The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-05-18

| those bought the second year being one
! year older than the first lot.
| Another interesting test was made to
show how rapidly some kinds OF seeds
! deteriOrat9 in value. a number OF
sealed papers Of seeds were selected,
two papers Ct each kind. One paper
Of each kind was opened and sprouted
and the others were stored in a dry
| room. At the end Of four months these
were also opened and sprcuted and the
results were compared with the records
OF the first lot 1t was found that
some varieties sprouted as well at the
end offour monthsas at first, utothers
showed varying degrees of deteriora-
tiOn some were found to be entirely
| worthless. II the addition of but four
months to the age Of seeds produces
such results, what is to be expected
from seeds held over till the second
year?
1t should be remembered that though
a seeds vitality may not be all gone,
stili it may be go much impaired that
the resulting plant will be weak end
sickly. 1t should also be remembered
that the dealer may have been imposed
on by the grower of seeds, though, no
doubt many dealers sell seeds which
they have carried over from one year
to another, and which, therefore, they
know are not fresh.
The remedy seems to be to protect
the public by subjectipg seeds to In
spection and control by the State Ex
pertinent Stations similar to that now
exercised over fertilizers.
NEW FORAGE AND FIBRE PLANTS
This is the subject OF Bulletin 1873, of
North Carolina Station. The Unknown
or Wonderful COW pea was found to be
the heaviest yielder of both peas and
vines, on ordinary soils; but for very
sandy soils the red ripper is best The
/ Rice pea is best of the COW pea family
for table use, being early and heavy
yielder, and the little white peas cook
like rice.
The Banana, or Velvet Bean is a
tropical species which is rampant
grower but ripens no seeds in North
Carolina. It is good to cover screens,
awnings, and buildings, as an orna
mental climber. The Pearson bean, or
Jack bean is an immense yielder of
large white beans similar to butter
beans, but the Mississippi Station finds
them go indigestible as to be worthless,
even when ground into meal and
cooked Stock lost flesh when fed on
the meal, raw or cooked. The horse
bean is low, weak grower, mildews
badly, and is worthless.
The Canada field pea was found to
be valuable when planted at least four
inches deep in D. cember, or given shall
lower planting in February and March.
It is q vigorous grower and heavy
yielder of fine forage, but mildews
badly when warm weather comes
hence it must be harvested before that
time. TIE fiat pea SO highly priced in
England and the damper parts OF Can
ada is worthless in North Carolina.
Hagy is a new Japanese clover which
grows 4 to feet and blooms late. 1t
is perennial, remaining green and after
hard frosts, but becomes quite tough
and woody after blooming. Perfectly
hardy IN North Carolina and very
promising for light, dry soils. Hairy
Lespedeza is related to Hagy but not
nearly so valuable.
Broad leaved Japan Glover is an i'm
proved variety of the common Japan
clover, much more vigorous and supe
rior to the common kind. Like the
common kind it is an annual, but re
seeds itself each year.
Beggar weed is an annual plant of
the leguninous family, of great vigor,
growing to feet high and spreading
to a great bush. 1t is so large and
woody that it cannot be plowed under
when full grown, but if turned under
when younger, it will no doubt greatly
improve the soil. It is inferior to the
COW pea for forage. It seeds abund
antly.
Spring vetch is less valuable than
the Canada pea, and Hairy vetch,
while more reliable, is less valuable
than crimson clover. If planted at all,
it must be sown with oats for support,
or it will not stand up.
Furze is worthless. Broom, a shrubby
legume common on the waste lands OF
Scotland, does we'll in the mountains
of North Carolina, but is worthless on