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'EXPER IMEN T STA TI ON OF THE KANSAS STATE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE, MANHATTAN. BULLETIN No. 102 MARCH 1901. (Issued May 1901.) BOTANICAL DEPARTMENT. A. S. HITCHCOCK, M. S., Botanist. J. M. WESTGATE, M. 8., Assistant Botanist. FORAGE PLANTS FOIA KANSAS. ONE of the important agricultural problems of Kansas, as of all farming regions, is the raising of forage. In the early days the na- tive grasses of our planns furnished the necessary sustenance, but as the country has inereased in population the methods have become more intensive. At present it is necessary to rafse forage to supple- ment or even entirely replace the native grasses. In considering the question of what forage planis should be grown in a certain locality, one raust bear in mind all the conditions. It is best to have a variety. Our native pastures furnish such, and it is the natural requirement of herbivorous animals. The feeding value should be as high as possible ; hence the use of legumes. The crops should be such as are adapted to the climatie conditions. In Kansas this necessitates the use of drought-resisting plants, as alfalfa and Kafir-corn. The soil conditions may exclude erops otherwise adapted. It must be borne in mind that judgment should be withheld concern- ing plants which are otherwise desirable but do not prove adapted to the climate. By proper selection, such plants rnay, in a few seasons, become acclimated. The cowpea, for instance, although a tropical plant, has by successive stages been carried north until it can be grown in Kansas and in other districts even farther north. Finally, plants should be chosen that will give a continuous supply of feel through the year without injuring the soil. (179 '118 Hort. and Ent. Depa7°tzent . [ Bulletin 101 CC)14_2\1UNIA. EARLY RED. 'Hort. c,-,-z d Ent. Depct;ze7zt. [Bulletin 101 . ----.. - _ 20 OREL. A8UNDANCE. BURBANK. '128 l-lo-t. a,i2,d Z,t. De1a °t7z02t. [Bulletin 101 OGON. . J,j:.a.a.. ;: wt':.;fijjt(' i.l; 't ;--  . fy:   l ,J ..% WICKSON. 'Ilo)-t. and Ent. Del)art2ertt. [Bulletin 101 . . y, : ;ti -.:..,.: WEAVER. 'Jan. 1901 .] Notes from the Plum Orchard. 131 been more affected by brown rot. Pottawatomie, however, is the bet- ter shipper. CHARACTERS OF THE CHICKASAW PLUM. Trees belonging to the species anust; olla are less stocky, less thorny and smaller than the americana, The bark is usually smoother, oftere resembling the bark of the cherry tree. The older trees are often of a drooping habit, caused by the heavy loads of fruit bending the slender branches. The bark of the young twigs is red- dish brown and smooth, giving the tree in its winter condition a clean, bright appearance. The leaves are much smaller than those of the americana, lanceolate or oblong lanceolate, very finely serrate, and partially folded or trough-like. The fruit is rather smaller than that of the aureri tana, usually thin skinned and with but a very light bloom. The flesh is j uicy, pulpy when fully ripe, and usually pleasant. NOTES ON VARIETIES. Emerson .-Medium, seven-eighths to one inch long, and three- fourths to seven-eighths broad ; oval ; red with light bloom ; flesh yellow; flavor mild, fair ; skin thin; eling. July 1 to 20. EMERSON. Pottawatomie . Medium to large, one to one and one-half inches long, and one to one and one-fourth broad ; purplish red with light bloom ; flesh yellow; flavor good, subacid ; skin medium ; eling. July 13 to 27. Robinson .--Round ; one to one and one-half inches long, and seven- eighths to one and one-fourth broad ; dark red, witll light dots ; flesh yellow, juicy, sweet; flavor fine ; eling ; excellent for canning ; rather too soft for shipping. July 20 to August 10. THE HORTULANA PLUM, Prunus hortulana. The varieties classed as hortulana hybrids vary so greatly as to be divided into groups, each of which has characters like both the parent species ; indeed, some authorities incline to the view that some varie- '136 Hort. and E,tt. Department. [ Bulletin 101 \ \ \ '\'\ _, CLINTON. '140 Hort. and Ent. Department . [Bulletin 101 the branch. Twenty-two fine plums ripened, averaging nearly one and seven-eighths inches in diameter. From branch E twenty were reznoved, leaving nineteen plums. Eighteen plums, averaging one and three-fourths inches, ripened. To sum them up: Of 105 plums left on three unthinned branches, forty-one ripened in fair condition, averaging nearly one and five- eighths inches in diameter ; of forty-nine plums left on two branches from which forty-nine had been removed, thirty-one plums, averaging over one and three-fourths inches, were ripened in good condition. In wet seasons , when brown rot is more injurious , thinning should prove even more advantageous. FIG. 1. -. FiG. 2. FiØ. 3. Proterogynous blossom . Normal blossom. 'March 1901.] Forage Plants for Kansas. SOY BEAN. 183 under the following spring. One of us has tried this in his orchard with entine satisfaction. In the experimental plats the results were very promising. Sov BERN. Gigcizne hispida. This plant is so well known and has been so thoroughly tested in Kansas that we will not discuss its mnerits here, but refer the reader to Bulletin No. 92 of this Station, and also Bulletin No. 96, which diseusses soil inoculation for soy beans, and Bulletin No. 100, hich gives the experience of Kansas farmers in 1900 with teis Grop. Three lots of Japanese seed were received through the United States department of agriculture (Nos. 4912, 4913, and 4914). These gave excellent results, and will compare favorably with the Early Yellow soy, which is the variety usually grown in this region. They all, however, trequire a much longer period for maturing their seed, and for this reason would not be adapted as a catch-crop, as is the Early 'March 1901.] Forage Plants for Kansas. 181 ing humus or otherwise altering the physical conditions, but no ele- ments can be added except when the plants turved under are legumes. In that case, as we have shown, nitrogen will be added. Hence, there is always a double gain in raising legumes for (odder. Forage is ob- tained and the soil renovated at the same time. Every farmer should endeavor at least to rotate legumes with other crops in order to main- tain the fertility of the land. COWPEA.

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