Experiment Station Notes. 
The Second Annual Report of the New 
York State Agricultural Experiment Sta¬ 
tion has just been published and contains a 
hose of information concerning the relative 
value of the many different fruits, grains 
and vegetables which have been cultivated 
and compared at the Station at Geneva. 
Following are a few notes and extracts 
which seem to us of particular value and 
interest to our readers: 
The question of climatic influence also is 
fco be considered, for both soil and climate 
seem influential in changing the habit and 
quality, not so much the type, but perhaps 
this also, of the seedling. Until this matter 
of soil and climatic influence becomes prov¬ 
en, or determined, we must expect no 
change in the seedsmen’s methods in this 
respect but yet some of the seedsmen al¬ 
ready have commenced, and properly, it 
seems to us, to advertise seed of the growth 
of particular sections. 
We have made no trials of “commission¬ 
ed seeds” this year, as our trials last year 
seemed sufficient to condemn a system 
which is capable of so much abuse, and 
which, in the light of our mail and express 
facilities seems unnecessary. 
The bloom of the cabbage, fertilized 
with pollen of the winter radish, and also 
others with pollen of the ruta-baga, formed 
pods of full sized, but devoid of seed. 
In the Red Top Strap Leaf Turnips the 
seeds from the terminal blows were dis¬ 
tinctly laiger than those from the lower 
branches. A fair sized plant produces in 
all one and seven-sixteenth ounces of seed. 
Ihe terminal kernels of flint maize gave 
to our trials a stronger gerrainative and 
vegetative power than the central or butt 
kernels. 
Flint corn harvested just at the point of 
glazing, husked and hung up to dry, con¬ 
tinued the ripening process so that at last 
it would not be suspected but that our 
samples had thoroughly ripened in the 
field. 
Peas planted when at edible maturity 
vegetate as well as ripe seed. 
A potato grafted on the tomato produced 
tubers above ground, just above the graft. 
We received from E. H. Libby of Roch¬ 
ester, a plant of Stowell’s Evergreen sweet 
corn but twelve and one-half inches tall, 
well formed, of a vigorous green, leafy, 
and bearing three ears, two of which were 
well kerneled. 
Beet seeds from one to fourteen years of 
age were tested. The percentage which 
germinated seemed to increase from 70 at 
one year to 88 at five years of age, and 
then decreased to ten at fourteen years. 
The fresh seeds began sprouting in one 
day, while four were required for the oldest 
seed 8. 
Cabbage seeds from two to seventeen 
years were tested. None sprouted over six 
years of age. The percentage which grew 
was good until four years after which it 
dropped to eleven. 
Of 117 samples of onion seeds one year old, 
90 per cent vegetated. Of 44 samples two 
years old, 68 per cent grew. Of 11 samples 
three years old, 49 percent grew. Older 
than three years none sprouted. 
The oldest seed reported as growing was 
cucumber at nineteen years. 14 per cent 
germinated in two days. 
Tobacco seeds at seven years germinated 
bb percent, but at twenty years none grew. 
Of tomato seeds eleven samples ten years 
of age germinated 75 per cent, and two 
samples at fourteen years germinated 88 
percent. 
In our trials la.st year we were surprised 
to find that the tip kernels of flint corn 
yielded more abundantly than did the cen¬ 
tral or butt kernels of the ear. Butt seed 
} ielded at the rate of 62 bushels, central 
seed 62 bushels, and tip seeds 64 bushels 
per acre. From carefully tried experiments 
the conclusion is reached that tip kernels 
are in no wise inferior to other kernels for 
use as seed. Neither was the percentage of 
sound corn produced from selcted small 
seed grains in any case less than from 
selected large grains. 
The influence of weeds in a growing crop 
seems productive of injury, not only from 
their use of the food supply of the soil 
which might otherwise be appropriated by 
the crop, but as well from the shading of 
the ground and consequent lowering of 
temperatures. 
