 and the experiments can only he considered as of a preliminary nature. 

 Eleven different leguminous plants were experimented with at Woburn 

 and tbe effect of treating the seed with Nitragin and also soil treat- 

 ment were tested. Tlie sowing, which was made in May, was followed 

 by drought and the plants did not come to maturity at the proper time 

 and had to be cut green. The inoculated plats in this case Avere as 

 good as the others, but no better. In the case of beans and peas 

 there was greater root development in the treated plats than on the 

 untreated, but the tubercles were plentiful in both. With other plants 

 the untreated plats seemed better. 



An extensive series of experiments was conducted with different 

 clovers in which no cutting was made the first year, the plats being 

 allowed to stand for another season before any conclusions can be 

 drawn from them. It was designed to test the effect of Kitragin on 

 "clover sick" soil. 



Ill one of the experiments conducted under the author's supervision 

 the crops used were green peas, sweet peas, and 2 kinds of beans. In 

 these exi>erimeiits soil inoculation and seed inoculation were tried and 

 compared with no treatment. Taken as a whole it was concluded that 

 inoculation of the soil i>roved the most efticacious and that l)oth it and 

 inoculation of seed were superior to no treatment. 



In the other series of experiments the effect of soil and seed inocu- 

 lations on 15 different leguminous crops was tested, and in the case of 

 12 of them there was more root growth on the treated than on the 

 untreated plats, while in 3 instances the untreated plats showed the 

 greatest root growth. The 3 exceptions were kidney vetch, peas, and 

 beans. It should be stated, however, that beans had previously been 

 grown upon the land, and it is very probable that the organisms suited 

 for bean and pea growth were already abundantly present. The neces- 

 sity for inoculation with Nitragin derived from the same crop as that 

 to which it is applied is not forcibly shown by the author's conclusions. 



In general the author believes that the inoculation of leguminous 

 crops produces greater root development and more tubercle formation. 

 As between the inoculation of the seed and the soil there was no very 

 conclusive evidence, but the balance seemed to be in favor of soil 

 inoculation. 



An interesting point to be determined is whether the gi^ater root 

 and tubercle development can be utilized in the subsequent crop. This 

 and other questions are to be considered another year in a wide series 

 of practical trials. 



Report of the consulting botanist, C. F. Wheeler {MicMf/an Sta. 

 Bpt. 1895^ pp. 179-185, fig. 1). — A report is given on some of the more 

 important weeds, including the general characteristics and distribution 

 of the Eussian thistle {Salsola Jcali tragus), bracted plantain {Plantago 

 aristata), horse nettle {Solanum carolinensc), buffalo bur {8. rostratum), 

 false flax {Gamelina sativa), and wild carrot {Baucns carota). 



