346 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



a window. They grew rapidly and about Christmas began bear- 

 ing blossoms ; all the blossoms, though borne above ground, were 

 cleistogamous ; they resembled the mature fruit from the first and 

 simply increased in size until they ripened in early spring. It is 

 probable that plants from the underground fruits have a tendency 

 to produce cleistogamous flowers, and that by cultivation and selec- 

 tion from seeds of the same plant, one could soon develop two 

 strains, one bearing nearly all its fruit under ground and the other 

 bearing it all overground. 



The little beans, produced by the aerial flowers, did not germi- 

 nate until spring and formed very delicate spindling plants. 



In the autumn of 1909 both the aerial and underground seeds 

 were planted in open ground in a backyard lot at Fort Wayne. 

 Both germinated about May 10 ; those from the underground nuts 

 being large robust plants, those from the aerial peas being so small 

 and inconspicuous as to be easily overlooked. 



The tops of the hog-peanut are eagerly eaten by cattle and would 

 probably make good hay where obtainable in quantity. The roots 

 of the hog-peanut abound in tubercles and it would undoubtedly 

 be a good plant to add nitrogen to the soil. 



It would be interesting to experiment with the hog-peanut in 

 cultivation. It would be well to try some of the sorts or strains 

 bearing an abundance of underground fruit, in connection with 

 the Jerusalem artichoke. The hog-peanut vines, with the artichoke 

 tops, would produce an abundance of hay, the peanut plants would 

 add nitrogen to the growing artichoke crop and artichokes and 

 hog-peanuts together would furnish an abundant and varied ration 

 to hogs. 



463. TRAILING WILD BEAN 



STROPHOSTYLES HELVOLA (L.) Britton 



When the investigation of the lake first began, this plant was 

 not common in the region ; there was one clump on a hill along 

 the railroad and one in front of the Assembly grounds. It was 

 probably a recent arrival at the lake. Since then it has spread 

 rapidly but with the exception of a few plants near Chadwick's 

 pier, which did not persist, it has confined its spread to the region 

 along the railroad. It is now common by Arlington and farther 

 south. A very fine patch of plants was established in 1909 on the 

 railroad embankment at Plymouth. 



The wild bean has very attractive pea-like blossoms, the color 

 pale pink with the narrow standard deep purple and giving a pe- 



