30 MAIN^ AGRICUI^TURAIv J^XPE^RIMElNT STATION. I905. 



the land in 1901, and there was much trouble from young buck- 

 wheat plants, as well as from witchgrass and Gnaphalium which 

 infested the ground. In general, however, the plats were kept 

 free from weeds and the clover plants were given the best pos- 

 sible chance for growth. 



The soil was in excellent condition at the time of planting. 

 With the exception of very light showers, there was no rain until 

 May 24. Between May 24 and 28, however, several inches of 

 rain fell, and there was an abundance of rain thereafter. 



Plants in all plats began to appear May 26. On the 28th no 

 marked difference was observed in the appearance of the several 

 plats. It was to be expected that seed from the far northern 

 regions would germinate more rapidly than that from other parts 

 of the world, but such difference was not detected. One plat, 

 from Michigan seed, seemed rather behind the others at first, but 

 this condition was attributed to a possible difference in depth of 

 covering the seed. 



The season as a whole was cool and moist, and in most cases 

 growth was luxuriant. Marked differences were noted, how- 

 ever, and 'some of these differences are very significant. A par- 

 ticularly noticeable feature of the plants from European seed was 

 an almost invariable absence of hairiness of stem and leaves, 

 while all American grown seed produced very hairy plants. 

 This characteristic may be of importance as affecting the amount 

 of dust in the clover hay, though we have not as yet had suffi- 

 cient quantity of hay to determine positively this point.* 



The plants from northern Europe were, as a rule, later in 

 maturing than were those from farther south and from Ameri- 

 can seed. 



On August 30, or 3^ months after seeding, plats 17 and 19, 

 from Indiana and Bohemia respectively, were in prime condition 

 for hay. Plats 18 and 20 — duplicate plats from the same 

 sources — were slightly less mature, but in accordance with the 

 plan, one plat from seed of every source was cut and weighed 

 at this. time. 



* Since this paper was ready for the press a personal communication to the 

 writer from Professor N. B. Hansen of South Dakota Experiment Station con- 

 firms this observation. While travelling in Russia, Professor Hansen found that 

 because of a shortage in the Russian crop of clover seed, American seed had been 

 imported, and there was a very general complaint of the dustiness of the hay 

 fromi such seed. 



