im BOAED OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Dr. Woods. Spring, in this climate, without any doubt. 

 I say it unhesitatingly, because we tried it both in Connecti- 

 cut and Maine. I say as early as the land can be broken 

 and put in proper shape. You should have begun last 

 si)ring, and fallowed it and kept it free from weeds all 

 sunmier. You will have to get rid of your weeds when you 

 grow alfalfa. When it gets up aljout 6 inches high, if 

 there are many weeds in it, get out your mowing machine. 

 It stands a large amount of trimming like that, so you had 

 a great deal better keep it mown fairly close in order to 

 keep the weeds out of it. 



The Chair. This matter of orrowino; alfalfa has been 

 discussed a good deal during the last few years, and I 

 believe that all the time we spend here discussing it now is 

 simply wasted. I don't believe we will ever make a success 

 of it here in New England. 



Dr. Woods. May I see the hands of the men who tried 

 soil inoculation for legumes last year? What do }'ou think 

 was your success ? 



Mr. C. B. Buckley (of Northborough) . I tried a crop of 

 Canfield beans. I see no success at all attending the opera- 

 tion. In fact, the piece that I sowed inoculated beans on 

 was not in as good condition as a piece adjoining on which 

 I had an excellent crop of uninoculated })eas, for the reason, 

 I concluded, that I had made a mistake in preparing it, or 

 some other such reason. I also received from Professor 

 Brooks of the Agricultural College a quantity of inoculated 

 soil, upon which I grew a field of 31/^ acres, of soy beans, 

 and there 1 had an excellent crop. 



Mr. Sessions. A friend of mine the other day made this 

 statement. In his garden of })ea8 he applied this bacteria 

 according to directions. He had ({uite a garden of peas and 

 they did exceedingly well, the vines remaining green all 

 through the season, when on an experimental area near by 

 they turned yellow as soon as the first peas got ripe, and all 

 his neighbors' vines turned yellow. His remained green 

 and were luxuriant through the season, so that he got the 

 benefit of the last of the setting of the })eas, and it was an 

 excellent success, he considered. He is a reliable man. 



