297 



varieties of bees, and management of apiaries are described. The 

 value of bees not only as lioney and Avax producers, but also as agents 

 in the cross-fertilization of plants is urged, with quotations of the 

 opinions of many authorities on this subject. The wide-spread belief 

 that bees injure fruit is combated with citations from reports of the 

 Division of Entomology of this Department, the published opinions 

 of Professoi-s Packard and Gray, and the testimony of practical 

 agriculturists in Ehode Island. Attention is called to the decision 

 of the supreme court of Arkansas (June, 1889), that it is unconstitu- 

 tional to prohibit bee keeping, and to a I'ecent (lennan law (October 1, 

 1881)) protecting this business. 



Report of the apiarist, S. CusHi\rAx (pp. 91-07). — An account 

 of the work in apiculture done at this Station since the appointment 

 of the apiarist, March 10, 1889. A yard of ten colonies has been 

 established and made as nearly as possible a model working apiary. 

 The desired varieties of bees have been procured, a daily record taken 

 of the weight of a hive, a show of bees in glass hives made at the 

 County Fair, and a collection commenced of the different kinds of 

 hives, fixtures, etc., used b}' prominent American producers, and 

 designed as a permanent exhibit at the Station, Sixteen colonies 

 were prepared for winter, three placed in the cellar and the rest left 

 on their summer stands surroimded by a water-tight outer case. 



Donations of hives and other articles are acknowledged, and sam- 

 ples of different kinds of honey from different parts of the country 

 as well as all articles of interest to bee keepers are solicited. 



BULLETIN No. 5, DECEMBER 31, 3889. 



Potatoes — jiethods or planting and test of varieties, L. F. 

 Kinney, B. S. (pp. 101-107). — This is the first report of a series of 

 experiments begun in 1889 to get light on the following questions: 



(1) Is the 3'ield of a hill of potatoes mainly determined by the 

 space allotted to it in the row and the condition of the soil, or is it 

 materially influenced by tlie amount of seed potatoes planted? 



(2) Is the size of potatoes influenced by the (piantity of seed 

 planted ? 



(3) What varieties are best adai)ted to our soil and climate? 



(4) Are northern potatoes better for seed than homegrown? 



(5) What varieties are least subject to .the potato rot? 



The field used for the experiment was new land ; the soil, loam with 

 a yelloAV loam subsoil; and the natural drainage good. One hundred 

 and fourteen rows, 104 feet long and 3 feet apart, were planted, each 

 row with a different variety, except that eight rows contained dupli- 

 cates of as many varieties from seed grown in Wisconsin. '' Three 

 pounds of seed potatoes were planted in each row, being divided 

 equally in the three sections, thus allowing 1 pound to each 33^ feet, 

 or section of a row. In the first section the pound of seed was cut 

 into single-eye pieces and planted in fortj^-four hills, each 9 inches 



