18 
BULLETIN" 807, U. S. DEPARTMENT OE AGEICULTUEE. 
By referring to Table X, it will be seen that the germination of 
old seed is only slightly less than that of new seed. 
Mr. Eonald McKee, in his bulletin on horse beans (8) preyiously 
mentioned, states : " Horse-bean seed retains its vitality for a num- 
ber of years. * * * Germination tests of seed -i years old of a 
number of varieties grown at Chico, Calif., showed little or no 
deterioration." 
It can not be emphasized too strongly that any control measures 
to prevent weevil infestation should be undertaken by the entire 
community and not by a few growers. If all growers in the horse- 
bean districts would plant either absolutely uninfested beans, seed 
which had been given a thorough treatment with carbon disulphid, or 
seed which had been held over until the second year, the resulting 
crop would be of a very much higher quality as regards freedom 
from weevil infestation. 
LATE PLANTING. 
It has been observed for some time by horse-bean growers and 
buyers that the crops from seed planted early in the season were 
likely to be infested more badly than those from seed planted later. 
In administering the Food and Drugs Act, inspectors of the Federal 
Bureau of Chemistry collected samples of horse beans from all parts 
of the State, and ascertained for each sample the time of planting 
and the percentage of infestation. From the data furnished by 
them, and from samples taken and tested by the writer, the follow- 
ing tables were compiled. In Table XIV the growers did not know 
the exact date of planting, but remembered only whether they were 
planted early or late. 
Table XIV. — Comparing the degree of weevil infestation in erops planted 
early and late. Data from all horse oean districts in California. 
Planted early. 1 
Planted "later." 
Planted late. 
Year. 
Number 
of sacks. 
Percent- 
age of in- 
festation. 
Number 
of sacks. 
Percent- 
age of in- 
festation. 
Number 
of sacks. 
Percent- 
age of in- 
festation. 
1916 
17,100 
1,500 
32.5 
34.3 
5,380 
1,960 
6.3 
1917 
1,990 
18.77 
6.5 
1 Early means previous to January 1; late, subsequent to March 1. 
Whenever possible, the month of planting the seed was ascertained 
in connection with the degree of infestation, and these data are given 
in Table XY. 
