142 [ ASSEMBLY 
are hatched, penetrate the pod and bury themselves in the pease oppo- 
site to the puncture. ‘The holes through which they pass are so small 
as to be scarcely perceptible and are soon closed by the expanding of 
the pod. ‘The grub feeds upon the marrow of the pea, and arrives at 
its full size by the time the latter is ripe. It then bores a round hole 
from the hollow in the center of the pea to the skin, but the perfect 
insect does not always emerge from its cell until the following spring. 
A small quantity of bi-sulphideé of carbon was confined in a bottle 
containing some of the infested pease. ‘The fumes of the liquid soon 
killed the insects, whether they had burst open their cells or not, and 
sound pease were found to germinate promptly, even after several days’ 
confinement in the bottle with the liquid. It would be well if seeds- 
men and all who preserve pease for seed would take this precaution, 
and destroy these insects before they escape. Could there be concerted 
action in this work, the damage from this pest, which is now very 
great, might be in a large measure averted. 
Our experiments showed that though pease ‘that have been inhabited 
by the weevil will frequently germinate they rarely make strong and 
productive plants. In one test of fifteen seeds only two vegetated, 
and but one made a vigorous plant. In an experiment in germination 
with a larger number, 57-2 per cent of *‘ buggy” pease germinated. 
In connection with the germination of seeds one observation is 
worthy of note. On April 4 the work of planting a plat was inter- 
rupted by a light shower, so that it could not be completed until the 
next day. It was expected that those planted before the rain would 
vegetate earlier than the others. In fact, however, they vegetated a 
day later, and up to the time of blooming a great difference was per- 
ceptible in favor of those planted after the rain. A similar difference, 
though still more marked, was noticed in plantings of the cow pea. 
The work, after being commenced, was deferred for two days, during 
which time a heavy shower of rain fell. Those planted after the rain 
vegetated earlier than those planted before. In both cases the soil, pre- 
vious to the rain, was dry and somewhat cloddy. No explanation is 
offered for this unexpected difference. It suggests that there are still 
important facts to be learned connected with the vegetation of seeds. 
The numerous varieties of the pea, with their differing characteris- 
tics, form a striking illustration of the influence of selection and the 
power of the horticulturist to change the form and character of 
plants. Botanists agree that all the garden varieties belong to one 
species. But, as Mr. Darwin has well remarked, “If one of the tall 
sugar pease, with purple flowers, thin-skinned pods, of an extraordi- 
nary shape, including large, dark purple pease, grew wild by the side 
of the lowly Queen of the Dwarfs, with white flowers, grayish-green, 
rounded leaves, scimetar-like pods, containing oblong, smooth, pale- 
colored pease, which mature at a different season, or by the side of one 
of the gigantic sorts, like the Champion of England, with leaves of 
great size, pointed pods, and large, green, crumpled, almost cubical 
pease, all three kinds would be ranked as undisputably distinct species.” 
In view of these marvelous changes that have been brought about by 
the effort of the horticulturist, it is hardly too much to hope that 
great improvements may yet be made. At present, no. one variety 
possesses all the good qualities that are presented by the various indi- 
