EXPERIMENT STATION REPORT. 367 



flavor." "It has large leaves, broad and eight or ten inches long, 

 tops long." "Came up well and grew very luxuriantly, tender 

 and fine. Some of it grew to the height of four feet." "Large, 

 vigorous, much like mustard." "Made rapid growth and when 

 four inches high was tied with raffia to bunch. Made a fair table 

 salad." "A very vigorous, hardy plant and should be a valuable 

 acquisition." 



EXPERIMENTS IN THINNING. 



As an aside from the regular work, some tests were made in 

 thinning. For example, one plant in each of the eight hills of a 

 row of "Kelsey" and of the "Station" Bush Lima beans had a 

 half of its pods removed while they were small, the older pods 

 only being retained. These plants were not in any way selected, 

 but in all respects seemed to be an average set, and they gave the 

 following results : 



, „ Weight of Weight of Number of 



Kelsey — Pods. Seeds. Seeds. 



Thinned plants average, 2.25 oz. 1.25 oz. 50 



Normal " "_ 1.73 " .97 " 48 



"Station" — 



Thinned plants average, 6.00 oz. 2.50 oz. 60 



Normal " " 5.20 " 1.67 " 46 



It is seen that the results are decidely in favor of the thinned 

 plants, the weights of seeds being in the ratio of 375 to 264, or 

 a gain of more than one-third.- There was a gain also in a larger 

 percentage of mature seeds, but, as it is practically impossible 

 to separate the mature from the green seeds, the exact figures 

 in this respect are not at hand. The number of seeds was larger 

 in both cases for the thinned plants, but the cause is the same 

 here as elsewhere, as, for example, when orchard fruits and other 

 kinds are thinned. The plant, left to its own devices, was not 

 able to hold as many pods as where a half or less received the 

 motherly attention that was elsewhere divided among a great 

 number. It is likely that the thinning of the plants for the pro- 

 duction of the seeds for future plantings might result in profitable 

 results, but in general field culture the process is not expected to 

 be employed. 



