362 



Experiments with Peas for Seed. 



Experiments with Peas for Seed. 



The last report of the Department of Agriculture, Ontario, 

 furnishes an account of the results of some experiments with 

 seed pea.s which were carried out at the Experimental 

 Farm at Guelph during the five years 1892 to 1897. One 

 experiment was conducted with the object of ascertaining 

 whether the use of cracked peas for seed was attended with 

 any unsatisfactory results. In this case the yield of grain 

 per acre from whole seed during five years ranged from 18*8 to 

 48*5 bushels, or an average of 29*30 bushels, whilst the yield 

 of grain from cracked seed ranged from 4*4 to 20 bushels per 

 acre, or an average of 978 bushels. In no year did the cracked 

 peas give half so large a yield of grain per acre as was 

 realised from the sound peas, and the latter on the average 

 gave a yield three times as large as that produced by the 

 peas which had been cracked by threshing. 



Another experiment, which extended over two years, was 

 undertaken to determine the comparative merits of the use of 

 large and small peas for seed. In every instance large peas 

 gave better results than small peas, producing on the average 

 26*2 bushels per acre against 22*6 bushels from small seed ; in 

 1897 the results were nearly 5 \ bushels in favour of the 

 large seed. The latter also produced grain which weighed 

 ilb. per bushel more than that produced by the small peas. 



Some further tests were made with peas which were 

 injured by the pea weevil, and it was found that only 27 per 

 cent, of the injured peas germinated. 



The Keeping Qualities of Fertile and Infertile 



Eggs. 



An experiment has been carried out at the Ontario 

 Agricultural College with the object of testing the keeping 

 qualities of eggs laid by hens with which a male bird had 

 been permitted to run, as compared with eggs laid by hens 

 which had been kept apart from any male birds. 



