i > i ■ jjjJHmjjjrram FOR THE PEOPLE FOR EDVCATION FOR SCIENCE J LIBRARY ■ . ■ 9f THEAMERftAN JVlUSiUM OF /■ >iATURAL HISTORY LIBRARY IHE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN BRONX, NEW YORK X0458 1483 U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. ANNUAL REPORT OF THE OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS FOR THE TEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 1911. '^ WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 1912. y^.-y^-^-h %^ bajn . » 5- JOINT RESOLUTION Providing for printing annually the Report of the Director of the Office of Experiment Stations, Department of Agriculture. Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That there be printed eight thousand copies of the Report of the Director of the Office of Experiment Stations, prepared under the supervision of the Secretary of Agriculture, on the work and expend- itures of that office and of the agricultural experiment stations established in the several States and Territories under the act of Congress of March sec- ond, eighteen hundred and eighty-seven, for nineteen hundred and three, of .which one thousand copies shall be for the use of the Senate, two thousand copies for the use of the House of Representatives, and five thousand copies for the use of the Department of Agriculture; and that annually hereafter a similar report shall be prepared and printed, the edition to be the same as for the report herein provided. Approved, April 27, 1904. 2 THE OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. A. C. True, Ph. D., Sc. D., Director. E. W. Allen, Ph. D., Assistant Director. Mi-s. C. E. Johnston, Chief Clerk. Sarah L. Sommeus, Record Clerk. E. Lucy Ogden, Librarian. M.\RTHA L. Gericke, Assistant Librarian. Relations with State Agricultural Experiment Stations. The Director and Assistant Director. W. H. Beal. W. H. Evans.- j. i. schulte. Experiment Station Record. E. W. Allen, Ph. D., Editor. H. L. Knight, B. S., Assistant Editor. W. H. Beal, A. B., M. E.. 1 ., . , ., , , .... „^ . f Meteorology, soils, and fertilizers. B. W. Tillman, B. S., Agr..) VA. , . -n Agricultural botany, bacteriology, and vegetable pathology. , Ph. B., J W. E. Boyd C. F. Langworthy, Ph. D., D. Sc, Foods and human nutrition J J L ScHULTE, B. Agr., 1 O. R.XNKiN, A. B., B. S. A.,!*'^'"* "°P^- ...,1 Agricultural education. D. J. Crosby, M. S., C. H. Lane, M. A.. B. S E. J. Glassox, B. S. A., Horticulture and forestry. W. A. Hooker, B. S., Economic zoology, entomology, and veterinary medicine. E. W. MonsE, B. A. S., Zootochny, dairying, and dairy farming. L. W. Fetzer, Ph. D., M. D., Agricultural chemistry, agrot^chny, and veterinary medicine. B. B. Hare, M. A., Rural economics. M. D. Moore, Indexing. William Henry, Proof reading. Experiment Station Work. W. H. Beal, Editor, with the assistance of the staff of Experiment Station Record. Insul.\r Stations. W. H. Evans, Ph. D., Chief. ALASKA experiment ST.4TI0NS. C. C. Georgeson, M. S., Special agent in charge, Sitka. A. J. WiLKUs, Assistant at Sitka. G. W. Gasser, B. S., Assistant at Rampart. M. D. Snodgra.ss, B. S., Assistant at Kodiak. Laurence Kelly, Assistant dairyman at Kodiak. C. W. Heideman, jr.. Herdsman at Kodiak. J. W. Neal, Assistant at Fairbanks. GUAM experiment STATION. J. B. Thompson, B. S., Special agent in charge. Island of Guam. Peter Nelson, Assistant. HAWAII experiment STATION. E. V. Wilcox, Ph. D., Special agent in charge, Honolulu. J. E. HiGGiNS, B. A., M. S. A., Horticulturist. W. P. Kelley, M. S., Chemist. D. T. FULLAWAY, A. M., Entomologist. C. K. McClelland, M. S. A., Agronomist. William McGeorge, B. S., Assistant chemist. Alice R. Thompson, B. S., Assistant chemist. C. J. IIUNN, B. S. A., Assistant horticulturist. Valentine S. Holt, Assistant in horticulture. C. A. Sahr, Assistant in agronomy. 4 OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. PORTO EICO EXPERIMENT STATION. D. W. May, M. Agr., Special agent in charge, Mayaguez. P. L. GiLE, A. B., Chemist. G. L. Fawc'ett, B. S., Plant pathologist. C. F. KiXMAX, B. S., Horticulturist. C. W. Hooker, Ph. D., Entomologist. E. G. RiTz.MAN, B. S. A., Animal husbandman. C. N. Ageton, B. S., Assistant chemist. ^ T. B. McClelland, A. B., Assistant horticulturist. W. E. Hess, Expert gardener. Agricultural Education. D. J. Crosby, M. S., Specialist in agricultural education. C. H. Lane, M. A., B. S. A., Assistant in agricultural education. John Hamilton, B. S., M. S. A., Farmers' institute specialist. J. M. Stedman, B. S., Assistant farmers' institute specialist. Nutrition Investigations. C. F. Langworthy, Ph. D., Chief of nutrition investigations. R. D. MiLNER, Ph. B., Assistant in nutrition investigations. S. C. Clark, B. S., M. A., Assistant in nutrition laboratory. W. P. Garrety, B. S., M. a., Assistant in nutrition laboratory. Irrigation Ixvestigatioxs. Samuel Fortier, D. Sc, Chief of irrigation investigations. R. P. Teele,! M. a., Assistant chief. Feed G. Harden, M. A., Assistant in Washington office. Irrif/ution engineers and irrigalion manai/crs. — A. P. Stover, M. S. in C. E., in charge of work in southern Oregon ; C. E. Tait, B. A., in charge of work in southern California '; S. O. Jayne, B. S., in charge of work in Washington ; Frank Adams, M. A., in charge of work in California; W. W. McLaughlin, B. S., in charge of work in Utah; P. E. Fuller, in charge of work in Arizona and of power investigations ; W. L. Rockwell, C. E., in charge of work in Texas; M. B. Williams, B. C. E., in charge of work in humid sections; F. L. Bixby, B. S., in charge of investigations in New Mexico; D. H. Bark, B. S., in charge of work in Idaho ; C. G. Haskell, C. E., in charge of rice investi- gations ; R. D. Robertson, B. S., assistant to manager in California ; F. C. Scobey, in charge of work in Wyoming ; S. T, Harding, in charge of work in Montana and North Dakota ; F. L. Peterson, B. S. in M. E., in charge of work in Nevada ; F. W. Stanley, B. S., Assistant in humid sections ; II. W. Grunsky, A. B., LL. B., in charge of work in Oregon. A(/cnt. — J. W. Longstreth, in charge of work in Kansas. Expert mechanician. — E. J. Hoff. Inifjation farmers. — J. H. Gordon ; R. G. Hemphill, B. S. ; W, H. Lauck ; R. E. Mahoney ; and John Keall, jr. Collaborators. — O. V. P. Stout, C. E., Nebraska, University of Nebraska ; W. B. Gregory, M. E., in charge of pumping for rice investigations, Tulane University. New Orleans, La. ; V. M. Cone, B. S., in charge of work in Colorado, State Agricultural Col- lege ; S. H. Beckett, B. S., California, University of California. Drainage Investigations. C. G. Elliott, C. E.', Chief drainage engineer and chief of drainage investigations. A. D. Morehouse, M. E., Office engineer and assistant chief of drainage investigations. Office engineer. — R. D. JL\rsden, B. S. .Ss-sistant office cnyineer. — H. II. Barrows, C. E. Draftsmen. — G. F. Pohlers, II. B. Artley, J. G. Hanfoed. Senior clerk. — H. S. Yohe. Drainu(jc engineers. — S. H. McCroey, B. S. ; II. \. Kipp, B. S. in C. E. ; F. F. Shafbu, C. E. ; 0. G. Baxter, C. E. ; G. M. Warren, B. S. ; D. L. Yarnbll, B. C. E. ; J. V. Phillips, B. S. ; F. G. Eason, B. S., C. E. ; C. W. Okey, B. C. E. Assistant drainage engineers. — J. R. Haswell, C. E. ; N. B. Wade, B. S. in C. E. ; W. J. Schlick, B. C. E. ; A. G. Hall, B. S. ; C. W. Mengel, B. S. f)raina;/e engineers for irrigated lands. — R. A. Hart, B. S. ; D. G. Miller, B. S. ; W. W. Weir ; S. W. Cooper ; W. A. Kelly, B. S. ; W. N. Hall ; W. G. Sloan, B. S. In C. E. Engineers available for special work. — S. M. Woodward, M. S., M. A. ; .\. E. Morgan ; C. F. Beown, M. S. ; L. L. Hi dinger, B. C. E. 1 On furlough ; In charge of irrigation census. Bureau of the Census. LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. U. S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Experi:ment Stations, Washington, D. (7., July i, 1912. Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith the annual report of the Office of Experiment Stations, the publication of which is authorized by joint resolution of the Fifty-eighth Congress, second session. This includes a report on the work and expenditures of the agricultural experiment stations established under the act of Con- gress of March 2, 1887, and further endowed under the act of Congress of March 16, 1906, for the fiscal year ended June, 30, 1911, in compliance with the following provision of the att making appro- priations for this department for the said fiscal year: The Secretaiy of Agriculture shall prescribe the form of the annual financial statement required under the above acts, ascertain whether the expenditures are in accordance with their provisions, and make report thereon to Congress. Very respectfully, A. C. True, Director. Hon. James Wilson, Secretary of Agriculture. CONTENTS Page. Work of the Office of Experiment Stations 13 Relations with the agricultural experiment stations 13 Insular experiment stations 15 Alaska stations 16 Hawaii station 20 Porto Rico station 24 Guam station 27 Nutrition investigations 30 Irrigation investigations 33 California 33 Colorado 34 Kansas 34 Montana 34 Nebraska 34 Nevada 34 Oregon 35 Wyoming 35 Cooperation with the Bureau of the Census 35 Aid to settlers ' 36 Use of water 37 Management of irrigation enterprises 39 Drainage investigations 40 Improvement of farm lands 41 Drainage of swamp lands 42 Reclamation of overflowed lands 44 Drainage of inigated lands 45 Technical investigations 46 Preliminary examinations and reconnoissance 47 Dissemination of information 47 Promotion of agricultural education 48 Farmers' institutes and extension work 50 Publications 51 Income 52 Work and expenditures of the agricultural experiment stations 53 Review of the year 53 Increase in funds and equipment 55 Substations and demonstration farms 58 Changes in personnel 60 Dr. Edward B. Voorhees 60 Some results of station work 62 Progress in foreign countries 66 Inspection of the stations 68 Alabama College station 68 Alabama Tuskegee station 71 Alaska stations 72 ^ Arizona station 74 Arkansas station ^ 76 California station 78 7 8 CONTENTS. Work and expenditures of the agricultural experiment stations — Continued. Inspection of the stations — Continued. Page. Colorado station 81 Connecticut State station 84 Connecticut Storrs station 87 Delaware station 89 Florida station 91 Georgia station 93 Guam station 95 Hawaii station 97 Idaho station 99 Illinois station 102 Indiana station 105 Iowa station 109 Kansas station 113 Kentucky station 1 115 Louisiana stations 118 Maine station 121 Maryland station 123 Massachusetts station 126 Michigan station 130 Minnesota station ... 133 Mississippi station 1 . 137 Missouri College station 140 Montana station 143 Nebraska station 146 Nevada station 150 New Hampshire station 152 New Jersey stations 155 New Mexico station 158 New York State station 161 New York Cornell station 165 North Carolina College station 168 North Carolina State station 171 North Dakota station 172 Ohio station 176 Oklahoma station 180 Oregon station 182 Pennsylvania station 185 Pennsylvania State College Institute of Animal Nutrition 187 Porto Rico station 188 Rhode Island station 191 South Carolina station 194 South Dakota station 198 Tennessee station 201 Texas station 203 Utah station 206 Vermont station 210 Virginia station 213 I Virginia truck station 215 Washington station 216 West Virginia station 220 Wisconsin station 223 Wyoming station 227 CONTENTS. 9 Page. Statistics of land-grant colleges and agricultural experiment stations, 1911 231 Summary of statistics of land-grant colleges 231 Summary of statistics of the stations 233 Statistics of the land-grant colleges and universities 235 Statistics of the agricultural experiment stations 260 Progress in agricultural education, 1911 .■ 277 Summary for the year 277 Educational work of the Department of Agriculture 278 Educational work of the Office of Experiment Stations 280 Relation to American institutions 281 Relation to foreign institutions 282 Africa 282 Argentina 282 Australia 282 Belgium 283 British islands .' 284 British West Indies 288 Canada 288 Central America 289 France 289 Germany 290 India 291 Mexico 291 New Zealand 292 Russia 292 Sweden 293 Educational work of the Association of American Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations 293 Work of the National Education Association 301 San Francisco meeting 301 Mobile meeting 304 A new association of agricultural educators 305 Agricultural education at the Conference for Education in the South 306 Agricultural education at other conventions 308 The Graduate School of Agriculture 311 The agricultural colleges 318 Appropriations 318 Buildings 319 Work of the colleges 321 Training of teachers 323 Extension and short courses 324 The secondary schools 326 Recent progress by States 326 Alabama 326 Arkansas 326 California 327 Colorado 327 Idaho 328 Illinois 328 Iowa 328 Kansas 328 Louisiana 329 Maine 329 Maryland 329 10 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. Progress in agricultural education, 1911 — Continued. The secondary schools — Continued. Recent progress by States — Continued. Page. Massachusetts 329 Minnesota 330 Mississippi 330 Nebraska 330 New Jersey 331 North Carolina 331 North Dakota 332 Ohio 332 Pennsylvania 332 Texas 332 Utah 334 Vermont 334 Wisconsin 334 Agriculture in State normal schools 335 The elementary schools 336 Connecting the school with the farm home 338 Farmers' institutes and extension work in the United States, 1911 343 Institutes held 343 Sessions 343 Attendance '. . . 343 Appropriations 344 Agricultural college and experiment station aid 344 Special institutes 344 Agricultm'al college extension work 345 American Association of Farmers' Institute Workers 346 Farmers' institutes for young people 348 Women's institutes 349 Exhibits at fairs 350 Agricultural instruction trains 352 County agricultural experts 354 Teaching by correspondence 357 The work of the farmers' institute division 363 State reports 367 Statistics of farmers' institutes, 1911 382 ILLUSTRATIONS. ► PLATES. Page. Plate I. Fig. 1. — Movable poultry houses, Iowa station. Fig. 2. — Orchard heating to prevent injury from spring frosts, Iowa station 108 II. Fig. 1. — Industrial alcohol plant, Minnesota station. Fig. 2. — Flour- testing laboratory, Minnesota station 108 III. A study of the principles of mule breeding, Mississippi station. Fig. 1. — Yearling mule colts out of thoroughbred mares, weights 654 and 660 pounds. Fig. 2. — Yearling mule colts out of Clyde mares, weights 770 and 780 pounds 136 IV. A study of the principles of mule breeding, Mississippi station. Fig. 1. — Two-year-old colts, on right out of native mare, on left out of thoroughbred mare, weights 880 and 780 pounds. Fig. 2. — Two-year-old mule colts out of Clyde mares, weights 1,100 and 1,000 pounds 136 V. Fig. 1. — New greenhouse attached to agricultural building, Montana station. Fig. 2. — Experimental steer-feeding plant, constructed of hollow tile with cement stucco finish, Nebraska station 144 VI. Meteorological and climatological observations, Nevada station. Fig. 1. — Refuge camp and headquarters for snow measurements on Mount Rose. Fig. 2. — Sumrnit station, Mount Rose Observatory (altitude, 10,800 feet) 144 VII. Studies of inheritance of characters in melons, New Hampshii'e station. Fig. 1. — Growing melons for crossing in greenhouse. Fig. 2. — Parents and offspring in melon crosses 161 VIII. Fig. 1. — Nutrition-experiments building, Ohio station. Fig. 2. — Soil laboratory, Ohio station 161 IX. Fig. 1. — New greenhouse, Vermont station. Fig. 2. — New horticul- tural building, Wisconsin station 208 X. Women's building, Oklahoma College 328 XI. Fig. 1. — Forest-products laboratory, University of Wisconsin. Fig. 2. — Class in stock judging. Third District Agricultural School, Magnolia, Ark 328 XII. Fig. 1. — Dining hall. Third District Agricultural School, Magnolia, Ark. Fig. 2. — Main building, Fourth District Agricultural School, Monticello, Ark 328 XIII. Fig. 1. — Interior of cloth house made by the farm-mechanics class, Gardena Agricultural School, Los Angeles, Cal. Fig. 2. — Ear-row seed-corn test on the Bakersfield (Cal.) High School farm 328 XIV. Fig. 1. — Boys making tile for irrigating system at Bakersfield (Cal.) High School. Fig. 2. — Greenhouse erected by the students of the Oxnard (Cal.) High School 328 XV. Fig. 1. — Home economics demonstration at a mothers' meeting, Tuleta (Tex.) High School. Fig. 2.— Farmers' club meeting at Tuleta High School 328 11 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE OFFICE OF EXPERI- MENT STATIONS, 1911. WORK OF THE OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS, The work of the Office of Experiment Stations during 1911 in- cluded, as in previous years, the supervision of the expenditures of Federal funds by the agricultural experiment stations in the several States; conferences and correspondence with station officers regard- ing the management, equipment, and work of the stations ; the collec- tion and dissemination of information regarding the progress of agricultural education and research throughout the world by means of technical and popular bulletins; the management of the agricul- tural experiment stations in xllaska, Hawaii, Porto Rico, and Guam ; the promotion of the interests of agricultural colleges and schools and farmers' institutes throughout the United States ; special investi- gations on irrigation and drainage, conducted largely in cooperation with experiment stations, educational institutions, and other agencies in different States and Territories ; and the investigation of problems relating to the food and nutrition of man. RELATIONS WITH THE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS. The work and expenditures of the experiment stations have com- manded much attention from this office during the year. The atten- tion required has been in direct proportion to the increase in volume and variety of the station activities resulting from the greater amounts of Federal funds now available and the continued financial aid given the stations by most of the States. In the fiscal year 1911 the Adams fund reached its maximum of $15,000, making, with the Hatch fund, a total of $30,000 of Federal funds for agricultural ex- perimentation for each State. In addition, many of the States are meeting the needs and requirements of their stations by appropria- tions for maintenance and for definite lines of work. The ^enerallv better financial status of the stations, as well as the demands of grow- ing agricultural industries, tends to enlarge their scope of action and to increase their lines of work. This greater development of the institutions has demanded a more careful consideration of the ex- 13 14 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. penclitures of all the different funds in order to determine the policy pursued in the use of the Federal funds. In this connection numer- ous questions have arisen with regard to the legitimate and most effective use of these funds for experimental and research work. The increase in station resources and duties has involved a closer inspection and a stricter adherence to the policy of restricting the Federal funds to actual experimental work. As the law demands that the Federal funds shall be used chiefly for experimental and research work, it is practically imperative that the stations should have some other revenues upon which to draw for administrative nee'ds, printing, and those lines of work often demanded by the kState, such as inspection, demonstration work, and other duties which can lay no claim to being financed from the Federal funds. The restriction of the Hatch and Adams funds to experimental and research work has resulted in a more careful arrangement of the station budget for the entire year. This consideration of the needs of the different departments has brought about a more even and regular expenditure of funds, as well as a better and more efficient use of them. The apportionment of salaries in cases where station officials also have college duties requires continued and careful supervision, mainly because this matter did not receive the requisite scrutiny at the proper time, and in many cases because the nccessar}^ arrange- ment was not made with the college authorities before entering upon the year's work. The experimental work proposed and submitted for approval under the Adams fund was subjected to more searching scrutiny, which required a more extensive correspondence regarding the work before it was entered upon. In this manner a full understanding with reference to the methods and purposes of the i^roposed investi- gation was brought out and the Avork was placed on a proper basis. The policy that the Avork submitted must be definite, restricted, and specific was also more rigidly enforced. The experience with the Adams fund work in general has clearly shown the advisability of approving only projects properly limited in scope and definite in pur- pose and methods. The legality of the expenditures is so largely de- pendent upon the character of the investigation that the supervision of the funds requires much careful study of the investigations as far as their character, origin, features, and continuity are concerned. The situation is often complicated by the partial support of tlie projects from other funds and by the extent to which the Adams fund is divided among relatively small undertakings and a large number of workers. The expansion of the work of the stations in various directions involves heavy administrative burdens and tends to draw into the INSULAE EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 15 service men of limited experience and scientific training. These and other conditions often give rise to what is involved in a study of individual problems, and this office, therefore, is often called upon to act in an advisory capacity regarding planning and execution of research. In doing this it endeavors to give these stations the benefit of its broad study of the world's literature of agricultural science and its knowledge of the conditions under which agricul- tural research is being conducted in many institutions at home and abroad. Increased attention w^as also given to the Hatch fund and to the sales fund derived from the two Federal funds. It was held that these should be used primarily for definite experimental work and not for administrative or general running' expenses or for demon- strations and other forms of extension work. The office has en- deavored to assist the stations in working out the best methods of using the Federal and other funds at their disposal and of organ- izing other enterf)rises so as not to interfere with the more legitimate activities. Regarding records of station work the office has maintained that these should be recognized as the property of the particular station at which or for which the work was done. Wherever it has been the intent to approj^riate material taken away from the station by the individual worker on severing his connection with the institution and to use and publish it at an experiment station in another State, the office has refused to approve such a project without the consent of the station where the work was originally done. The detailed review of the work and expenditures of all the stations for this fiscal year contains many evidences of substantial progress in research and the accumulation of, useful and practical results. Never before was the stations' work so clearly defined and this function so fully appreciated by the general public. INSULAR EXPERIMENT STATIONS. An eminently successful year has been reported by each of the stations maintained by the office. A few changes in the personnel of some of the stations have been made, but there has been little interruption of the work. The policy adopted at the establishment of the stations of working for the diversification of agriculture remains unchanged. The Alaska stations are continuing their investigations in agri- culture, gardening, and stock raising with a view to ascertaining what crops, animals, and systems of management are adapted to that country. Gratifying results have been secured in the growing of small grains in the interior valleys of Alaska, and recent experiments have also demonstrated the possibility of potato growing on an ex- 16 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. tensive scale. In Hawaii and Porto Rico the investigations include experiments with all sorts of crops except sugar cane. In both coun- tries sugar production is the leading industry and the planters have provided experiment stations for working out their especial prob- lems. Fruit growing, forage production, the introduction of new crops and agricultural industries, live-stock improvement, etc., are receiving attention. At the Guam station the principal problems are the restoration of agriculture to its former importance, the improve- ment of live stock, and the introduction of new crops. The main features of the w^ork at the different stations are briefly described in the subjoined reports. All the stations are growing in the esteem and favor of the people for whom they are maintained. This is shown by the rapidly in- creasing growth in correspondence, in the demand for publications, and in individual requests for advice, the readiness to engage in cooperative work of all sorts, and the increasingly generous private and community contributions of funds. The scientific work of the stations is attracting wide attention, their publications being noted in the principal scientific review journals of the world, and in not a few instances permission has been given for the republication of some of the bulletins in foreign countries. Through local funds, contributed for the purpose, there have been several additions to the cooperatiA'e demonstration farms maintained b}^ some of the stations. It is expected on these farms to present visual evidence of some of the more practical results of the stations' work, while the more technical experiments are carried out on the station proper. The several bureaus and offices of this department continue to cooperate generously with the stations, thus materially assisting in their Avork. It is desired to make proper acknowledgment for this aid. The administrative Avork of the insular stations in their relations with the Office of Exjieriment Stations continues to be in charge of Dr. Walter H. Evans, as chief of the division of insular stations. ALASKA STATIONS. The reports from the Alaska stations for the past year have been very gratifying. An unfavorable spring was followed by many clear, warm days during the summer, and along the coast the growirg season was prolonged well into autumn. The first destructive frost in the interior came the last night of August, but freezing weather did not come until the last of September. At Sitka freezing tempera- tures were not experienced until late in October. As a result of the favorable weather, all the usual crops Avere fully ripened and some that have hitherto been of doubtful adaptability Avere matured. INSULAE EXPEEIMENT STATIONS. 17 The work at the agricultural experiment stations in Alaska has been carried out during the past year in accordance with the plans outlined in former reports. At Sitka horticultural and plant-breed- ing work are given prominence. At Eampart the principal work is in testing and breeding varieties of grain and in experiments with potatoes and hardy legTiminous plants. Farming on a commercial scale, as it must be practiced by settlers, is carried on at Fairbanks, and at Kodiak breeding and care of live stock are the principal investigations. For the present this work is confined to cattle and sheep. The plant breeding work at the Sitka station is receiving much attention. The work with hybrid strawberries has been continued with marked success. Of the earlier hybrids produced by crossing the native strawberry of the coast region with a cultivated variety, nearly 200 have shown such valuable characters that they are being propagated and tested to determine their true value. About 35 varieties have already produced berries that exceed in size and flavor anv of the cultivated ones found in the local markets, and 15 which have borne the largest and best berries have been selected for propa- gation. Ultimately some of these will be distributed for trial in other parts of the country. Continued efforts have been made to produce additional hybrids, and about 4,000 hybrid seedlings are now being grown at the station. These should begin to bear in two years and give some indication as to their value. In like manner the study of the crosses between the salmonberry and the cultivated raspberry is being continued. Thus far the hybrids have proved very shy bearers, and little judgment can be made as to their value. Experiments were begun in 1903 with apple, cherry, plum, and other trees, a small test orchard being set with early varieties of each. During the past season the first apples were matured, six in- troduced varieties having borne fruit of medium size and good quality. About two dozen other varieties have not yet fruited. An experiment is in progress in hybridizing the native crab apple with pollen from other varieties. Some fruits were secured last year, but it will be a number of years before their seedlings will produce fruit to indicate their value. Four varieties of cherries have fruited for the past four years. One variety, Early Richmond, produced abundantly during the past year, and it seems better adapted to its surround- ings than the others. The plums have not fruited. Gooseberries, currants, raspberries, and other bush fruits are receiving attention, and a number of varieties have been found adapted to Alaskan con- ditions. The station is continuing to propagate and distribute for trial a large number of fruit trees and bushes and some ornamental plants. These are furnished to settlers upon request, as far as the supplies will admit, and some are sent to the other stations, where 56096°— 12 2 18 KEPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. the facilities for propagation are not as complete as at the main station. The work Avith vegetables has been reduced to the minimum at the Sitka station. It is no longer a question of the possibility of grow- ing vegetables in Alaska, but which varieties give ihe best results. Comparative tests of about 60 varieties of potatoes and of many varieties of cabbage, cauliflower, and other vegetables are being con- tinued to determine Avhich varieties are best adapted to the climatic conditions of the coast region. At the Rampart station 30 acres are now under cultivation, 4 acres having been added during the past year. The work here consists of testing varieties of grain, cross-breeding varieties that have shown desirable qualities, the introduction of hardy leguminous plants, and testing vegetables on a limited scale. At this station uniformly suc- cessful efforts in growing barley and oats have been made, but with rye and wheat less favorable results have been secured. The normal growing season is about 110 daj's, and in 1911 the maximum tempera- ture was in June, when 91° F. was registered. The maximum for July was 89° and for August 85°. The daily mean temperatures during these months were: June, 59,4°; July, 63,09°; and August. 56.3°. This gave sufficient warmth to ripen practically all varieties of spring-sown grains except wheat. Where rye and wheat were sown in the fall and well covered with snow thev came through the winter and matured a considerable portion of their crop. The spring of 1911 was abnormally late in starting, but spring-sown grains are reported as having done well. Winter rye and winter wheat were badly injured by severe freezing in the early winter before snow covered the ground. A number of successful crosses of varieties of barley have been made, and in the first generation some appear to have desirable qualities, but they will have to be grown longer to fix the varieties and determine their worth. In addition to the hybridization work selections of the earliest maturing and best individual plants from different varieties have been made for the past three years, the object being to secure pedigree stock of known superiority^ This experiment is in progress with all grains now grown at the station. As a result of 10 j^ears' work at this station, it appears that grain growing is practicable in the interior of Alaska, and that it can be made a success in many parts of the broad inte- rior valleys. An attempt is being made to introduce some of the Siberian alfal- fas, brought to this country by Prof. N. E. Hansen, of the South Dakota Experiment Station, and there is reason to believe that some of them will become established, as the plants have withstood the winter without apparent injury. None of these plants formed seed. INSULAR EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 19 and vegetative propagation is at present the only way to increase the supply. An experiment with potatoes was carried on at Sitka, Fairbanks, and Rampart, with practically the same results at each station. The tubers of a number of varieties were placed in greenhouse flats covered with soil and allowed to sprout in the light for four weeks before planting. These yielded in nearly every instance an increase of 10 per cent or more in the total crop, with a proportionate in- crease in marketable tubers. By following this method and plant- ing only those varieties that experience has shown are adapted to the country the jDroduction of potatoes of good quality in large amount is possible. The Fairbanks station was largely established to determine the practicability of farming on a considerable scale. As a consequence the small plat and plant-breeding work have been reduced to a mini- mum, and all the force is applied to general farming and the fur- ther development of the station. With this in view, grain and pota- toes were grown on a commercial scale. In 1910 over $1,500 worth of potatoes, the surplus of the crop grown on 3^ acres, were sold, and in 1911 on 7 acres the value of the potatoes grown was estimated at about $2,500. In variety test plats yields of from 120 to 300 bushels pere acre were obtained. The hay problem in the interior valleys of Alaska is an important one, and the station is giving especial attention to it. The production of grain hay has been com- pletely demonstrated, and 30 tons of oat hay were produced on 25 acres of light soil in 1911. All early varieties of oats, barley, and fall grains, where the latter have had a good snow covering, have matured. The results with vegetables have been quite satisfactorj'^, especially with cabbage, cauliflower, turnips, rutabagas, carrots, etc. Since the last report 23 acres of land has been cleared. The sta- tion noAv has 93 acres of cleared land, 70 of which is in cultivation. The weather at Fairbanks was cool and wet in the spring, followed by warm weather with an unusual amount of sunshine during the summer. A frost on August 31 killed many tender plants, but the ground did not freeze enough to stop plowing until October 20. Satisfactory progress is reported from the Kodiak station, where there are now 85 head of pure-bred Galloway cattle of all ages, 10 grade cattle, and 89 sheep and lambs. The stock is all healthy and thrifty and only 2 head of cattle and 6 of sheep died during the past year. The animals were successfully wintered on native forage, sup- plemented by a small amount of purchased grain feed, and there does not appear to be any reason why stock raising should not be made a success in the coast region of Alaska if care is exercised in selecting the stock and they are sufficiently well housed and winter fed. 20 EEPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. The cattle secured siifRcient grass to keep them in good condition itntil late in November, after which they were given a half ration of hay until December 11. From that time until April 15 they were regularly fed silage and hay at the rate of 30 pounds silage and 20 pounds hay for each mature animal. After May 9 the cattle were again able to get enough grass to supply their needs. The sheep win- tered well and were in good thrifty condition in the spring. They were fed hay and silage for 3^ months. There was some loss from bears, as the sheep wandered into the mountains and could not be closely looked after. When sheared in June the fleeces of the ewes averaged 7 pounds. The wool was clean and of good quality. Arrangements are being made to take up dairying as a part of the work at Kodiak, and an attempt will be made to select out the best milkers of the Galloway herd and purchase others to carry on this work. The demand for breeding stock is limited, at least for beef types, and it is hoped to develop a milking strain of Galloways that can be of general use in Alaska. Over 100 tons of native grass hay and 170 tons of silage were put up during the past year. It is intended to grow about 40 acres of grain for hay as soon as other needed work at the Kodiak station is done. Some additions have been made to the equipment of the stations, the, most important of which are a stock and hay barn and an addi- tional 100-ton silo at the stock farm on Kalsin Bay, and a silo and dairy barn at Kodiak ; a barn, a well, and a frost-proof cellar at Fair- banks; and a barn and implement shed at Rampart. A survey has been made of the tract of land occupied by the station on Kalsin Bay, and its reservation for station purposes has been asked. HAWAII STATION. The new office building provided for from Territorial funds has been occupied and serves exclusively for the library, general office, and office of the entomologist. The quarters of the agronomist are in one portion of the old office building, which has been completely remodeled to accommodate the work of the departments of chemistry and agronomy. The portion of the ground turned over to the Department of Agri- culture by the Xavy Department Avhich is situated on Magazine Hill has l)eeu cleared and planted to corn, cotton, and broom corn, and considerable success was obtained Avith corn, particularly with the variety Yellow Creole. A portion of the upper slope of the station, at an elevation of about 750 feet, has been cleared and planted to Caravonica cotton, in order to compare the growth of this variety at the higher and lower altitudes. INSULAR EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 21 The investigations outlined in previous reports have been con- tinued, and a number of new ones begun. The work with cotton con- tinues to attract favorable attention, and it would seem that the profitableness of this new agricultural industry has been demon- strated. The results thus far obtained clearly justify the larger plantings which have been made. The returns coming in from the early crop show yields of from 400 to GOO pounds of lint per acre, and also indicate that a practical method of controlling the bollworm has been found- A number of plantings of cotton have been made from sea level to altitudes of 1,600 feet. The results that have been obtained with these plantings indicate that altitude alone does not determine success with cotton in Hawaii, nor has the amount of rain- fall necessary for good crop production been definitely determined. Cotton makes its best and largest yields on lowlands and in places protected from strong winds. Experiments on the control of the Indian cotton bollworm by pruning have proved quite successful. The cotton is pruned back at the close of each picking season and all the rubbish bunied. This destroys the larvae and pupse of the boll- worm in the infested bolls, and the pruning interrupts the crop of bolls as completely as a new planting where the cotton is treated as an annual. Growth from pruned plants is considerably more rapid than that from seed, and the yield of such plants is larger than from seedlings the first year. A peculiar type of Caravonica cotton has been developed in which the lint is unusually harsh and strong. This seems particularly well suited for mixing with woolen goods, and re- ports received at the station on samples of the lint indicate that it will be readily purchased for that purpose. The quotations sub- mitted b}' buyers and cotton graders on last year's crop were 40 cents for Sea Island, 28 cents for Sunflower, and 25 cents for Caravonica. The Japanese rices imported by the station have been successfully grown, but their substitution for the imported rices has not been fully satisfactor5\ Some consumers have considered the Japanese rice grown in Hawaii equal in every way to imported Japanese rice, while others claim that it differs in certain indefinable qualities. The yields obtained from the Japanese varieties grown in Hawaii have been satisfactory. The experiments with fertilizing rice have shown definitely that the fertilizer should be applied before the rice is planted, and that as a source of nitrogen, ammonium sulphate or an organic fertilizer is better than nitrate of soda. In a similar manner it has been shown that the fertilization of taro should be the same as for rice, and the thorough drying and aeration of the soil between crops, together with proper fertilizing, was found to prevent taro rot. The results obtained by the station in these experiments with rice and taro have been put in practice by many small planters in their opera- tions. 22 REPORT OP OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. The chemical investigations have been continued along lines pre- viously described. The results obtained in the work with manganese soils have added greatly to the knowledge of conditions which pre- vail in these soils and indicate that the pineapple is exceptionally sensitive to unfavorable soil conditions and can not be made to thrive where from 4 to 5 per cent or more of manganese is present. Other crops are less sensitive to manganese, among them sugar cane, corn, and cotton. If it is especially desired to grow^ pineapples on manga- niferous soils it has been found that the best results can be obtained by planting the old stumps rather than the suckers and by fertilizing heavily with phosphates. It appears from an examination that im- proper drainage of soil is a conspicuous cause of some of the pine- apple troubles in the district of Wahiawa. It seems certain that pine- apples do not require as much water as has been formerly supposed, and where proper drainage is supjolied pineapples can be successfully grown in the presence of heavy rainfall. Data are being accumulated for a general classification of Hawaiian soils, some of which exhibit striking peculiarities. Localities are known where soils contain from 8 to 10 per cent of manganese, and in others there was found 20 per cent or more of titanium. The most important feature of the entomological work during the 3'ear was the discovery of the Mediterranean fruit Q.y. Since this discovery the pest has spread with remarkable rapidity, attacking peaches, all of the citrus fruits, mangoes, peppers, guavas, figs, and avocados. The discovery of this pest in Hawaii led to the establish- ment of a quarantine on the part of California against Hawaiian fruits, except pineapples and bananas. The station has taken part in devising a plan for the control of this pest, which consists essentially in the collection and destruction of fallen fruit, and the results of the campaign are evident in the greatly reduced numbers of the fruit flies. Studies have been made of the insect pests of corn and legum- inous plants during the year, and a bulletin prepared on the insect pests of corn. Some attention has been given to the subject of insect parasites, and a parasite which destroys from 5 to 10 per cent of the bollworms has been found. The horticultural investigations have been continued with tropical fi'uits. During the past season a budding method has been j^erfected for the avocado by means of which success is obtained on young trees in from 85 to 00 per cent of cases, and by the top-working of old trees in from 50 to 75 per cent of all cases. In addition, a successful inarching method has been devised for rapidly testing promising seedlings. As far as possible, all types of avocados found in Hawaii have been collected and a system of classification and description is being worked out. Studies show that the variation in flavor, size, INSULAE EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 23 and shape of papaya fruits is almost unlimited. The station has found it possible to propagate papayas by the use of monoecious trees without the help of sterile male trees. If it should prove a practical matter to secure the desired flavor and other qualities by this method alone, it will thereby become possible to avoid the loss of space inci- dent to the growing of a large number of male trees and the lack of uniformit}' which has hitherto occurred when dependence was placed on the fertilization of the pistils of one form of dicecious trees Avith the pollen of another form. Spraying experiments have shown that the rusty blight of avocado leaves can be controlled with Bordeaux mixture. A wide interest in banana culture has been aroused and the station is assisting it in the distribution of suckers of the Bluefields banana and in cultural experiments. From the latter it seems evident that a wider spacing in planting should be adopted, as the plants when given plenty of room are more robust and better withstand the strong winds. A number of miscellaneous investigations are in progress, among them experiments with broom corn, and it has been found that a good quality of brush can be produced in Hawaii, somewhat superior to that grown in California and nearly equal to that obtained in the Central States. Extensive experiments with leguminous crops for a variet}^ of purposes, including forage, are in progress, and the station is testing all leguminous plants which can be considered as suitable for Hawaii at various locations on the different islands. The results of these experiments are being quickly adopted by the planters and farmers. The possibility of weed destruction with arsenite of soda used as a spr;iy solution has been thoroughly demonstrated, and during the past year about 2,000 acres of land were rid of shrubby and herba- ceous weeds. The station has other experiments in progress, among them the utilization of the pulp from sisal mills, fiber in banana stalks and pineapple leaves, the production of oil from kukui nuts, etc. During the past year, under Territorial funds, the station has estab- lished three demonstration farms, one on Kauai and two on Hawaii. The problems at these different farms are essentially peculiar, but the results obtained will apply to a considerable area. The work will include the introduction of improved varieties, studies on better meth- ods of handling the soil, agriculture in districts where the rainfall is very high, etc. In addition to the Territorial support, a number of private individuals and companies are assisting in cariying on these experiments. Arrangements have been made with private individuals and com- panies for cooperative experiments with fertilizers for different crops, the growing of sweet potatoes, cotton culture, and other forms of diversified agriculture. 24 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. PORTO RICO STATION. The work of the station during the year was continued along the well-planned lines previously described. Some few changes were made in the personnel of the station staff. The coffee investigations that had been carried on for nearly 10 years on the Carmelita planta- tion w^re brought to a close, and the work has been transferred to an old coffee plantation near the station. This makes possible a much wider field of investigations, as the members of the staff can person- ally supervise their experiments much better than formerly. The lowlands of the station have been drained with earthen tile made on the premises, and the value of the tile drainage is very evi- dent. During the year a machine was purchased for the manufac- ture of cement tile, and tile of this kind will, it is thought, be less expensive, as less labor is required in its manufacture and there is no expense for burning, as in the case of clay tile. The trend of agriculture in Porto Rico is toward intensive culture, and as a result the station is looked to for information along many lines. During the past year a number of planters spent several weeks at the station studying improved methods of agricultural practice. The increased correspondence, station visitors, requests for pub- lications, etc., all indicate that the station is growing in the appre- ciation of the people of Porto Rico, The cooperative work with planters and orchardists is being extended in many parts of the island, and this makes it possible to include experiments on various types of soil, climatic conditions, etc., at very little expense to the station. In the act of the Congress making appropriations for the station for the fiscal year special provisions were made for coffee investigations. The lease on the land under experiment on the coffee estate La Car- melita was about to expire, and it was canceled and, as mentioned above, the work was moved nearer the station, where a 95-acre coffee plantation has been placed at the disposal of the station for experi- ments in renovating an old plantation, studies on coffee diseases, insect pests, coffee improvement, etc. The introduction of the higher- priced coffees into Porto Rican culture has been continued, and some of the Java varieties are coming into bearing. Some 3-year-old trees have borne at the rate of 800 pounds merchantable coffee per acre, while the average of the island is only about 200 pounds per acre. Among the introduced varieties now in bearing are: Ceylon hybrid; Mocha hybrid; Blue Mountain, of Jamaica; Pedang, of Sumatra; Preanger, Pantgoer, Erecta, and Columnaris, of Java; Guadeloupe; Maragogype; Surinam; and Mocha. A nimiber of others should bear their first crop next season. Experiments are in progress in transplanting coffee trees, studies on the vitality of coffee seeds, the INSXJLAE EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 25 most economical and effecti\e means of improving the productivity of coffee plantations, diseases and insect pests, etc. Among the dis- eases, a root disease, a leaf spot, and a spotting of the fruit have received most attention. A trial of various adhesives to be added to Bordeaux mixture to prevent its being washed off the foliage by the torrential rains is in progi^ess. A number of coffee diseases of minor importance are being inves- tigated, as are some of the fungus and other troubles of cacao, coco- nuts, and bunanas. A bud rot of coconut trees has been found at various places on the island, and while it destroys some trees each year, yet the total loss appears small. Bacteria have been isolated from the innermost dead tissues, but there has been a pronounced lack of uniformity in the results of studies thus far carried on. The diseases of citrus fruits have been taken up for study, especial at- tention at this time being given to gummosis. It is expected that cooperative work on orange scab and end rot of the fruit will also be begun soon. The pathologist has made a study of the nodules on the roots of the royal palm in the hope of elucidating some facts regarding their origin and function. The station is actively engaged in interesting the people of the island in apiculture. Demonstration classes in the handling of bees were held at the station and they were well attended. Many of those in attendance have purchased bees and are starting apiaries. This industry appears to be increasing, and in connection with the growing of citrus fruits and on coffee plantations the keeping of bees should prove profitable, not only on account of the honey pro- duced, but also by reason of the greater fertilization of the flowers l)y the bee visitors. Attention is still given to the insects affecting- citrus fruits, although less injury is reported than formerly. This is due to the practice of establishing windbreaks about the orchards, thus providing conditions for the development of beneficial fungi, and to the use of sulphur sprays, which protect fruit against rust mites. A number of pests of the mango have been investigated with a view to discovering methods for their control. Studies were also made of the coffee ant, insect pests of guavas, and mosquito breed- ing. Contrary to the common belief, the entomologist found that mosquitoes did not breed in the mangrove swamps about San Juan. The horticultural work has been considerably extended, particular attention being given to stocks, fertilizers, and cover crops for citrus fruits. This work has been in progress since 1906, and it is hoped to report on the work with fertilizers in the near future. Attention is being given to varieties of citinis fruits adapted to Porto Kico. Great variation has been noted in productivity, character of fruit, etc., and data are being collected to determine the causes of this wide variation. The station is conducting experiments on the introduc- S6 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. tion and propagation of the better varieties of mangoes, more than 40 varieties having been introduced from various tropical countries. Of these, 12 fruited this year, and the station shoulcl soon be in a position to tell which varieties are best suited to Porto Eican condi- tions. The pineapple industry is developing rapidly, and since the bulletin on pineapples was issued in 1909 the question of shade and legimiinous cover crops has been given definite consideration. Va- riet}^ tests of pineapples are being made, and the station has 27 varieties under observation. Experiments have been begun on the fumigation of pineapple slips before planting to rid them of mealy bugs. The results thus far do not appear to warrant the practice unless measures are taken to keep the plants clean after they have been set in the field. The banana plantation has been moved to more suitable ground, and of the large number of varieties, 25 have been selected for fur- ther study. It is already apparent that there was a large duplica- tion of varieties received under different names. The reduction of these duplicates will prove of value to future investigators. Work is under way on the improvement of those crops of the island that are known to the mass of the people. These include yams, yautias, sweet potatoes, pigeon peas, beans, etc. A collection of 25 varieties of yams has been made and they are being tested for yield, quality, etc. Two varieties. Potato and Guinea, appear most promising for cultivation in Porto Rico, as they yield heavih^ and possess desirable culinary qualities. The work with vegetables is being continued to determine the causes of rapid deterioration in qualit}'. Some attention is being given to ornamental trees and shrubs, and hardwood and nut-bearing trees. Thousands of trees have been distributed through schools and planters, and the work seems to be rapidly gaining in appreciation. The chemical department has made decided progress during the year. A large amount of analytical work was completed and a number of important lines of investigations were continued. These include studies on soil disinfection, the availability of nitrogen and phosphoric acid in the native bat guanos, the effect of strongly cal- careous, soils on the growth and composition of plants, the action of lime in inducing chlorosis of plants, and the effect of various ratios of lime and magnesia on the growth of plants. The results obtained in the disinfection of soils which have become unproductive through the presence of organisms of various kinds indicate that a wider range of experiments is necessary before definite conclusions can be drawn. The study of the cause of chlorosis in pineapples has been concluded and the results have been published. It was found that the Cdndition for chlorosis was too much carbonate of lime in the soil. Two or more per cent of calcium carbonate in soils was found I INSULAR EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 27 (letriniental to pineapple growing, and a survey of soils is recom- mended before planting to this crop. Xew problems have been taken up during the past year, the most important of -which are the best treatment of the red clay soils of the island and a cooperative study of chlorosis in sugar cane. The worli in animal husbandry has been considerably broadened, and it now includes horse breeding to improve the size and conforma- tion of the horse, breeding for work oxen, breeding of dairy cattle, as well as the introduction and breeding of hogs, sheep^ and poultry. The surplus stock is sold to planters, and the demand is always in excess of the supply. The investigations on the mineral nutrition of pigs, begun last year, have been concluded, and the results indicate that calcium chlorid can profitably be used with rations deficient in lime. The work with poultry is very gratifying. xV large number of fowls and settings of eggs were disposed of during the year, and pure-bred poultry or crosses of the introduced breeds are to be found in nearly every community. Some work in dairying has been begun, the object of which is the more sanitary handling of milk. Some preliminary investigations in the production of forage crops have been begun, and a variety of sorghum introduced from Barbados has given heavy yields on dry, hilly lands. The work in making and feeding silage has been continued, and it appears that the produc- tion of good silage offers fewer obstacles than in a temperate climate. During th.e past year an association of the sugar planters of the 'island established an experiment station, placing a tonnage tax on their product for its maintenance. This station will study the peculiar problems relative to the production and manufacture of sugar, and the Federal station will be relieved of much work it had been im- pelled to carry on with this crop. Some cane breeding and a few cooperative experiments that were begun some years ago will be concluded, but otherwise investigations on this crop will be dis- continued. The efforts of the station to secure diversification are meeting with success, and intensive farming is assuming its proper place in the agriculture of Porto Eico. GUAM STATION. Much work has been done at the Guam station in the construction of new buildings, building roads, clearing and draining lands, etc. The new office building was completed and occupied in the fall of 1910, and the use of the rented quarters was discontinued. X store- house in which to keep the farm implements was completed during the year, as was a stock barn 30 by 40 feet in extent,. This gives ample space for 12 head of stock, with the necessary feed and storage room for a large amount of hay or other forage. The road system 28 REPORT OP OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. has been extended by the construction of about 1,000 feet of cascajo road, and walks have been made about the new oflice building. A lawn of Bermuda grass has been established, and ornamental and hedge plants set out. These are kept clean and in order as examples of neatness and cleanliness, which are generally lacking about the native home. -Upon the occupancy of the new quarters it was pos- sible to inaugurate a system of records that a lack of suitable office space had made impossible. Considerable additions Avere made to the office equipment, and the beginning has been made of a station library. The field operations with all crops were more successful than during the previous year, due probably to the improved condition of the soil which followed a year's proper cultivation. The leading investigation continues to be the production of feed and forage pre- liminary to experiments on the improvement of the live stock of the island, and includes experiments with corn, various grasses, and leguminous forage plants. The experin:ients with corn during the year were to test the Mexi- can June corn from Manila in comparison with the native corn. The yield of the Mexican June corn was heavier, the ears were filled better, and the grain deeper and less flinty than the native varieties, but in an experiment on keeping seed corn under iden- tical conditions the samples of Mexican June lost all ability to ger- minate, while a perfect stand of native corn was obtained. These experiments are to be continued and extended so as to include varieties of corn from practically all tropical countries. The experiments with the grasses have shown the superior value of Para grass, followed by Paspalum dilatatum and Guinea gi"ass, over all others tried. The Para grass, which was introduced through the Hawaii Experiment Station, has multiplied until the station now has an acre planted, which is to be extended, and has distributed a large number of clumps of roots for planting. The production of forage from several of the nonsaccharine sorghums has been fully demonstrated. Of the leguminous plants under observation the pigeon pea, jack bean, and common peanut have given promise of success. Much work has been carried on with vegetables. For some, addi- tional data regarding the proper planting season must be secured. Beets planted in March have done well. Patolas {Lvffa cegyptica) ^ a vegetable usually cooked with meat or in soup, has been intro- duced from Manila and has proved very satisfactory. This vege- table was formerly grown in Guam, but the stock had apparently been exhausted. Limited quantities of seed of this vegetable have been distributed during the year. Radishes, especially a variety grown by the Chinese gardeners about Manila, have given excellent INSULAR EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 29 results. Carrots were tested and gave full satisfaction. Onion seed planted in December failed to germinate. Where sets were received from the United States and planted, fairly good bulbs were pro- duced. Watermelons have given excellent results, but muskmelons failed to ripen well and Avere lacking in flavor. Cucumbers, lettuce, and eggplants gave good yields of excellent quality. Less success has been attained with cabbage and tomatoes, but further trials are in jDrogress. One of the most striking achievements is in the introduction of the Smooth Cayenne pineapple from Hawaii. The plants have fruited, are of excellent, quality, and many fruits weighed as much as 10 pounds, as compared with a maximum weight of 4 pounds for the native fruit. There is much interest in this fruit, and the sta- tion will distribute 1,000 or more plants this year. A number of other varieties of pineapples have been introduced for trial at the station. The results with avocados, oranges, lemons, and pomelos have been satisfactory, the trees making good growth, but all are too young to bear fruit. An attempt is being made to introduce Japanese jjersimmons, and trees of 10 varieties have been secured for trial in different parts of the island. Peen-to peaches, several varieties of grapes, strawberries, some Philii:)pine varieties of ba- nanas, and many other fruits have been introduced and are being given a trial. Miscellaneous plants, such as Ceara rubber, kola nut, camphor, hedge plants, and some ornamentals are being tested. A Ceara rubber tree attained a height of 16 feet and a circumference of 10 inches 3 feet from the ground in a year from the planting of the seed. Mention has been made in previous reports of the desirability of taking up experiments on the improvement of the live stock of the island. All stock is very much degenerated, owing to various causes. The horses are small and weak, likewise the cattle. A number of head of cattle were slaughtered for beef last year, and animals rang- ing from 20 months to 2^ years dressed 125|^ to 358 pounds. The practicability of producing forage in sufficient quantity for stock having been demonstrated, experiments looking toward the improve- ment of the live stock of the island have been begun. There were purchased for the station 6 head of Morgan horses, 4 of Ayrshire cattle, 4 Berkshire hogs, and 8 each of Barred Plymouth Kock and Brown Leghorn chickens. Before shipment was made one of the cows dropped a fine male calf. All the stock was sent to Guam on the Army transport Dix^ which sailed from Seattle September 15, 1911. The animals were safely landed in Guam about a month later, and, with one exception, all are reported in flourishing condi- tion. The oldest bull died about two months after landing with 30 EEPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. symptoms resembling tick fever. Ticks abound on the island, but they were not known to be infected, as they probably are. The other cattle showed some rise in temperature, but have apparently recovered, as no further loss has been reported. This stock has been fed almost exclusively on station-grown forage and grain, proving the possibilities of the island in this respect. If this preliminary introduction proves successful, other breeding animals will be intro- duced into Guam as opportunity offers. A growing interest in the work of the station is noted, and all re- quests for seeds and plants have been granted as far as supplies were available, and instructions given regarding their planting and care, every encouragement being offered to increase interest and bring success to the planter. The cordial cooperation of the local author- ities in furthering the station's work has aided materially in the attempt being made to improve the agricultural condition of the island. NUTRITION INVESTIGATIONS. The nutrition investigations of the Office of Experiment Stations have to do with the value of agricultural products, both animal and vegetable, used as food, and the work has been continued along a number of lines. Studies have been made with the respiration calorimeter of the relative ease of digestion of cheese (American Cheddar) and meat (beef) when used in ordinary amounts as part of a mixed diet. The results do not indicate that marked differences exist in the ease of digestion of these foodstuffs under such conditions. Many tests have been carried on also with respect to methods of preparing cheese for the table. On the basis of this and earlier work with cheese, an article on this foodstuff and other possible substitutes for meat was prepared for the Yearbook of the department for 1910. and also a Farmers' Bulle- tin on Cheese and its Economical Uses in the Diet, which considers the ways in which cheese may be used in quantity as a palatable, whole- some, and nutritious part of the daily food. Material has also been accumulated for use in a technical bulletin on the digestibilit}' and nutritive value of different sorts of cheese, which brings together results of extended series of experiments, including those carried on in cooperation with the Bureau of Animal Industry, which have been summarized in a circular of that bureau. Numerous improvements have been made in method and equipment in the respiration calorimeter laboratory. Very important acces- sory apparatus has been installed which gi'eatly facilitates the heat measurements in experiments with the respiration calorimeter and gives an automatic and .continuous record of the heat output which I NUTRITIOK INVESTIGATIONS. 31- insures accuracy as well as economy of operation. The new appa- ratus includes a device for the automatic control, as it enters the respiration chamber, of the water current which carries out the heat liberated in the chamber and a device for securing automatically a continuous record of the temperature, as it leaves the chamber, of this water current ; in other words, the measurements of the energy output of the subject are made automatically and continuously with an accuracy which could not be reached hitherto. At the same time the labor of conducting the experiments has been greatly lessened, a matter of much importance in experiments which continue uninter- ruptedly for a number of days at a time. Some of the improve- ments in the respiration calorimeter have been noted in the descrip- tion of it in its present form, which appeared in the Yearbook of the department for 1910. During the past year a new line of investigations has been under- taken with the respiration calorimeter, which marks a departure in studies of this kind and indicates a broader application of the experimental method. These newer experiments have to do with problems connected with the ripening of fruit and have shown that the apparatus is applicable to such studies. Several bunches of bananas were placed in the respiration chamber and kept under observation during the active ripening process, which was completed to the usual commercial stage. During this time the oxygen con- sumption, the carbon dioxid excretion, and the heat elimination were determined. The data obtained indicate that physical and chemical factors of great value in the study of this problem, which is of both practical and theoretical importance, can be accurately measured with the respiration calorimeter. It has been found very desirable to employ a smaller respiration chamber for such work, since it involves the handling of smaller quantities of fruit and a better control of experimental conditions. Consequently, a respiration calorimeter more suited in size to these particular investigations has been constructed in which the respira- tion chamber is 18 by 18 by 36 inches in size. Recording and con- trolling devices of special construction involving much that is new and original have been used in this apparatus to such an extent that the calorimeter will be very largely automatic in operation and can be operated at the same time and by the eame observers as are employed upon the other calorimeter in experiments with man. The work thus far done with ripening fruits was undertaken in cooperation with the Bureau of Chemistry of this department, and it marks the adaptation of the respiration calorimeter to a wider range of investigation along lines in which it has not hitherto been employed and in which investigations have not been numerous owing to a lack of adequate methods. It has demonstti'atecl that the instrument is fully 32 KEPOET OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. as Avell suited for the study of certain fundamental problems of plant life as it is for the study of similar problems of animal life. Plans are already under consideration for experiments on a variety of such problems, with the object of securing data needed in projects which the Department of Agriculture has under investigation. The apparatus can be used in similar ways in studying such prob- lems as the changes which take place when meat or cheese or other farm products are cured or ripened and factors which influence these changes — problems which are of commercial interest as well as of agricultural, domestic, and scientific importance. The small respiration calorimeter has been so constructed that with a little modification of the metal-walled respiration chamber it can be used for experiments with small animals as subjects should cooperative work between bureaus of the department make this de- sirable. As is the case in the respiration-calorimeter experiments with men as subjects, ample provision can be made for the comfort of the animals in such experiments, in order that the results may be normal. It would be particularly useful to study by these or similar methods the influence of heat and of the moisture and carbon-dioxid effect of the air upon eggs during incubation by a hen and by artificial methods, and also to study in detail the respiratory and energy changes of incubating eggs. This new calorimeter work has been spoken of in recent publica- tions.^ A micro-calorimeter for use in the experimental study of very small quantities is being installed. With it some of the details of fruit-ripening problems now under investigation can be advanta- geously studied as well as other questions. This piece of apparatus materially extends the possibilities of studying agricultural problems by calorimetric methods, but involves little that is new in the way of equipment since the recording and controlling devices already in use with the larger calorimeters serve for this kind of work also. During the fiscal year a technical bulletin, entitled " Calcium, Mag- nesium, and Phosphorus in Food and Nutrition," has been published, as well as a series of 15 colored food and diet charts. A Farmers' Bulletin on the care of milk and its use in the home has been issued in cooperation with the Bureau of Animal Industry. A circular on food customs and diet in American homes has been published, as well as two articles already referred to, which have appeared in the Year- book of the department, and numerous summaries, which have appeared in annual reports and similar publications. There has also 1 Experiment Station Record, 24 (1911), pp. 601-606; U. S. Dept. .\gr., OfBce Expt. Stas. Circ. 116. IRRIGATION INVESTIGATIONS. 33 been preiDared for publication during the fiscal year a technical bulle- tin and two popular bulletins. The work of collecting and editing data on food and nutrition topics has been continued, as has also the preparation of material for publication in the Experiment Station Eecord and in the subseries of Farmers' Bulletins entitled Experiment Station Work. An in- creasingly large amount of time is required for providing data on nutrition and related topics, requested by housewives, teachers, and other correspondents. During the year 1912 it is proposed to continue the work with cheese and meat already in hand, in so far as this seems necessary, and to undertake studies with the respiration calorimeter, in coopera- tion with the Bureau of Animal Industry, of the nutritive value of table and culinary fats, supplementing this work by special studies of the use of different fats in preparing foods for the table- and of the general use in the diet of this important group of foodstuffs. Plans have also been made for extended studies of the gaseous exchange and energ;\^ transformations of fruits and vegetables during the ripening period, this Avork to be carried on in cooperation with other bureaus of the department. Such work Avill be greatly facilitated by the use of the small respiration calorimeter which has been constructed. For the year 1913 plans have been formulated which involve addi- tional cooperative studies with the respiration calorimeter of prob- lems concerned with fruits and vegetables during ripening and stor- age, and other physiological studies of plant growth, as well as studies of the changes which take place in animal food products — for instance, butter, eggs, and cured meats during different conditions of storage. It is also proposed to supplement the technical work by studies of problems of household interest and to continue the preparation of popular bulletins and otlier publications to meet the demands which are made for them. IRRIGATION INVESTIGATIONS. The increased appropriation granted by Congress for the irrigation investigatiojis of this office has made it possible to broaden the scope of the work and to place agents in several States where they have been needed for some time. The work has been continued along the same general lines outlined in my report for 1910, and is still under the direction of Samuel Fortier, chief. The most important changes and extensions in the w^ork are noted in the following paragraphs: CALIFORNIA. Agreements have been entered into between the Department of Agriculture and the conservation commission created by the 1911 56095°— 12 3 34 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. session of the California Legislature, whereby the commission has agreed to set aside $17,500 to be expended under the supervision of this office in preparing an irrigation map and ascertaining the folloAv- ing facts : The water suppW, both surface and underground, available for irrigation; the extent, character, and location of agi'icultural lands susceptible of irrigation ; the present extent of irrigation ; and the extent and location of unused waters. COLORADO. The Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station is now expending $5,800 in cooperating with this office in conducting experiments per- taining to the construction of weirs and concrete striicturas, irriga- tion by pumping, coefficients of friction in ditches, and the iiTigation and drainage requirements of different crops. V. M. Cone is in charge of this work. KANSAS. The legislature of this State in its 1911 session appropriated $2,000 per annum for two years to cooperate with this office in determining the water requirements of the Kansas crops, the proper time to irri- gate, the possibilities of using small water supplies in the short-grass country, and the methods and cost of irrigating from wells. Experi- ments along these lines are being carried on with water pumped from a well on the farm of the Garden City substation of the Kansas State Experiment Station. MONTANA. S. T. Harding was placed in charge of the work in this State at the beginning of the irrigation season of 1911. The season just past has been largely spent in collecting data for the preparation of a bulletin on imgation in Montana. Henceforth he will spend the greater part of his time in collecting data as to the methods and prac- tices in use in the State and in advising and assisting settlei*s in adopting better methods. NEBRASKA. F. W. Stanley was assigned to this State in June, 1911, and has collected data and prepared a bulletin on irrigation in the State. An agent will be maintained in the State during the coming year. NEVADA. Investigations to determine the seepage from and the waters rehirn- ing to Humboldt River, the evaporation losses from iri'igated lands, and the effect of different amounts of water on the quantity and quality of the yields of crops are being carried on in this State in cooperation with the Nevada Agi-icultural Experiment Station and the State engineer. F. L. Peterson has charge of this work. IKKIGATION INVESTIGATIONS. 35 OREGON. H. W. Grunsky assumed charge of the work in this State at the beginning of the fiscal year and has collected data and is preparing a bulletin on irrigation in the State. Most of his time in the future will be spent in collecting data in regard to irrigation methods and practices and rendering advice and assistance to settlers, as is being done in the other States. WYOMING. Fred C. Scobey, located at Cheyenne, now has charge of the work in this State. The same lines of w^ork will be continued at the dem- onstration farms at Cheyenne and Newcastle as heretofore. He will also spend a large part of his time in going about from place to place in sections where new lands are being brought under irrigation, with the purpose of demonstrating to new settlers the better methods of preparing land and applying water. During the past year data were collected regarding the irrigation development in the State under the Carey Act and irrigation district law. COOPERATION WITH THE BUREAU OF THE CENSUS. During the past year and a half this office has cooperated with the Bureau of the Census in taking an irrigation census of the United States. Tabulation of the data obtained has been completed in part by the Bureau of the Census and some of the results published. These results bring out clearly three great needs for work such as comes within the field of this office, namely: (1) The collection of data and publishing of bulletins intended to give the information desired by persons contemplating settling in the irrigated sections and to assist both the new and old settlers in solving the many prob- lems which arise in irrigating their lands; (2) investigations and experiments pertaining to the water requirements of crops, preven- tion of losses, and other subjects aifecting the duty of water; (3) a careful study of the organization and management of irrigation enterprises. Construction has far outrun settlement in the irrigated sections during the past 10 years, and the greatest need of the irrigated West to-day is settlers rather than the starting of new projects. The en- terprises now completed or under way are ample to satisfy the demand for lands during the next decade or more. The area irri- gated increased from 7,527,700 acres in 1899 to 13,739,500 acres in 1909. This increase in itself is remarkable and may be attributed in part to the prominence given irrigation by new^spapers, maga- zines, lecturers, and real-estate agents. However, even with this rapid increase, the enterprises reported that by July 1, 1910, they would be able to supply water to an additional 5,596,000 acres, and 36 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. Ihere were 11,776,000 acres more included in the projects under way. A considerable amount, perhaps 20 per cent, of these last items can never be profitably irrigated, being too rough, too high, or alkalied and other waste spots, but, making allowance for such lands and for lands which were settled but not irrigated in 1909, and assuming that the enterprises now under way will be the only ones undertaken, settlers will be needed for an area as great as that reclaimed by irri- gation in the last 50 years. The Reclamation Service which has charge of the construction of the Government irrigation works finds itself confronted with the same problem of securing settlers rapidly enough. Director Newell, of that bureau, stated on February, 1912, in the hearing before the House Committee on the Irrigation of Arid Land, that the estimated total area for completed Government projects was 2,937,838 acres, of which amount 711,124 acres were irrigated in 1911, and the service would be prepared to supply water to 1,113,766 acres in 1912. AID TO SETTLERS. This need of settlers gives rise to very urgent demands for two kinds of information : First, conservative, unbiased information con- cerning the conditions and possibilities of the several sections, to- gether with the cost of obtaining lands and water and preparing and bringing the ^and under cultivation, etc. ; and, second, informa- tion to assist new, as well as old, settlers in adopting the best methods of preparing land and distributing and applying the water. The irrigated lands of the West must be peopled almost entirely from the farming regions of the Mississippi Valley and the cities of the East- ern and North Central States. While many of these may have farmed in humid regions, very few know anything of irrigation fanning, and a considerable number have had no agricultural ex- perience whatever. Many of them also are staking the savings of years upon this venture, wdth little to guide them except the glow- ing advertisements of real-estate men, chambers of commerce, immi- gration commissioners, and others interested in the disposal of lands or the settlement of certain sections or States. The success of these settlers and the prosperity of the communities will depend largely upon the newcomers getting properly located, knowing in advance the problems and difficulties they must encounter, and in being prop- erly started in their new work. This office is meeting both of these needs, the first by the series of bulletins upon irrigation in the several States, and the second by the bulletins upon the irrigation of different crops and by plac- ing in each State one or more agents who teach the settlers the best methods of j^reparing the land and applying water, by traveling IRRIGATION INVESTIGATIONS. 37 about collecting data, delivering talks at gatherings of farmers, and visiting the irrigators personally. USE OF WATER. The rapid extension of the irrigated area is also giving rise to a number of problems in regard to the water supply. Up to a few years {!go only the lands lying next to the streams, and therefore easily and cheaply irrigated, Avere settled, and the Avater supply was far in excess of the demands made upon it. To-day more distant and le'ss accessible lands are being taken up, more costly works are nec- essary, and in some sections more than the maximum water supply in the most favorable years is filed on. The census returns show that the cost of works has increased from an average of $8.89 per acre irrigated in 1899 to an average of $15.76 per acre for the acreage the enterprises were prepared to supply water to in 1910. Further development, except in a few cases, will be possible only by the construction of still more costly diversion and storage works, or by the installation of pumping plants. In but few sections of the arid and semiarid region is the water supply ample to reclaim more than a small part of the arable lands and the area that will ulti- mately be irrigated is limited only by the possibility of getting water and the cost of obtaining it. Thousands of acres can never be reclaimed until the duty of water upon lands already under irri- gation has been raised by reducing the losses due to seepage and evaporation in bringing the water to the land and applying it, by devising and introducing better and more economical methods of distribution and application, and by preventing the wasting of water so commonly practiced by irrigators in order to hold the en- tire amount granted by State statutes passed when water was plen- tiful, settlers few, and methods crude. Even to-day thousands of acres are being water logged and alkalied and crop yields reduced by the use of too much water, while adjoining lands of equal, or Qven greater, fertility can be used only for range, owing to the lack of water. A higher duty of Avater Avill also enable a much larger area to be settled, for if larger tracts can be irrigated from the same works, per acre costs of construction will be reduced and kept from becom- ing exorbitant, as they are noAv tending to do. « Four things, besides the hearty cooperation of the irrigators, Avill be necessary in bringing about a higher duty of Avater and the ex- tension of the area irrigated : (1) The flood and out-of -season flow of streams must 1)0 conserA'ecl by storage and winter irrigations. (2) The best methods of distributing and applying water in the several irrigated regions nmst be studied and modifications Avorked 38 EEPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. out in order to improve them or better adapt them to the different conditions in other localities. These methods, or their modifications, must then be introduced by means of bulletins describing them and by demonstrations carried on under the supervision of men who know both the scientific and the practical sides of irrigation. The methods in general use in most localities are largely a blind imita- tion of those used by the earliest settlers, and in many cases are poorly adapted to the changes in crops grown and the amount of water available for irrigation. Many localities, however, have de- vised one or more highly developed methods as the result of the experimentation of one or two men. In many cases, however, these methods are very local in their use, and their introduction into other sections will be exceedingly slow if left entirely to the settlers themselves. (3) Although the demand for engineers for the designing and construction of works will probably not be so great as in the past, another and a broader field now opens for engineering ability. Econ- omy in the conversance and distribution of water is necessitating the replacement of old wooden structures with concrete ones; the substitution of flumes, lined ditches, and underground pipe lines for unlined ditches; the installation of weirs and measuring devices; the use of pimping plants; and the more careful laying out, level- ing, and preparation of fields. Companies are coming to see more and more the need for a class of engineers who are well versed in agriculture and irrigation management, as well as in location and construction. (4) State legislation must be enacted that will favor dutj' of water investigations and encourage, if not render compulsory, a more economical use of water for irrigation purposes. Under most, if not all, existing laws, the irrigator who prepares his land care- lessly and uses the cruder methods of irrigation, and the one who uses more water than he knows is best merely that he may keep his full appropriation for an abnormally dry year, retain their appro- priation, while the irrigator who, because of the careful preparation of his lands, the use of the most improved methods of application, and thorough cultivation, is able to raise as good or better crops with a less amount of Avater, is not permitted to reap any reward foj his extra cost and labor, but must return tlie surplus water to the stream for the use of others. Under such conditions the pro- gressive irrigator is not anxious to cooperate with this or any other office in conducting experiments that will furnish evidence that 1 cubic foot per second per 100 acres constitutes beneficial use on his lands, while such experiments can not be used as evidence against his neighbor who uses 1 cubic foot on only TO acres of similar land. IRRIGATION INVESTIGATIONS. 39 MANAGEMENT OF IRRIGATION ENTERPRISES. One of the most noteworthy facts brought out by the census re- turns is the large percentage of the area under irrigation that is under S3'stems managed by the irrigators themselves, and the great area in enterprises under way that is or will eventually come under such organizations. The following table shows the acreage and the percentage included in each type of organization : Acreage and percentage of lands irrigated in 1909 and included in enterprises under way, divided according to type of organization. Type of enterprise. Irrigated in 1909. Included in enter- prises under way. Individual and partnership Cooperative Commercial Irrigation districts Carey Act United States Reclamation Service United States Indian Service Total Acres. 6,258,401 4,646,039 1,444,806 533,142 288,5.53 395,646 172,912 13,739,499 Per cent. 45.5 33.8 10.6 3.9 2.1 2.9 1.2 Acres. 10, 154, 153 8,84.5,437 5,096,337 1,589,865 2,573,874 1,973,016 879,068 100.0 31,112,100 Per cent. 32.7 28.5 16.3 5.1 8.3 6.3 2.8 100.0 k Nearly 11,438,000 acres, or over 84 per cent of the total acreage irri- gated in 1909, was in individual, partnership, or cooperative enter- prises or irrigation districts, the management of all of which is in the hands of the irrigators themselves. When the enterprises of these types now under way are completed, and the Carey Act and Eeclama- tion Service projects settled and the management turned over to the settlers, more than 25,000,000 acres, or 81 per cent of the lands then irrigated, will be in enterprises managed by the irrigators. More- over, judging by the trend of the past 15 years, a considerable part of the systems now constructed or being constructed by com- mercial companies will pass into the hands of the irrigators, and it is safe to say that eventually 85 per cent of all the lands irrigated will be in enterprises managed by the irrigators themselves. Many changes in the organization of the enterprises already man- aged by the irrigators will also take place. Reorganizations will be necessary to meet new conditions, necessary extensions, etc. ; consoli- dation of private, partnership, and small cooperative ditches must needs follow the increase in the value of water in many sections; some of the large cooperative companies will find the district form of organization advantageous; and in some cases the Carey Act or- ganizations will be changed to irrigation districts soon after the settlers obtain unencumbered title to their lands and the management has been turned over to them by the constructing companies. The irrigators are thus brought face to face with all the varied and complicated problems of organizing, financing, constructing, operat- 40 KEPORT OP OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. ing, and maintaining a canal system ; and the need for advice and assistance along all these lines is urgent, especially in those sections which have been settled up rapidl}^ by people, most of whom are with- out experience in irrigating or irrigation management. The demands upon this office for information along these lines are rapidly increas- ing in number, and it is the intention of the office to devote consider- able time during the next few years to a study of such features of canal management as organization of enterprises, extensions, better- ment, measurement and delivery of water, operation, maintenance, water charges, and revenues and expenditures. BEAINAGE INVESTIGATIONS. During the year a plan hitherto applied onl}^ to those members of the staff engaged in the investigation of the drainage of irrigated land was extended to include the entire field force. This consisted in assigning each of the field engineers to permanent headquarters. These headquarters are well distributed over those parts of the coun- try in which the drainage investigations of the office are mainly cen- tered, and were selected Avith regard to their availability as bases for operations. This arrangement not only effects a considerable saving in the time and expense incident to traveling, but enables each repre- sentative to become acquainted with the peculiar needs of his terri- tory and to keep in touch with the local drainage situation ; the office is thus enabled to render more efficient and economical service. The expansion of the work of drainage investigations, due to the general increase of interest in the subject of land drainage, necessi- tated an increase during the year in the staff of office engineers and draftsmen. The members of the staff of some 25 field engineers were constantly engaged in giving advice on concrete drainage jorob- lems within their territories, in the collection of technical data useful to engineers and others in planning the drainage of lands, in making preliminary examinations and reports on prospective drainage under- takings, or in carrying on detailed drainage surveys, formulating plans, and making reports upon those projects in which the office deemed it advisable to participate to that extent. The field repre- sentatives of the office also assisted in the organization of drainage districts, and rendered aid in the formulation of efficient State drain- age laws such as are necessary before drainage undertakings can be carried out. The main lines of work carried on Avere the same as in former years, viz: (1) Improvement of farm lands now under cultivation; (2) the drainage of swamp and marsh lands; (3) the reclamation of land subject to damage by overflow of streams; (4) the drainage of irrigated lands; (5) general technical investigations; and (6) the dis- semination of information relating to drainage. The improvement of DRAINAGE INVESTIGATIONS. 41 farm land consists mainly in designing tile-drainage systems and outlet ditches and in supervising their construction. The classi- fication swamp and marsh lands includes those areas which are per- manently or periodically too wet for cultivation, due either to entire lack of outlet, to inefficiency of outlet, or to tidal encroachment. In this class are the tidal marshes along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, and by far the greater part of the enormous undeveloped swamp areas of the Southern States. The reclamation of OA^erflowed land presents intricate problems calling for the highest engineering judg- ment to determine the maximum rate of run-off, the economical sizes of channels, the proper location and dimensions of levees, and the best arrangement for the interior drainage system. The continued irrigation of lands in the arid region has resulted in the injur}'^ of a very considerable part of those lands by seepage water and the con- centration of alkali on or near the ground surface. The drainage problems are peculiar to the irrigated region, their solution requir- ing special study and no little experience in interpreting the effect of subsurface conditions upon the movement of the ground water. The collection of technical data relating to drainage is an im- portant part of the work of drainage investigations. A knowledge of the relation of run-off to rainfall, topogi-aphy, and vegetation is of basic importance in the design of adequate and economical drain- age works, yet very few data on this subject are at present available. Considerable work has been done along this line during the year. Investigations have also been made of the special problems of pumping for drainage and of tidal marsh reclamation, and some ex- periments have been made to determine the practicability of using explosives in the construction of ditches. C. G. Elliott was in charge of drainage investigations, and all work was done under his direction. IMPROVEMENT OF FARM LANDS. O. G. Baxter made a survey and plans for drainage on the Arkan- sas State Penitentiary farm in Lincoln County, Ark. The entire farm was surveyed, but detailed plans were prepared for under- draining only a 32-acre experimental tract. Plans were made b}?^ J. R. Haswell for the tile drainage of a por- tion of the farm owned by Judge Max L. McRae, in Telfair County, Ga. The farm consists of about 1,400 acres, of which 375 acres are in cultivation. On the farm of the Bureau of Animal Industry, United States Department of Agriculture, near Beltsville, Md., S. H. McCrory surveyed a poorly drained area and laid out a system of underdrains. Plans were made for laying about 10,000 feet of tile to drain about 50 acres. 42 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. C. AV. Okey made a surve}^ of a part of the farm of Dr. L. S. Kogers, near West, Miss., which is situated in the bottoms of the Big Black River, and planned the necessary tile drainage for about 200 acres of wet land. Walnut Grove plantation is located in Coahoma County, Miss., hear the Mississippi River. The plantation has well-defined natural drainage channels, but requires the use of tile to maintain efficient drainage. Plans were prepared by S. H. McCroiy for the part of the land most difficult to reclaim. The drainage of this plantation has been under way for two or three years. At the request of Prof. B. W. Kilgore, director of the North Caro- lina Experiment Station, the office made examinations and surveys of three of the test farms of the State, these being known as the Willard, Rocky Mount, and Elmwood. Portions of all of these farms were surveyed by J. R. Haswell, and plans furnished by him for providing efficient drainage. James Island, S. C, lies directly opposite the city of Charleston. The island has a total area of about 20,000 acres, and it is intersected by numerous small tidal streams extending into the interior. Its general elevation is but a few feet above mean low water and tidal action greatly interferes with the natural drainage. Climatic con- ditions there are so favorable that when properly protected and drained the land yields large returns. George M. Warren made a survey including about 10,600 acres of the most favorably situated land and submitted plans for its protection from tidal encroachment and for its drainage. J. R. Haswell surveyed and made plans for the drainage of a portion of the property of Dr. Albert Shaw, known as the Sterling Farm, in Loudoun County, Va. The total area of the farm is 1,G00 acres, mostly hill land. There the problem of drainage was to pro- tect the flat area from the drainage water coming from the hills. The Bureau of Plant Industry of the Department of Agriculture conducts an experimental farm at Arlington, Va. Certain parts of this farm require artificial drainage, considerable tile having been laid in years past. A survey of the farm was made by 11. A. Kipp, who laid out plans for the installation of about 30,000 additional feet of tile. DRAINAGE OF SWAMP LANDS. In southeastern Arkansas, between Bayou BartholomeAv and Crooked Bayou in the counties of Chicot, Drew, and Desha, are some 26,000 acres of land at present practically useless for agricultural purposes owing to lack of drainage outlet; following a wet season the water remains over the area for months. O. G. Baxter made a survey of this tract and prepared plans for the necessary drainage channels to remove the surplus water. DEAINAGE INVESTIGATIONS. 43 J. R. Haswell formulated plans for improving McRae Branch, Telfair Count}^ Ga. This branch is the main outlet for the drainage of the flat lands in the vicinity, and its improvement, together with the construction of necessary laterals, is essential as a preliminary step to the complete drainage of the adjoining 1,650 acres of " flat woods." The Belzoni Drainage District lies in the eastern part of Washing- ton County, Miss. An extensive survey was made under the super- vision of H. A. Kipp, who worked out plans for the reclamation of 90,000 acres in this district. The report on that project has been issued in printed form.^ The drainage conditions in that district and the corrective methods to be pursued are representative of many similar areas in the Yazoo Delta which, though having rich alluvial soil, are not available for cultivation without drainage. Lewis A. Jones surveyed and made plans for the drainage of 25,600 acres of seeped and overflowed bench land along the Elkliorn River, in Holt County, Nebr. Ninety per cent of this area is at present too wet for cultivation, being only suitable for wild hay. The damage is due partly to insufficient channel capacity above the area under con- sideration, but mostly to the seepage from the adjoining hill land, the latter condition being the cause of almost uniform saturation of the bench lands during- the spring and early summer months. There has been formed in Robeson County, N. C, the Back Swamp and Jacob Swamp Drainage District. The territory included in this district was surveyed under the supervision of S. H. McCrory, who prepared detailed plans and estimates for the necessary drainage im- provement. The report has been published as a bulletin of the office.- The district contains 32,850 acres of wet land in which drainage con- ditions are due to lack of efficient outlet, it being in this respect repre- sentative of other large areas in eastern North Carolina. The Hopkins Drainage District, in Richland County, S. C, con- tains some 24,000 acres which are not available for cultivation owing to poor drainage outlets. The swampy condition results in malaria to such an extent that white people are unable to reside continuously in that section. The drainage improvements formulated by J. V. Phillips, following a survey of the district, contemplate the complete drainage of 3,500 acres of rich bottom land in addition to so improv- ing the entire health condition of the district that it may be settled by progressive people. In Charleston County, S. C, the McClellanville Drainage District has been organized to include 4,450 acres, 1,245 of which are con- tained in the permanently wet Little Wambaw Swamp. This area, although naturally very fertile has poor drainage outlets, and on 1 U. S. Dept. Agr., Office Expt. Stas. Bui. 244. 2U. S. Dept. Agr., Office Expt. Stas. Bui. 240. 44 KEPOKT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. that account is too wet to be cultivated except to a small extent. F. G. Eason made a survey and plan for the improvement of this dis- trict. RECLAMATION OF OVERFLOWED LANDS. S. H. McCrory made a survey of a portion of Little Hurricane Creek, Tuscaloosa County, Ala., and formulated plans for protecting the bottom land. Though rather narrow, these bottoms are very fertile and would be highly productive if protected from overflow. By the recommended improvements 500 acres would be protected from ordinary fl[oods and as much more benefited to a less degree. The West Fork of the Des Moines River in Palo Alto, Pocahontas, and Humboldt Counties, Iowa, presents a typical example of agi'i- cultural loss due to an overflowing small stream, its recurring floods having prevented cultivation of the adjoining bottoms for several years. O. G. Baxter supervised a survey of this portion of the river and made plans for protecting 14,770 acres from overflow. The report upon this project was published by the Iowa State Drain- age, Waterways, and Conservation Commission in its report for 1910. F. F, Shafer conducted a survey and made plans for the reclama- tion of 40.000 acres of bottom land along the Cottonwood Eiver, in Lyon, Chase, and Marion Counties, Ivans. This is a highly pros- perous agricultural valley in which several thriving towns are located. The damage by overflow from this river has been enor- mous, the loss from this source during the past eight or nine years having been estimated at not less than $2,000,000. The Haw River, with its tributaries, in Rockingham and Guilford Counties, N. C, has l)een the cause of great agricultural loss in recent years, frequent overflows preventing successful cultivation of the adjoining lowlands. Owing to the narrowness of the bottoms, the cost of complete protection would be excessive at this time. This was determined by a survey conducted by S. H. McCrory, who made plans for the partial protection of 3,700 acres. Surveys were made by J. V. Phillips of the Third Creek and Fourth Creek Valleys, in Iredell County, N. C. These creeks typ- ify the poor drainage channels that exist in this section, where inter- mittent overflows prevent the profitable cultivation of the adjoin- ing lowlands. The area that would be benefited by the proposed improvement of Third Creek is 1,825 acres, and by the improvement of Fourth Creek, 1,570 acres. A survey was made by W. W. AVeir of the Black Bear River and its adjoining bottom land, in Noble and Pawnee Counties, Okla. The bottom land examined amounts to 1G,500 acres, which are peri- odically overflowed by the river, whose channel is too small and DRAINAGE INVESTIGATIONS. 45 obstructed to carry the water coming to it. The construction of the recommended improvements would result in much benefit to the valley. Lying along the Chickahominy Kiver in Hanover, New Kent, Henrico, and Charles City Counties, Va., is a low, wet area contain- ing about 15,000 acres, known as the Chickahominy Swamp. Under present conditions these lowlands can not be cultivated with any assurance of success, owing principally to overflow due to the in- sufficient channel of the Chickahominy River. Under the super- vision of George M. Warren a survey was made of this portion of the river and its adjoining bottom land, and recommendations and estimates made for increasing the capacity of the river to afford protection from ordinary floods. DRAINAGE OF IRRIGATED LANDS. Some especially perplexing problems in the reclamation of seeped lands have been presented in Colorado. Investigations are caiTied on in that State by D. G. Miller, who examined a large number of tracts in the Grand River Valley, made surveys and plans for their drainage, and superintended the execution of the work. Drainage district No. 1, Lemhi County, Idaho, was visited by R. A. Hart, who examined in detail the plans for ridding the dis- trict of alkali and surplus water resulting from overirrigation, which had rendered the land of the district unproductive. Investigations in New Mexico, begun by S. W. Cooper in 1910, have been carried on by him throughout the fiscal year. Assistance was given at many points in the Pecos Valley. This work consisted in the study of methods employed, the planning of drainage systems, and the superintendence of construction. Considerable work was done in the vicinity of Dexter and Roswell, and many other points were given assistance. Drainage investigations in the irrigated section of Texas have been carried on by W. N. Hall, with headquarters at Brownsville. A large number of seeped areas of various extents have been exam- ined and plans worked out by him for their drainage. W. A. Kelley also spent some time in the Rio Grande Valley conducting similar investigations. Further experimental work was done in the Washington Field near St. George, Utah. Drainage systems were planned by R. A. Hart for a number of other tracts in that State^ among them being the Robert Kirkman fami, the Storr Brothers' tract at American Fork, H. P. Hemingsen's farm at Riverton, and the Jensen tract at Murray. C. F. Brown and R. A. Hart worked out plans for reclaim- ing the Hinckley-Deseret and Oasis tracts from seepage and alkali, 46 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. which have so affected the areas that immediate action is the only ahernative to complete abandonment. W. W. Weir has continued investigations begun by J. C. Carpenter in 1910 in the Yakima Valley, Wash. More than 6,000 acres of seeped land in the jNIoxee Valley were studied and drainage plans worked out which have been adopted by the landownei-s. Also, con- siderable work of a consulting nature has been done in reference to a number of smaller tracts. Investigations were made of several areas injured by seepage and alkali in the Big Horn Basin and Shoshone Valley, Wyo. The Bench Canal project, near Germania, was studied by AV. A. Kelley, repre- senting Drainage Investigations in that State, who worked out plans for reclaiming and benefiting 2,400 acres. Other tracts in the vicini- ties of Powell, Byron, and Lovell were visited and assistance rendered. TECHNICAL INVESTIGATIONS. The relation of run-off to rainfall, topography, and other fa(;tors has been studied quite extensively during the year. In making the investigations it was endeavored to select, so far as was practicable, locations typical of the varying climatic, topographic, and soil con- ditions Avith which the drainage engineer must deal. As representa- tive of a watershed of rolling character the Forked Deer Eiver in Jackson County, Tenn., was selected, and there J. V. Phillips made run-off investigations for several months, keeping rainfall records, making measurements of flood flow, and collecting other data. Fred F. Shafer and W. J. Schlick made similar investigations in the flat swamp land of southeast Missouri. C. W. Okey studied run-off con- ditions in the Yazoo Delta, Miss., and in the prairie lands of southern Louisiana. D. L. Yarnell obtained run-off data in the Boggy Baj^ou district near Arkansas City, Ark. The results of these investiga- tions, thoroughly digested, will be prepared for general distribution and will, it is believed, constitute a valuable addition to the meager data noAv extant upon this important subject. S. M. Woodward, after extensive study of the subject, prepared a report upon drainage by pumping.^ Prof. AVoodward made a thor- ough stud}' of past experience and present practice in this method of draining, to determine the proper size, location, arrangement, con- struction, and management of pumping plants and methods of interior drainage, and the costs of this kind of reclamation. The excavation of ditches by the use of dynamite was the subject of some study by J. R. Haswell, F. G. Eason, and Sidney W. Cooper, who participated in several experiments in the endeavor to deter- mine the practicability and cost of this method of constructing ditches. » U. S. Dept. Agr., Office Expt. Stas. Bnl. 243. DRAINAGE INVESTIGATIONS. 47 The reclamation of tidal marshes as practiced in New England, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick was investigated in detail and reported upon by George M. Warren.^ A study of the- effectiveness of tile drainage in the " buckshot " soils of Mississippi was carried on by C. W. Okey. Many special problems peculiar to the drainage of irrigated lands were investi- gated by various engineers of the office. PRELIMINARY EXAMINATIONS AND RECONNOISSANCE. Under this head may be classified a large part of the activities of drainage investigations. Advice is given by the engineers based upon actual field examinations, although little or no instrument work is done in such cases. A reconnoissance is always made by an en- gineer preliminary to an actual drainage survey undertaken by the office. Some of the more important projects covered in this way during the past year are the following: The prairie lands of Alabama ; swamp land in Effingham - and Telfair Counties, Ga.; lands OA^erflowed by the Kootenai River, Idaho; overflowed bottom land of the Potomac River, Montgomery County, Md. ; Green Harbor marsh lands, Plymouth County, Mass. ; Wyaconda River, Clark County, Mo.; Beaver Dam Swamp, Flea Hill drainage district, and Selma Creek, N. C. ; Sumter, Levy Bay. Wappahoola, and Dean Hall plantations, Wadmalaw Island, the lands of the Okeetee Club near Switzerland, and Great Pedee River, S. C. ; Drainage District No. 1 in Norfolk County, swamp land near Newport News, and overflowed land along the Meherrin River, Va. DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION. There is constant application to the office, through the mails, for information and advice on questions covering all phases of land drainage. Thus by correspondence there is given out a great deal of information, some of a general nature and some applied to the specific conditions described by the inquirers. While most of the reports upon examinations and surveys are pre- pared only in typewritten form, a limited number, pertaining to projects peculiarly representative of large areas or affecting a large number of interests, are published for general distribution. The publications of the office during the year that relate to drainage of lands for agriculture are as follows: Report on the St. Francis Valley Drainage Project in Northeastern Arkansas (Office of Experiment Stations Bui. 230) ; A Report upon the Reclamation of the Over- flowed Lands in the Marais des Cygnes Valley, Kans. (Office of Ex- 1 U. S. Dept. Asr- Office Expt. Stas. Bui. 240. -V S. Dept. Agr., Office Expt. Stas. Circ. 113. 48 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. perimeiit Stations Bui, 234) ; A Preliminary Report on the Drainage of the Fifth Louisiana Levee District (Office of Experiment Stations Circ. 104) ; The Drainage Situation in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Tex. (Office of Experiment Stations Circ. 103). In addition, the following reports have been printed in State bul- letins: Drainage Examinations and Surveys in Georgia conducted by Drainage Investigations, Office of Experiment Stations, United States Department of Agriculture, 1908-1911 (Geological Survey of Georgia Bui. 25) ; Drainage in Iowa : The West Fork of the Des Moines River (Report of the Iowa State Drainage, Waterways, and Conservation Commission, 1910). PROMOTION OF AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. The world-wade extent of the agi'icultural education movement was again apparent in 1911. Nearly every civilized country in the world now makes provision for instruction in agriculture in public educational institutions. In man}^ instances the colleges of agricul- ture are departments of universities or are otherwise associated with these higher institutions of learning, and in nearly all cases where new Government universities are established provision is made for colleges of agriculture. For example, a provincial university re- cently provided for by the Legislature of British Colinnbia is to have a college of agriculture with associated schools of forestry, domestic science, and veterinary science. In our card index of foreign agri- cultural schools there are now over 6,500 cards, but in some cases several cards refer to the same school. In the United States nearly every large association of educators has given a prominent place in its program to agricultural educa- tion, and several State commissions have been investigating the edu- cational needs of agriculture and formulating plans for meeting them. One new^ national association of agricultural educators was formed. The fourth session of the Graduate School of Agriculture was held at Ames. Iowa, with a larger enrollment than any previous session, and the announcement was made that the fifth session would be held in 1912 at the Michigan Agricultural College. The attendance at the land-grant colleges and the funds available for their support were larger than in any previous year. The}'^ had 53,700 students in interior courses, and over 35 per cent of these were in agricultural courses. They also had over 169,000 students in ex- terior courses, not including farmers' institute gatherings addressed by college men. The additions to the equipment of these institutions were valued at over five and one-half million dollars. Among the large biennial appropriations to these colleges and universities were PROMOTION OF AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION. 49 p,600,000 to the University of Illinois, $1,283,900 to the University of Minnesota, $985,000 to the Kansas Agricultural College, and $681,500 to the Oregon college. The number of secondary schools reporting students in agricul- ture increat-ed from 630 in 1910 to about 2,000 in 1911 and the number of State-aided courses in agriculture m high schools from 28 to about 250. Since a few high schools having college-trained teachers of agriculture have demonstrated the feasibility and value of teaching agriculture in secondary courses of study there seems to be no limit to the demand for teachers who can do like successful work. The agricultural colleges are organizing courses for the prep- aration of such teachers, but thus far have been utterly unable to meet the demand. Among the elementary schools there has been encouraging prog- ■ ress in nature-study work and in the teaching of elementary agri- culture. Ohio has been added to the list of States requiring the teaching of agriculture in all rural schools. Supervision of that work is now provided for through the appointment of four State supervisors of rural schools. New York and Oregon are also devel- oping rural-school supervision for elementary agriculture. Nearly all of the Southern States have State rural-school supervisors who are promoting the teaching of agriculture. The enrollment in boys' and girls' agricultural clubs in the South increased from 46,000 in 1910 to 60,000 in 1911. In an advisory capacity the United States Department of Agri- culture continued to aid the State authorities in tlie promotion of agricultural education through the agricultural education service of the Office of Experiment Stations. The director of this office has continued to act as bibliographer of the Association of American Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations, as chairman of its committee on instruction in agriculture and on the history of agricultural education, and as dean of the Graduate School of Agri- culture. The agricultural education service, which has remained in charge of Mr. D. J. Crosby, has continued to study the various sys- tems of agricultural education, investigate methods of teaching agri- culture, prepare publications for teachers and others interested in promoting the educational efficiency of the people living in the country^ bring the large amounts of new information on agricultural subjects published by the department and the experiment stations to the attention of teachers and students, and, in general, to act as a clearing house for agricultural education in this country. In this way 22 different States were given special assistance during the year. The detailed report of the specialist in agricultural education will be found on pages 277-341. 5609G°— 12 1 50 EEPOKT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. FAKWERS' INSTITUTES AND EXTENSION WORK. The organization and work of the office of the farmers' institute specialist were not materially modified during the year. As shown in the detailed report given on pages 343-388, there was great activity in this as well as in various other forms of agricultural extension work. The interest of farming people in institute instruction is steadily growing and extending to embrace new and improved lines of effort. The movable school, the women's institute, the high school, the rural school, the instruction train, and the itinerant teacher have been operating and testing their methods as never before, and large num- bei-s of farming people are being reached through these media. • The awakening of country people to the need of agricultural in- struction and to the possibilities of extension teaching has created a demand for ihis instruction far beyond the power of the States to supply. The inadequacy of our present equipment for meeting the educational needs of rural people has become so apparent that sev- eral bills have been presented before Congress looking to additional appropriations for carrying on this work. The States also are add- ing to their appropriations for agricultural extension in ver}?^ marked degree. California has increased the appropriation for institute work from $10,000 to $15,000 per year; Illinois, $23,650 to $29,000; Kansas, $27,500 to $35^000 ; Minnesota, $18,000 to $23,000 ; Nebraska, $10,000 to $17,500; New York, $25,000 to $35,000; Ohio, $22,000 to $26,400; Oklahoma, $5,000 to $10,500; South Dakota, $9,400 to $13,000 ; Utah, $5,000 to $10,000 ; and Washington, $8,500 to $10,000. Thirty-nine State legislatures appropriated $347,850.57 to institute work; to this there was added by 18 States $51,568.75 from other sources, making a total of $399,319.32. There was expended by 39 States for institute purposes $342,746. 62. The State appropriation for 1912 in 33 States is reported at $383,600. Comparing the 33 States reporting appropriations by their State legislatures for 1912 with the same States in their appropriations for 1911 the difference in favor of the coming year is $65,179.61, an increase of over 20 per cent. The office of the farmers' institute specialist has continued to gather information along extension lines and has compiled and published much of it for the l^enefit of extension workers. The following pub- lications relating to extension in agriculture were published : Pro- ceedings of the Fifteenth Annual Meeting of the American Associa- tion of Farmei-s' Institute Workers, Farmers' Institutes for Young People, List of State Directors of Farmers' Institutes and Farmers' Institute Lecturers of the United States, Agi-icultural Fair Associa- tions and Their Utilization in Agricultural Education and Improve- PUBLICATIONS. 51 meiit, and The Transportation Companies as Factors in Agricultural Extension, besides the annual report of the farmers' institute specialist for 1910, a translation of the Agriculture of Belgium, 1885-1910, by J. M. Stedman, assistant farmers' institute specialist, and a revision of a bulletin on Legislation Relating to Farmers'' Institutes in the United States. A number of addresses for conventions and institute meetings were also prepared. The farmers' institute specialist is secretary of the American Association of Farmers' Institute Workers, and as such has the preparation of the program for the annual meet- ing and the editing of the report of the proceedings. He is also secretary of the committee on extension work of the Association of American Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations and assists the committee in collecting information respecting that work. A large and important part of the work of the office of institute spe- cialist is necessarily done through correspondence, which has gTOwn to large proportions and steadily increases year by year. PUBLICATIONS. As in previous years, the office issued publications (1) reviewing the progress of agricultural education and research throughout the world and (2) rei^orting the results of special investigations in nutrition, irrigation, drainage, and agricultural education. The publications of the office during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1911, comprised 80 documents, containing about 4,700 pages, exclusive of 8 separates, several revised reprints of earlier publications, and a miscellaneous document, which aggregated nearly TOO pages more. The publica- tions included 18 numbers of Experiment Station Record, 15 techni- cal bulletins, 2 reports of the office, 16 circulars, 5 publications of the insular stations, 10 Farmers' Bulletins, including 6 numbers of Ex- periment Station Work, 3 articles for the Yearbook of the depart- ment, and 12 monthly lists of station publications. There is a steady growth in the volume of agricultural literature, involving an increase in the work and in the amount of printing necessary to present an adequate review of progress in agricultural education and research. To provide for such a review two volumes of Experiment Station Record were issued during the year and arrangements were made whereby two additional abstract numbers of the Record are issued annually. As time goes on the value of the Record as a great repository of information pertaining to agriculture otherwise available only by an extended examination of the enormous mass of literature which has been published steadily increases. The 24 volumes thus far issued contain references to no fewer than 85,829 articles, besides editorials, special articles, and notes. The experiment station reports abstracted 52 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. have alone numbered 95G, the station bulletins and circulars 7,056, and the publications of this department 4,488. The carefully pre- pared author and subject indexes to the individual volumes and the general index to Volumes I to XII have greatly enhanced the useful- ness of the Record. Considerable progress was made during the year in the preparation of a similar general index for Volumes XIII to XXV. The office continued to supplement the Record by a bimonthly re- view of progress in the more practical lines of investigation at the experiment stations in the Experiment Station Work series of Farmers' Bulletins. The proceedings of the American Association of Farmers' Insti- tute "Workers were prepared and submitted for publication by the department through the office. The office continued the publication of the card index of experi- ment station literature. INCOME. The income of the office during the past fiscal year, derived wholly from appropriations by Congress, was as follows : For the general expenses of the office $79,580.00 For the Alaska experiment stations 28,000.00 For the Hawaii Experiment Station 28,000.00 For the Porto Rico Experiment Station 28,000.00 For the Guam Experiment Station 15,000.00 For investigations on agricultural schools and farmers' institutes 10, 000. 00 For nutrition investigations 10,000.00 For irrigation investigations 70,380.00 For drainage investigations 78,860.00 Total 347, 820. 00 In addition to the above there was derived from the sale of agricultural products at the insular experiment stations the following amounts : Alaska experiment stations $2,661.41 Hawaii Experiment Station 46.98 Porto Rico Experiment Station 2,006.44 Guam Experiment Station 12.33 Total 4, 727. 16 Total income 352,547.16 WORK AND EXPENDITURES OF THE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS. By E. W. Allen and J. I. Schulte. REVIEW OF THE YEAR. In the fiscal 3^ear 1911 the appropriation under the Adams Act (act of March 16, 1906) reached its maximum of $15,000 to each State. Starting with an initial allotment of $5,000, the fund has increased annually by $2,000 up to the maximum, thus enabling a steady growth based on the development of the research work. This provision has afforded time in the working out of plans for the full use of this research fund, and enabled the preparation of men neces- sary to its successful employment. The result has been unmistak- ahly beneficial. There has been a steady raising of the standard of investigation from year to year, as its spirit and the requirements of fundamental research in agricultural problems have gained wider support. Much still remains to be done in the direction of strengthening this capstone of the stations' activity. The need is both for more men of genius for investigation, and for administration which will stimulate them, hold them to their projects, and preserve them from interruption. There is still an insufficient number of thoroughly prepared men, and men have been encouraged to enter upon projects who either from qualification or inclination have not fully measured up to the requirements. Until the spirit of research and the desire to pursue it is more uniformly found in those in charge of projects, the productive research will not reach its full capacity and will be confined to a relative few. The lack of a deep-seated and compelling interest in thorough- going investigation which is still to be found is attributable in some measure to the interruptions which come to the men and to the fact that their investigations are in a sense a side issue. It has been a mistake to divide the fund among so many persons, and to encour- age the taking up of projects by men who were not thoroughly quali- fied or to whom sufficient opportunity could not be held out. Little can be accomplished in research in a desultory, disconnected effort. It calls for thorough, continuous application, free from interruptions which distract and interfere. The dropi)ing of projects before their completion is one of the drawbacks to progress under this research fund. This has continued 53 54 KEPOET OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. to be far too frequent. The abandoning of lines of investigation be- fore definite and final results have been secured which mark a con- tribution to the subject results in reality in a waste of money. It arises in part from changes in the station staff, but also from insuffi- cient care in inaugurating the work and a failure of the station man- agement to direct it or to fully appreciate the necessity of systematic continued effort. The experience of the past five years has clearly shown the inad- visability of accepting blanket projects, or propositions too wide in scope or too indefinite in purpose or method. As a rule, where the project has not been restricted and held to the definite problem, the work has been sujDerficial and scattering and has lacked directness and objectiveness. Every reasonable effort is, therefore, being made to hold to the purpose of the Adams Act and to restrict expendi- tures from it to those directly connected with definite research pro- jects of high grade. The list of active projects has shown something of a decrease — 290 as compared with 335 the previous year. Twent3'^-one projects were completed during the fiscal year and 43 new ones were ap- proved and entered upon. In general, the character of the new projects has shown a notable advance and many of the old ones have been restated or developed along more fundamental lines than at the outset. Wliile the Hatch fund continues to be drawn upon quite heavily for general expenses of administration, the more liberal appropria- tions for the stations and the colleges with which they are connected have brought marked relief. The Hatch fund is now supporting a larger amount of experimental work, the general character of which is of higher grade. There has been an elimination of the simple tests and demonstrations, and a greater tendency to confine the fund to more thorough studies and investigation. At a number of the stations there is now little real distinction between the orade and purpose of the investigation conducted with the Hatch fund and that conducted with the Adams fund. The influence of the Adams fund and the requirement for the outlining of definite projects have been far-reaching. In general, there has been a strengthening of the station organ- ization, and a sharper differentiation of its work — at least in prin- ciple if not fully in practice The conception of the exiDeriment station as an agencj' for acquiring new knowledge is steadilj^ gaining ground, and along with this the necessity of providing conditions Avhich will leave the station forces primarily to conducting their ex- periments and investigations is brought home more forcibly every year. The growth of both the college teaching in agriculture and the extension activities has emphasized this, for success in both of these KEVIEW OF THE YEAR. 55 departments depends upon the station work, and their present mag- nitude points to the need of forces which are largely separate and free from other exacting duties. The organization of these three divisions of effort, the relations of the men composing their forces, and the division of the field are now receiving careful consideration. INCREASE IN FUNDS AND EQUIPMENT. The revenues of the stations in 1911 amounted to more than $3,000,000. Of this amount $1,539,000 was received from the Federal Government, and the balance was contributed by States or received from local sources. There are now only a few States in which no specific appropriation for the station is made and where the insti- tution has to rely solely upon the Federal funds for conducting its work. Among the new appropriations for the year the following may be mentioned: In February, 1911, the Legislature of Alabama made a continuing appropriation to the Alabama Experiment Station of $27,000 per annum. The funds were specifically appropriated as follows: For local experiments with fertilizers and field and forage crops, $7,000; agricultural extension work, $5,000; live-stock investi- gations, $3,500; for publications and administrative expenses, $2,500; cotton-boll weevil and other insect-pest investigations, $2,300; for drainage, irrigation, and farm machinery, $1,500; for plant-breeding work, $1,200; for investigating plant diseases, $1,000; and for promot- ing the poultry industry, $1,000. The State appropriation for the Canebrake station was increased from $2,500 to $4,000 per annum. An appropriation of $10,000 was made by the Delaware Legislature to complete the equipment of the college farm ; another $10,000 was allowed for repairs and maintenance; and $9,000 was given for extension work. Idaho appropriated $13,500 for the purchase of additional farm land adjoining the present experiment farm. A tract of 120 acres has been secured and will be used for experiments in the departments of animal husbandry, agronomy, dairying, and chemistry. The State further appropriated about $6,000 for the construction of modern and thoroughly equipped dairy barns. The State Legislature of Illinois made the following annual appro- priations for special investigations by the experiment station: Live stock $25,000, farm crops $15,000, soils $65,000, orchards $15,000, floriculture $8,000, dairying $15,000, and soil maps and other publi- cations $25,000. There was also an appropriation of $19,000 for live- stock specimens, $153,000 for buildings, and $20,000 for purchases of land in which the station is jointly interested with the college. The State of Indiana appropriated $10,000 for extension work for the year ended September 30, 1911, and $30,000 annually thereafter 56 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. in addition to an annual grant of $10,000 for extension work by the station. The Iowa Experiment Station has a permanent State approjoriation of $15,000 a year, and the last State legislature made an additional annual grant of $15,000. The State also appropriated $50,000 yearly for extension work. The State of Kansas appropriated for the biennium $45,000 for the station, $75,000 for extension work, $4G,300 for the Fort Hays sub- station, $7,500 for the Garden City substation, and $125,000 for an addition to the agricultural building at the college. At the Michigan station a soil house was constructed for the pur- pose of conducting soil investigations under the Adams fund, and a piggery was built for use in connection with the preparation of hog-cholera serum. The Minnesota station completed during the year an experimental industrial alcohol plant, wath a capacity of 100 proof gallons per day. The extension department of the college is maintained annually with $25,000 and $2,500 additional for dairy extension work. The Missouri station purchased 80 acres of land for its horticul- tural department. The new buildings recently completed and their costs were as follows: Veterinary laboratory, $30,000; wagon and im- plement barn, $2,000; dairy barn, $12,000; hog-cholera serum labo- ratory, $1,500; and cattle sheds, $300. This station also has for the year 1911-12 for outl^dng experiments, $15,000; hog-cholera serum manufacture and distribution, $25,000; for agricultural laboratories, $8,000; for running expenses of the station, $20,000; and for a State soil survey, $12,000. A number of other appropriations were made in which the station is jointly interested with the college. The Montana station has available for the biennium $42,500 for the station, $10,000 for dry farming and horticultural substations, $36,000 for demonstration work in dry farming, and $23,500 for buildings and other improvements. At the station at Bozeman $10,000 was used in the erection of greenhouses. At the Nebraska station a steer-feeding plant was completed for $11,200. Improvements made at three substations amounted to $21,050. For the biennium beginning April 1, 1911, the North Platte substation is provided with $30,000, the Valentine substation with $15,000, and the Scotts Bluff substation with $5,000. There was further appropriated $15,000 for a serum plant at the main •station at Lincoln, $35,000 for agricultural extension, and $85,000 for a buildinor for agricultural botanv, horticulture, and entomologv. The Nevada Legislature made an appropriation of $2,000 for cli- matological work and $3,000 for general station work. For the current biennium the New Hampshire station received $5,000 for a horse barn, $3,000 for the purchase of live stock, $1,500 REVIEAV OF THE YEAR, 57 for printing bulletins, $5,000 for extension work, and $10,000 for general running expenses. The New Jersey Legislature in 1911 made an appropriation of $15,000 for buildings and equipment in connection with poultry ex- periments, together with $3,000 annually for the maintenance of such work. For buildings and equipment in connection with flori- cultural work $11,000 was appropriated and for its annual main- tenance $3,000. The station also has an annual appropriation of $3,000 for work in plant pathology, $2,000 for the investigation of bee diseases, and $10,000 for live-stock problems. In addition to its regular appropriations, the New York State station at Geneva was allowed $15,500 for the purchase of farm land near the station. The station of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture had available about $70,000 for experimental, demonstration, and farm- ers' institute work. The Ohio station has an appropriation of $195,300 'for the differ- ent station departments for the year 1912. For the year 1911 it had $203,090, of which $39,855 was for land and buildings. The Oregon station has available for the year 1912 $15,000 for work on fruit pests and diseases and other horticultural problems, $10,000 for general station work, and $16,000 for the different sub- stations at Union, Moro, Hermiston, Harney Valley, and the sub- station in southern Oregon. •The South Carolina station and college constructed a dairy build- ing at a cost of $25,000 and a dairy barn for $15,000. The State of Texas made an annual appropriation of $25,000 and a deficiency appropriation of $3,000 for the series of State substa- tions. The Utah Legislature in 1911 made a permanent yearly appropri- ation of $15,000 for the maintenance of the substations. The ap- propriation for extension work was increased and placed on a per- manent annual basis of $10,000. The Virginia truck experiment station erected a greenhouse at a cost of $2,320.75 and installed a Skinner irrigation system covering about 4 acres of land at a cost of $831.71. The State of Washington early in 1911 included, among other appropriations for the ensuing biennium, $20,000 for farmers' insti- tutes and $30,000 for the Puyallup substation. A law providing a tax of 0.325 mill on the assessed valuation of the State for the sup- port of the college and station for the years 1913-1918, inclusive, was also passed. At the Wisconsin station a new horticultural building costing $50,000 and greenhouses $10,000, Avith $8,000 for equipment, and a $20,000 addition to the dairy laboratories were completed. A 58 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. new domestic science building and a new chemical building, to cost $75,000 and $90,000, respectively, are in course of construction. The appropriation for extension work now amounts to $40,000 annually. SUBSTATIONS AND DEMONSTRATION FARMS. Progress was made during the year in providing for practical ex- periments for local conditions, and the application and adaptation of methods and crops to particular localities and conditions, by estab- lishing or providing for substations and demonstration farms in a number of States. So far as these are experimental they are regarded as forming a part of the stations' work, rather than coming under the head of extension work. Frequently, however, the division is not complete in all respects. The State of California appropriated $25,000 for a building for a citrus substation and its equipment, to be located at Riverside. The Territorial Legislature of Hawaii made a grant of $20,000 for the biennium for maintaining demonstration farms on the various islands. At the Louisiana college and station a truck farm was established at Baton Rouge, partly for the purpose of stud3dng the marketing of truck produce in the North. G. L. Tiebout, of the station staff, was placed in charge of this farm. The possession of a cranberry bog was secured by the Massachusetts station during the year. Improvements were carried out and experi- mental work was begun. The tract is located at East Wareham, Mass., and contains about 23 acres, including 12 acres of made bog, with provision for flooding by means of a pumping plant put in at a cost of about $2,000. In Michigan the Upper Peninsula substation at Chatham received as a donation from the Cleveland Cliff Iron Co. GOO acres of land adjoining the station property. By an act of the Minnesota Legislature, approved April 13, 1911, $05,000 was appropriated for the purchase of land, equipment of a station, and its maintenance for two years, to be located at Duluth; and $35,000 for the purchase of land, equipment, and maintenance for two years of a substation to be located at Waseca. The Legislature of Missouri of 1911 passed an act appropriating $5,000 for the purpose of establishing a State poultry experiment station at Mountain Grove on 25 acres of land used by the State Fruit Experiment Station, and $5,000 additional for its maintenance. The Nebraska Legislature of 1911, by an act approved April, 1911, appropriated $15,000,- to be expended by the State board of regents for the establishment of a substation near Culbertson. The act makes the ))rovision that in the event that the Southwest Nebraska Agri- REVIEW OF THE YEAR. 59 cultural School is established within 30 miles of Culbertson the ap- propriation shall be available for experimental work only at such school. The Board of Control of Ohio, acting conjointly with the boards of county commissioners, has located county experiment farms in Bel- mont, Pauldingj and Miami Counties, under the Wilber law of 1910. The bonds voted for this purpose amounted to $20,000 each in Bel- mont and Paulding Counties and $22,000 in Miami County. In 1911 acts were passed by the State Legislature of Oregon appro- priating annually $4,000 for the support and maintenance of a sub- station in Harney County for the investigation and demonstration of dry, arid, and nonirrigated lands of the State, and also authorizing the establishment of a branch station in southern Oregon, with an annual appropriation of $5,000 for its support and maintenance. In South Dakota the legislature of 1911 instructed the regents of education to locate a dry-farming substation on 160 acres of State lands in Fall River County, and appropriated $1,000 for maintaining this station in 1912. A law was also enacted allowing county com- missioners to establish demonstration farms and to appropriate $300 annually for the expense of State supervision of each, and also pro- viding that county poor farms may be conducted as demonstration farms. Under this law private individuals may conduct demonstra- tion farms under State supervision by agreeing to devote not less than 40 acres for the purpose, to carry on the work 5 years, to use only the best seed, and to sell the crops for seed purposes at a reason- able price to the people of the vicinity. In Tennessee the farmers' convention of the State subscribed $10,000 for a stock-judging pavilion to be erected at the substation at Jackson, and a donation of $1,000 for the benefit of the same institu- tion was made by a private party. The Texas Legislature of 1911 appropriated $6,000 for two years for the purpose of establishing an experiment station to demonstrate the possibilities of tobacco growing in the seventeenth congressional district of the State. The work is to be cooperative with this de- partment. In Utah another demonstration farm was established near Cedar Fort station, in Cedar Valley. Two of the former demonstration farms located on sagebrush land, having accomplished their pur- pose of demonstrating the profitable handling of such lands under drv-farminjr methods, have been discontinued. The new station es- tablished in Cedar Valley encounters somewhat diilerent conditions than those met with on the sagebrush areas. Another station has been established near Ajax on " shad-scale " soil, of which the State contains great areas. The demonstration work on the sagebrush land has been largely instrumental in the taking up of these lands for 60 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. agricultural purposes. The Indian school and farm at Panguitch was turned over to the experiment station, with a preliminary^ appro- priation of $2,500 to commence experiment and demonstration work. The State of Virginia passed a bill creating a united agricultural board, and appropriating $5,000 a year to the experiment station for establishing and maintaining district substations. The term " dis- trict " is meant to cover a section of the State usually embracing a number of counties having approximately similar conditions of soil, climate, and agricultural practice. CHANGES IN PERSONNEL. During the year comparatively few important changes in the sta- tion staffs took place. The only new appointee to a directorship was James A. Wilson, superintendent of the Murray State School of Agriculture at Tishomingo, Okla., who was appointed director of the Oklahoma station. Since the close of the year the directorship of the Texas station was taken over by B. Youngblood, formerly connected with this department, and that of the New Jersey stations was en- tered upon by J. G. Lipman, in charge of soil chemistry and bacte- riology at that station. L. H. Moore was appointed director of the Alabama Canebrake station, vice F. D. Stevens, resigned. Quite re- cently E. K. Lloyd was appointed director of the Mississippi station in place of J. W. Fox, resigned, and E. D. Sanderson succeeded to the directorship of the West Virginia station after the retirement of J. H. Stewart. The necrology list of the year is fortunately also a short one. Dr. E. B. Voorhees, director of the New Jersey stations, died early in June. A brief account of his life and services is given below. Frank J. Phillips, head of the forestry department of the Nebraska college and station since 1907, died February 13, 1911. The death of Ray- mond H. Pond, plant pathologist of the Texas station since 1909, occurred on July 26, 1911. Prof. F. H. King, widely known for his research in soil physics and as the author of the King system of ventilation, long connected with the Wisconsin experiment sta- tion, and also for a time with this department, died at his home in Madison; Wis., August 4, 1911, at the age of G3 years. DR. EDWARD B. VOORHEES. Dr. E. B. Voorhees, for nearly 30 years connected with the New Jersey experiment stations in the capacity of chemist and director, and for 20 years professor of agriculture in Rutgers College, died June 6, 1911. Edward Burnett Voorhees was born at Minebrook, Somerset County, N. J., on June 22, 1856. He was graduated from Rutgers College in 1881 with the degree of bachelor of arts, and in 1900 he DR. EDWARD B. VOORHEES. 61 received the honorary degree of doctor of science from the University of Vermont. The year following his graduation he served as assist- ant to the professor of chemistry at Wesleyan University, Dr. W. O. Atwater, and in 1882 he returned to New Jersey as assistant chemist in the experiment station, continuing in this position until 1888, when he was made chemist of the station. In 1890 he was appointed professor of agriculture in Rutgers College, developing agricultural instruction in that institution almost from the beginning and lead- ing the State to the establishment of short courses in agriculture. Dr. Voorhees was made director of the New Jersey State station in 1893, and three years later the directorship of the college station was combined with that of the State station. He continued to hold the directorship of these institutions until the time of his death. Dr. Voorhees was a type of the present generation of leaders in agricultural advancement. He was trained under the pioneer work- ers in agriculture and entered upon constructive activity with the extension of the national movement in the establishment of the experiment stations. Of this opportunity he availed himself in a marked degree and with his characteristic vigor and aggressiveness became highly successful in organizing and propagating experiment station work and making its results felt by farmers. Under his direction the inspection work of the stations was put upon a high plane of efficiency and usefulness, and the research and experimental work were developed in accordance with definite plans and an intelligent understanding of the needs of the State. He was a pio- neer in teaching the farmers the practice of home mixing of ferti- lizers, to economize cost, and secure suitable mixtures for different purposes. An ardent champion of honest goods, he waged an aggres- sive campaign against the incorporation of materials which his experiments showed to be inert and of little agricultural value. With remarkable energy and enthusiasm Dr. Voorhees encouraged and promoted the diversification of agriculture in his State, the introduction of new crops, and the establishment of the new branches of farming. The system of soiling crops for dairy cattle which he worked out and demonstrated at the station farm was an example of intensive farming under which the purchase of expensive grains was greatly reduced. The successful establishment of alfalfa in New Jersey, to which it is estimated 1,000 acres were seeded during the past year, is a direct result of his experiments and teaching. He gave special study to the waste or poorer soils of the State and their utilization for profitable farming, and at one time he devoted con- siderable attention to the use of irrigation as an adjunct in the humid region. As an independent investigator Dr. Voorhees was clear in aim and purpose and quick to see the practical applications of his expcri- 62 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. ments, which were conceived for the most part with the prima ly object of throwing light on practical, everyday problems of farming. Among other research work he carried on an elaborate series of studies on nitrogenous fertilizers which proved of such merit that it received international recognition. The department of soil bacteri- ology was established through his initiative, and the station became a pioneer in this particular line of investigation. In 1902 he was awarded the Nichols medal by the New York section of the American Chemical Society for the best i^aper embodying the results of origi- nal chemical research submitted during the year. This embodied the results of studies in nitrification. Dr. Voorhees was identified with many scientific societies and organizations. For many years he took an active part in the study of methods of analysis conducted by the Association of Official Agri- cultural Chemists, and he was president of that organization in 1893-94. From 1897 to 1904 he was secretary-treasurer of the Asso- ciation of American Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations, and was president of the association in 1904-5. He served as vice president of the New Jersey State Board of Agriculture from 1893 to 1901, and was its president from the latter date to the time of his death. He was also president of the board of directors of the New Jersey Weather Bureau in 1903, president of the New Jersey Micro- scopical Society in 1905-6, and a leader on the State conservation commission. Dr. Voorhees's death removed one of the most active and effective workers of the present time. The service he rendered to his State has rarely been surpassed, and his influence was felt far beyond its borders. SOME RESULTS OF STATION WORK. A brief mention of some of the important results obtained will give a general idea of the scope and progress of this work, which is organized on a national basis but is dealing primarily with the prob- lems of the individual States. The Colorado station demonstrated the occurrence of apparently rapidly extending areas of soil in irrigated orchards and sugar-beet fields containing nitrates in such excessive amounts as to destroy the crops. Soils were found containing as high as 6.5 per cent of sodium nitrate, and in one case 93 per cent of the nitrogen of the soil was in the form of nitrates. This excess of nitrates appears to be due to phenomenal bacterial activity. The Delaware station, in cooperation with this department, worked out a method for quickly immunizing against anthrax in case of an outbreak, and produced a serum with which it Avas jiossible to protect a sheep against an otherwise mortal dose of anthrax bacilli and to produce an immediate passive immunity. SOME KESULTS OF STATION WORK. 63 In its studies of citrus diseases the Florida station ascertained that the fungus causing stem-end rot is present in the orchard during practical!}^ the entire year., being found on dead and partially de- cayed branches and twigs when the fruit is immature or not in the groves. Eesults secured at the Idaho station showed a marked increase in protein content of several varieties of wheat grown on land cropped the previous year with potatoes, as compared with land in wheat the year before. Irrigation investigations at that station showed that wheat receiving from 18 to 20 inches of water during the season gave a yield of over 50 per cent above wheat receiving no water. The soil investigations of the Illinois Station have turned the tide of sentiment within the State from one of soil depletion to one of soil upbuilding, as evidenced by the interest farmers and business men are showing in the work, and in the application of the principles advocated by the station by leading farmers everywhere throughout the State. Among other results secured by the station during the past year was the fact that within reasonable limits gain in weight in growing animals is not in proportion to the feed consumed, and that contagious abortion as known in this country is practically identical with the disease as known in western Europe. The results of daily investigations at the Indiana station showed that an excess of soft fats and large average fat globules in cream materially increase the moisture absorbing and retaining property of butter, while the acidity of cream, the size of butter granules, the temperature of the wash water, the use of the dry or wet salting method do not appreciably affect the moisture content of this product. The work in agronomy at the Kansas station brought out quite clearly that the time and the method of seed-bed preparation for wheat very materially influenced the yield, especially in a drj' season. Land disked but not plowed produced 44- bushels of wheat per acre, while land plowed at the right time, July 15, and at the right depth, 7 inches, gave a yield of 38^ bushels per acre. The Kentucky station established a practically accurate and reason- ably rapid method for detecting Bacillus typhosus in water, having used the same with success, and in one case obtaining a positive result as early as the fourth day. In a study with a view to adapting the carbonation process of clarifying cane juices, the Louisiana station discovered features in regard to temperature and alkalinity which enabled it to remove ex- perimentally a much greater percentage of impurities than has hereto- fore been possible in sugarhouse practice. This station also dem- onstrated that the fuel efficiency of bagasse can be materially in- creased by utilizing the flue gases in drying this product, and showed 64 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. further how moisture contained in bagasse and other conditions in- fluence its fuel value. The Missouri station determined that nitrogen and phosphorus are the limiting elements of plant food in Missouri soils, and that the majority of Missouri uplands respond to an application of these elements. The results of orchard work showed that proper pruning alone on a given plat of peacK trees resulted in a yield giving net returns of $125 per acre. Proper fertilizing with ammonium sul- 'phate on another plat in the same orchard resulted in a yield of $40 per acre net, while on a plat where proper pruning, fertilizing, and spra3^ing were all combined the peaches yielded at the rate of a net profit of $300 per acre after paying the expenses of management and shipping crop to market. It was also demonstrated by the Missouri station that the practice of maintaining young heifers on a high plane of nutrition does not affect their milking qualities, and that the size of the cow may be permanently increased by liberal feeding when young. In experi- ments to determine the efficiency of mitigated cultures of human tubercle bacilli as a vaccine against bovine tuberculosis, the station found tliat vaccinated cattle contracted the disease when exposed to infected animals even under the favorable conditions of an outdoor life. The fecal excretions of tuberculous cattle were a much more important source of infection to swine than foods contaminated Avith the saliva of tuberculous cattle. It was shown that not onl}^ a' very large percentage of the pigs fed behind tuberculous cattle became infected with the disease, but that some of the pigs show well-de- veloped tubercular lesions in less than four weeks of exj)osure. The station continued the manufacture of hog-cholera serum and dis- tributed 60,000 doses during the year. During the dry season of 1911 the new varieties of timothy origi- nated at the Cornell station brought out strikingly their superior cjualities, the average yield for 17 new varieties being 7,153 pounds per acre, as compared w'ith 4,091 pounds for seven check plats of ordinary timothy. Corn-breeding work with two different varieties has resulted in each instance in a gain of about two weeks in earliness or time of maturing. Oat hvbrids and selections made bv the sta- tion and tested for five seasons have also shown marked improvement in yielding capacit}^ as compared with common sorts. Analyses of drainage waters showed a loss of calcium of over 200 pounds per acre more on fallow than on soil growing corn and oats. The New York State station has worked out a method for the preparation of lime-sulphur wash Avhich enables fruit growers to make their own preparations at a very considerable saving. The North Dakota station demonstrated that old land is just as suitable for growing flaxseed as new land. From experiments and observations made by the station the conclusion was drawn that soil SOME EESULTS OF STATION WORK. 65 deterioration from a chemical standpoint exists in the principal flax and wheat regions in insufficient form to account for the deteriorated yields in quantity and quality, and the deterioration along these lines is attributed to insanitary soil conditions. The station has worked out specific rotations and methods of culture and seed treatment tending to reduce the activitj'^ of these soil troubles. The Ohio station demonstrated the practicability of eradicating bovine tuberculosis and of building up a herd of sound animals from the progeny of tuberculous cattle by the systematic use of the tuber- culin test and the thorough disinfection of barns. The station also found that there exists a direct relation between the supply of avail- able phosphorus in the soil and phosphorus in the grain of wheat grown ujjon it. The results of a study of the mineral nutrients in blue grass indicated that some blue-grass pastures in the State con- tain tAvice as high percentages of the mineral nutrients as others, these differences being due to differences in the soils upon which the grasses were grown. It was also found that the content of blue grass in mineral nutrients may be very greatly increased by the use of fertilizers. A method of budding the walnut was worked out by the Oregon ^!tation. This method is based on the principle of securing dormant 1-year-old buds, while propagators heretofore have attempted to use buds of the current vear's growth. Work of the Utah station has shown that Turkey Red wheat is the best yielding winter wheat for the State, and that the flour pro- duced from it is the best and equal in quality to any produced in other parts of the country. The work in dry farming conducted by the station on sagebrush land has shown the practicability of farming these lands under dry-farming methods, and as a consequence the greater portion of the sagebrush areas of the State have been taken up. The results of 20 years' spraying work with Bordeaux mixture on late potatoes by the Vermont station showed an average yield per acre of 268 bushels for the sprayed and of 1G3 bushels for the unsprayed crops. This represents an average gain of 105 bushels per acre, or an increase of 64 per cent in favor of spraying. The Wisconsin station found that silage as compared with soiling crops can be fed to greater advantage to dairy cows through the summer season. In its work on weed eradication this station found that a crop of hemp, after cultivated summer fallow, was very effec- tive in killing out quack grass and Canada thistle. In studying the relation of soil bacteria to evaporation, this station found that bacterial activity in the soil may so change the nature of substances in solution in the soil water as to exert an influence upon evaporation. 56096°— 12 5 66 KEPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. PROGRESS IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. General agricultural experiment stations were established during the past year at Linz, Austria; La Rioja, Argentina; Therezina, Brazil ; San Jose, Costa Rica ; Carcassonne, France ; Kissidougou and Mamou, French Guinea; Bettiah Estate, Bengal^ India; and at Burgos and Pontevedra, Spain. With the object of improving agri- cultural and stock-raising conditions in the Pampa Central Terri- tory the Argentine Government proposes to establish agricultural stations throughout the entire district, commencing with Villa Iris, Bernasconi, Epuvel, Quebec, Macachin, and Guatrache. Special experiment stations, or those working along particular lines or with special crops, were also established in many of the foreign countries. A station for cacao culture was established at San Antonio, Brazil; one for rubber culture at Issororo, British Guiana ; a viticultural station at Toulouse, France; a forestry station at Chimnitz, Hungary; a station for beet culture at Rovigo, Italy; experimental gardens and laboratories of agricultural chemistry, vegetable pathologj^ and entomologj^ at Fort de France, Martinique; an experiment station for cotton culture at Port Herald, Xyasaland Protectorate; a rice experiment station in the Department of Lam- bayeque. Peru ; and in Spain enological stations at Aranda de Duero, Felanitx, and Valdepenas; a viticultural station at Madrid; and a station for olive culture at Tortosa. The Spanish Government has also on foot a project to spend 2,000,000 pesetas in supplying the existing agricultural schools and experiment stations with modern necessary equipment. Model and permanent demonstration farms were established in Brazil at Bemfica, and one for coconut culture in the State of Espirito Santo; in India at Suri, Bengal; and in Santo Domingo a tobacco experiment field at Jacaguas. Botanical stations were established on the Island of CarriacoUj British West Indies, and at Eala, Belgian Kongo. In Canada steps were taken to establish three new experiment sta- tions, one at Fort Resolution, one at Fort Smith, and the third at Fort Providence. These three stations in the Northwest will carry the experimental work about 150 to 200 miles farther north than here- tofore attempted. The Province of Alberta has taken steps to estab- lish five demonstration farms at a total cost of $125,000. These farms are all to be different, and in addition to the set of model fann buildings a public hall for short course schools is to be erected. A bulletin containing details, plans, and cost of the farm buildings is to be published as a guide to farmers. An experimental farm was established at Cap Rouge, Quebec. This farm contains 320 acres, and the experimental work to be conducted there will be along the lines PEOGKESS IN FOREIGN COUNTEIES. 67 of animal husbandry and the culture of cereal, root, and forage crops. A forest nursery station under the management of a tree- planting inspector was established at Indian Head, Saskatchewan. Experiment stations were also recently established at Kentville, Nova Scotia; Rosthern, Saskatchewan; Ste. Anne de la Pocaterie, Quebec ; and at Wilmer, British Columbia. In Germany Prof. A. Backhaus established an experiment farm at Quednau for the purpose of applying the princii^les of agricul- tural science which he expounds in the lecture room. This is a pri- vate undertaking and is entered upon through the conviction that if satisfactory results are to be obtained from the study of agricul- tural science practice and theory must go hand in hand. Three sys- tems of farming have been adopted for comparison. In England the Norfolk Experimental Farm at Little Snoring was established without any aid from local, imperial, or public funds, the establisliment having been effected by the landowners and farm- ers of the county of Norfolk. The farm contains 132 acres pro- vided with suitable buildings, and was given rent free for eight years by Lord Hastings, and over $6,000 was raised by subscription to further the enterprise. An experiment station was also organized at Burbage, Leicestershire, for the purpose of applying Mendelian methods of research to the practical breeding problems of agricul- ture, horticulture, and forestry. Commercial nurseries, comprising over 100 acres, will be utilized for the experiments as far as possible. In Italy provision was made for the establishment of an experi- mental mulberry station at Ascoli, with an appropriation of $14,000 for the establishment and $4,000 annually for maintenance. The Government also appropriated $30,000 for the improvement of cul- tural methods and $20,000 for itinerant instruction in mulberry cul- ture. An ajrricultural chemical laboratorv was established at Forli for making chemical analyses, experiments in cultivating new plants, and for the diffusion of practical agricultural knowledge. The Gov- ernment appropriates $1,400 annually, the Province $800, the com- munity $400, a savings bank $200, and the agricultural commis- sion $20. In 1910 Greece established a ministry of agriculture and commerce, and agriculture was further benefited by the work of the Grecian agricultural society, which established agricultural experiment sta- tions, and was active in other ways to improve agriculture in that country. In Rhodesia an agricultural experiment station was established at Gwibi, 18 miles from Salisbury. The station had 200 acres under crop during the past year, and gave special attention to maize, winter forage, and seed crops and the propagation of Mauritius hemp. 68 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. A botanical experiment station was established at Salisbury on a piece of land containing 13 acres. Experimental work is conducted on a plat scale, and attention is given to the introduction of new forage crops, cereals, grasses, etc. Plant breeding with maize and wheat is to be undertaken. INSPECTION OF THE STATIONS. In accordance with the usual practice of the office a personal in- spection was made during the year of the Avork and expenditures of every experiment station receiving Federal funds. In connection with this inspection a large amount of first-hand information was secured in regard to the progress of these institutions, and the opportunity was embraced for conference with the local station officers in regard to the work and administration. This inspection was participated in by four members of the office force, namely, the director (A. C. True), assistant director (E. W. Allen), W. H. Beal, and Walter H. Evans. The following reports upon the several stations are based on the results of this inspection, together with the annual financial state- ments of the stations rendered on the schedules prescribed by the Sec- retary of Agriculture, and the printed and other reports received from the station officers: ALABAMA. Agricultural Experiment Station of the Alabama Polytechnic Institute, Auburn. Department of the Alabama Polytechnic Institute. J. F. DUGGAR, M. S., Director. During the past year the Alabama station was much encouraged in its work by the provision of a continuing State appropriation of $27,000 annually for local experiments and special investigations. The funds were appropriated specifically as follows: Local experi- ments Avith fertilizers, field crops, and forage plants, $7,000; agricul- tural extension work. $5,000; live-stock investigations, $3,500; publi- cations and administrative expenses, $2,500; cotton-boll weevil and other investigations, $2,300; horticultural investigations, $2,000: drainage, irrigation, and farm machinery', $1,500; breeding of field and forage crops, $1,200; investigation of plant diseases, $1,000; and promotion of the poultry industry, $1,000. In several of the depart- ments of the station, including those of animal husbandry, agronomy, and horticulture, the sums apportioned are intended to be used wholly for experimental work. These appropriations were made by the legislature in February, 1911, and the different lines of work were ALABAMA. 69 inaugurated during the remaining months of the fiscal year. A law was enacted establishing a State board of agriculture and making the director of the station a member of this board. All Adams fimd projects were continued, and the results of some of the studies were ready for publication at the close of the year. The study of the scientific problems involved in immunity and re- sistance of the peach to brown rot was carried forward. In this con- nection an effort was made to breed strains of peaches resistant to brown rot, and a number of seedlings secured in this work and giving some evidence of resistance to the disease were under observation. The entomologist gave considerable time to the study of the rice weevil {Galandra oryzce)^ a pest injurious to corn in Alabama. A general account of the life history of this insect was published. It was found that about 32 days and a temperature of 63° F. are required to complete the larval stages from oviposition to the emer- gence of the adult. The average duration of the life cycle in August and September was from seven to eight weeks. Preliminary experi- ments on the control of the insect showed that the rice weevil is very resistant to the action of carbon bisulphid. The study of the factors governing the production, diffusion, and insecticidal efficiency of hydrocyanic-acid gas and carbon bisulphid was carried on in con- nection with the experiments on the control of the rice weevil. Important additions were made during the year to the equipment for the study of fumigation. In the study of fertilizer requirements as shown by the analysis of cotton plants, laboratory experiments in wire baskets and sand cultures in large cylinders were made to confirm the results secured in the field. During the year three types of soil were studied for crop production, and the results obtained indicated that in general the composition of the plant is influenced by the kind of fertilizer used, particularly in regard to the potash. The past year's work was the fifth on the corn-breeding project. A considerable number of hybrids have been produced up to this time, and from the data thus far worked up a number of correlations seem to be definitely established. Similar correlation studies were conducted with cotton and oats. A report was made on the study relating to the effect of different feeds, including cottonseed meal, tankage, soy beans, and peanuts, on the quality of pork. Pasturing the hogs on soy beans was found to produce a soft lard, and attention was given to the question of hardening the lard and meat after they have been rendered soft by grazing hogs on soy beans. In conjunction with this work over 100 samples of lard were studied during the year, together with the acidity of lard in fresh and rancid condition. 70 EEPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. The veterinarian continued the study of the bacterial flora of the cow's udder, giving special attention to pathological lesions. The study of the physiology of the fruit of the persimmon pro- gressed, and preliminary reports were published. It is believed that the tannin occurs in the fruit as a colloidal mass rather than as a precipitate. The investigation of the physiological activity of the cotton plant was continued, and data were recorded with reference to transpiration, evaporation, sun and shade temperatures, the effect of wind, light, intensity, and other factors. A number of different lines of work were carried on progi'essively with the Hatch fund. The work of the horticultural department included cultural and other tests on potatoes, beans, cabbage, and other garden crops, and orchard work with pears for blight resist- ance, pruning, and grafting as a means of orchard renovation, and studies on citrus hybrids, Satsuma oranges, and other fruits of this class. Cooperative work was in progress in several of the more important trucking regions of the State, and attention was given to the advancement of the culture of pecans and Satsuma oranges in Alabama. A large amount of miscellaneous work in progress in agronomy included variety studies of cotton, nitrogen experiments with various crops, experiments with phosphates, observations on forage plants, especially clovers and soy beans, soil improvement, the effect of soil treatment on subsequent crops, testing the use and value of concrete tile, and other lines of work of a similar nature. The chemist carried on laboratory and field experiments with open- hearth basic slag, averaging about 12 per cent of phosphoric acid. He also gave some attention to the manufacture of cane sirup in small quantities. In addition to his connection with Adams fund work the veteri- narian studied osteoporosis in horses, intestinal parasites of poul- try, dogs, and other domestic animals, and the value of trj^panblue as an immunizing agent against tick fever. The department of animal husbandry continued its cooperative work with this department in cattle feeding, the special points con- sidered being the raising of beef cattle, wintering steers, and fat- tening cattle on pasture in Alabama. Attention was further given to calf feeding in winter, early lamb production, and the effect of cottonseed meal when fed to ewes. The Alabama station conducts extension work under the appro- priation mentioned above and in cooperation with this department. The station continued to give assistance in farmers' institute work to boys' corn clubs, girls' tomato clubs, and to teachers of agriculture in the public schools. ALABAMA. 71 The followino: publications of the station were received during the year: Bulletins 150, Raising Beef Cattle in Alabama; 151 (1) Wintering Steers in Alabama, (2) Fattening Cattle on Pasture in Alabama; 152, Self-boiled Lime Sulphur and Its Use; 153, Experi- ments with Cotton; 154, Corn, Soy-bean Pastures, Tankage, Cotton- seed Meal for Fattening Hogs; 155, The Pecan in Alabama; Circu- lars 5, The Boll-weevil Advance in Alabama; 6, Fighting the Boll Weevil; 7, Destroying Boll Weevils by Clean Farming; and 8, Bud- worms in Corn. The income of the station for the past fiscal year was as follows : United States appropriation, Hatch Act $15,000.00 United States appropriation, Adams Act 15,000.00 State appropriation 13, 500. 00 Farm products 775. 76 Miscellaneous 2, 593. 66 Total 46. 869. 42 The material assistance given by the State will enable the station to place extension work on a definite and proper basis, and meet other needs of the institution. The results of the station work are showing themselves in an increased interest in the State in the rais- ing and feeding of live stock, the production of forage crops, the combating of insect pests, and the readiness with which farmers par- ticipate in the station cooperative work. Tuskeg-ee Agricultural Experiment Station, Tuslcegee Institute. Department of the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute. G. W. Carver, M. Agr., Director. There was no material change in the lines of work of the Tuskegee station during the past year, and the station staff remained practi- cally the same as the year before. The work advanced along the lines of cotton breeding, alfalfa culture, variety and culture tests of soy beans, and the renovation and improvement of worn-out soils in agronomy. Experiments were conducted with garden crops in horticulture, and poultry raising and feeding dairy cows received attention in animal husbandry. Work was also done in pork pack- ing and butter making. A study was made of the colored clays, of which rich deposits oc- cur in Macon County where the station is located. The station called attention to the value and the various uses of these clays and pointed out particularly how they may be employed as substitutes for lime whitewash, kalsomines, and paint in interior as well as exterior work. A bulletin for use in teaching cotton culture in the rural schools was issued during the year. This was partly based on observations made by the station. The different steps in the culture of cotton are 72 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. described and the methods of cross-pollmating the bhjssoms of the cotton plant as a means of improving the crop are given in detail. The officers of the station continued to take part in agricultural extension and farmers' institute work among the rural negro popula- tion of the State. The following bulletins were received from the station during the year: Bulletins 18, Nature Study and Gardening for Rural Schools; 19, Some Possibilities of the Cowpea in Macon County, Ala. The Tuskegee Experiment Station, maintained by State appropria- tion, is making progress in its particular field and is finding increas- ing appreciation of its efforts among the people for whose benefit it was established. ALASKA. Alaska Agricultural Experiment Stations, Sitka, Kodiak, Rampart, and Fairhank.s. Under the supervision of A. C. True, Director, Office of Experiment Stations, United States Department of Agriculture. C. C. Georgeson, M. S., Special Agent in, Charge, Sitka. During the past year there were a few changes in the personnel of the Alaska stations, but there was little interruption of the work. Some additions were made to their equipment, the most important of which are a stock and hay barn and an additional 100-ton silo at the stock farm on Kalsin Bay; a silo and dairy barn at Kodiak; a barn, a well, and a frost-proof cellar at Fairbanks; and a barn and implement shed at Hampart. The work at the Alaska stations was carried out during the past year in accordance with the plans outlined in former reports. At Sitka, horticultural and plant breeding work was given prominence. At Rampart, the principal work was in testing and breeding varieties of grain and in experiments with potatoes and hardy leguminous plants. Farming on a commercial scale was carried on at Fairbanks, and at Kodiak breeding and care of live stock were the principal in- vestigations. Plant-breeding work at the Sitka station included tests with hybrid strawberries and with crosses between the salmonberry and the culti- vated raspberry. Nearly 200 h3^brids produced by crossing the native strawberry with a cultivated variety showed characters warranting further tests, and about 35 varieties produced berries improved in size and flavor. The test orchard set out in 1903 during the past season produced the first mature apples, six introduced varieties bear- ing fruit of medium size and good quality. Work in hybridizing native criib with other varieties Avas carried on and tests were con- tinued with cherries and plums and with gooseberries, currants, rasp- berries, and other bush fruits. The Early Richmond cherry pro- ALASKA. 73 duced abundantly and seemed better adapted to its surroundings than the others. The possibility of growing vegetables has already been demonstrated by this station and its efforts were, therefore, confined to determining the varieties giving the best results. At the Rampart station, 30 acres are now under cultivation, 4 acres having been added during the past year. The work here consisted of testing varieties of grain, cross-breeding promising varieties, the in- troduction of hardy leguminous plants, and testing vegetables. Where rye and wheat were sown in the fall and well covered with snow, they came through the winter and matured a considerable por- tion of their crop. Winter rye and winter wheat were injured by severe freezino- in the earlv winter before snow covered the ground. A number of crosses of varieties of barley have been made and in the first generation some appeared to have desirable qualities. Work to secure pedigreed stock of known superiority Avas carried on with all grains grown at the station. Some of the Siberian alfalfas were in- troduced and the plants of some withstood the winter without appar- ent injur}-. As a result of 10 years' work at this station it appears that grain growing is practicable in the interior of Alaska and that it can be made a success in many parts of the broad interior valleys. An experiment with potatoes was carried on at Sitka, Fairbanks, and Rampart with practically the same results at each station. Tubers allowed to sprout in the light for four weeks before planting yielded in nearly every instance an increase of 10 per cent or more in the total crop with a proportionate increase in marketable tubers. At the Fairbanks station in 1911 the value of the potatoes grown on 7 acres was estimated at about $2,500. In variety-test plats, yields of from 120 to 300 bushels per acre were obtained. The same year 30 tons of oat hay were produced on 25 acres of light soil. All early varieties of oats, barley, and fall grains where the latter had a good snow covering matured, and the results with vegetables, especially with cabbage, cauliflower, rutabagas, carrots, etc., were also quite satisfactory. Twenty-three acres of land were cleared, and the sta- tion now has 93 acres of cleared land, 70 of which are in cultivation. Satisfactory progress was made at the Kodiak station, where there are now 85 head of pure-bred Galloway cattle of all ages, 10 grade cattle, and 89 sheep and lambs. The animals were successfully win- tered on native forage, supplemented by a small amount of purchased grain feed. The cattle secured sufficient grass to keep them in good condition until late in November, after which they were given a half ration of hay until December. 1911. From that time until April 15 they were regularly fed silage and hay until May 9, when the supply of grass was again adequate. The sheep wintered well and were in good, thrifty condition in the spring. When sheared in June the fleeces of ewes averaged 7 pounds of clean wool of good quality. 74 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. Arrangements were begun to take up dairying as a part of the work at Kocliak. Over 100 tons of native grass hay and 170 tons of silage were put up during the past year. Cooperative work by the Alaska stations with farmers and garden- ers throughout the Territory was continued, and this work aided con- siderably in testing the value of different kinds and varieties of field and garden crops in different localities and under varying conditions. The only publication of the station for 1911 was the annual report. The income of the station during the past fiscal year was as follows: United States appropriation $28,000.00 Sales and other funds 3, 807. 86 Total 31, 807. 86 The work of the Alaska stations was eminently successful during the past year. All of the stations are growing in the esteem and favor of the people for whom they are maintained, and the result of their work is of international interest. ARIZONA. Agricultural Experiment Station of the University of Arizona, Tucson. Department of the University of Arizona. R. H. Forbes, M. S., Director. The Arizona station continued its work during the past year along the same general lines pursued the year before. Several important phases of the experiments in hand were brought to completion and the results were either reported upon or prepared for publication. Few changes were made in the station staff and there were no addi- tions to the number employed the previous year. General progress was made in the Adams fund work. A bulletin was published summarizing the results obtained up to date in the study of the chemical composition and transformation as related to the process of ripening in dates. Two methods of ripening this fruit artificially have been developed, and it is believed that both are en- tirely practical. It is pointed out that two distinct chemical varieties of dates exist, the invert sugar and cane-sugar types, and that these are determined b}^ the presence or relative absence of invertase. Dates can not be artificially ripened into an economic product until a certain minimum accumulation of sugar in the fruit has taken place. Premature ripening may be induced artificially in certain varieties by the action of various chemicals, acetic acid being tlie best in most cases, and also by killing the protoplasm through heat. The Deglet Noor date, generally considered a standard of excellence, does not mature satisfactorily under the climatic conditions of Arizona, but conditions favorable for the rapid ripening of this and other varie- AEIZOXA. 75 ties may be produced artificially in an oven by regulating the degree of moisture and temperature. Studies of the culture and nutritive value of cactus were completed during the year, and while the results of digestion experiments with sheep indicated a comparatively low nutritive value, cacti seem to have an emergency value as forage which is well worthy of considera- tion. In the study of the toxic effects of copper compounds on crops, special attention was given to the specific physiological action of copper salts in culture solutions. The work has been accepted as a basis for the adjudication of claims for damages from irrigation water polluted with copper-mine washings. A report on the work to date is being prepared. The investigations on the ground-water supply in relation to irriga- tion, conducted in the Sulphur Springs Valley, partly in cooperation with the United States Geological Surve3% were continued along the same lines and with the same detail as was done in the Rillito Valley, where this same line of work was closed out and reported upon last year. The plant -breeding work with alfalfa was narrowed down to four strains, studied especially with reference to leafiness and yield. A study was also made of the correlation of external characters and nitrogen content. Under the Hatch fund the agronomist conducted experiments in dry farming at two different points in the State, with encouraging results only where supplementary irrigation was available. In con- junction with this work frijoles, Indian beans, milo maize, and sor- ghum were grown on light and heavy soil, and the moisture condi- tions of the soil were studied. A large number of regional varieties of alfalfa were under test, partly in connection with the breeding work already mentioned. Some work was in progress along the line of growing sugar beets for seed. The botanist continued observations on the distribution of native species of plants and on the limits of adaptability of introduced spe- cies. A bulletin bringing together many of the results of this work and suggesting their application to the solution of the grazing and other range problems of the State was published during the A'ear. Some of this work was carried on in cooperation with this depart- ment. The horticultural work in progress includes the culture of date- palm crosses and of citrus and deciduous fruits. Twenty varieties of olives recently brought from North Africa were planted and observations were made on 84 varieties of grapes in a vineyard set out three years ago and now in a flourishing condition. 76 REPORT OP OFFICE OP EXPERIMENT STATIONS. The experiments in crossing Tunis on native sheep have involved about 800 head up to date, and the flock at the station farm at the close of the past year consisted of 350 sheep. A number of crosses now in the third generation are showing good wool and mutton quality. The dominance of Tunis characters is very evident in these crosses. The experimental farm of about 8 acres near Yuma is a demonstra- tion of intensive farming and is supported by State funds. The crops tested inchide several varieties of wheat, alfalfa, sugar beets, sweet potatoes, cabbage, asparagus, onions, melons, and dates. The cooperative extension and farmers' institute work of the sta- tion was in general supported and carried on in the same manner as heretofore. The following publications were received from this station during the year: Bulletin 64, Ground-water Supply and Irrigation in the Eillito Valley ; 65, The Grazing Ranges of Arizona ; and the Annual Reports for 1909 and 1910. The income of the station during the past fiscal year was as fol- lows: United States appropriation, Hatch Act $15,000.00 United States appropriation, Adams Act 15,000.00 Balance from previous year, State appropriation 7, 183. 07 El Paso & Soutliwestern Railroad, including balance from previous year 3,267.44 Farm products 2,529.57 Total 42, 980. 08 The Arizona station is thoroughly investigating a number of problems of prime importance to the agriculture of the State, and several of these lines of work have reached a stage of development in which the results are ready for application in agi'icultural prac- tice. ARKANSAS. Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, Fayetteville. Department of the University of Arliansas. C. F. Adams, B. Agr., A. M., M. D., Director. A number of changes occurred in the staff of the Arkansas station during the year, and although to some extent interrupted by these changes the work progressed along definite lines. The Adams fund projects were continued and progress in them was made. A project on the cattle tick was concluded, but some further work was done on the life history of the tick. The virulence of ticks, the methods of infection, and other factors in distributing the disease were investigated, together with the relation of hog- cholera and swine-plague bacilli to diseases of hogs. AKKA.NSAS. 77 Work on the apple-twig blight as originally outlined was about concluded and the data were worked up for publication. Marked differences in the susceptibility of varieties were noted, and the influence of proper soil and fertilizer treatment in the control of the disease was observed. Work was begun on the determination of factors of immunity in certain varieties. Studies were made of the causal organism and of the chemical changes brought about in dis- eased twigs. In connection with the study of losses in soil fertility in fruit growing a large amount of analytical data was accumulated during the year. Work on the toxic substances in cottonseed meal was pur- sued^ and studies on the woolly aphis and the apple-tree borer were continued. Progress was also made in cotton-breeding work and the study of the transmissible characters in cotton. The work conducted with the Hatch and other funds of the station was extensive and varied, and part was taken in it by all the different departments. The department of entomology studied methods for ,the control of the San Jose scale, codling moth, plum curculio on apples, black aphis of the peach, cotton-boll weevil, and other in- sects. A new borer was found and its life history is being worked out. The results of spraying work were reported upon m Bulletin 107 of the station. The plant pathologist investigated the bacterial flora of apples, plums, and other fruits in relation to disease production, and entered upon work on rice blight. The chemist cooperated with other departments, doing a great deal of analytical work in connection with a number of projects and including numerous analyses of feeds and soils. In agronomy special attention was given to 9otton and com, the experiments conducted including tests of varieties, dates and meth- ods of planting, cultivation, the use of fertilizers, and similar cul- tural problems. Similar work was carried on with wheat, oats, bar- ley, rye, forage plants, including grasses, clovers, alfalfa, soy beans, cowpeas, and other crops. Work was also carried on with sorghum, Kafir corn, beggarweed, velvet beans, and other similar plants to determine their adaptability to Arkansas conditions. The department of horticulture brought together a lot of data on various fruits and vegetables, carried on experiments with aspara- gus, rhubarb, potatoes, tomatoes, strawberries, and orchard cover crops, and tested in cooperation with this department the value of Hungarian apple stocks. Experiments were also conducted in orchard heating for the prevention of frost and work was begun .with walnuts and pecans. In addition a large amount of material secured from this department was given trial. 78 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. The department of animal husbandry took up work in feeding rice bran and rice polish to bacon and lard types of pigs to ascertain the value of the feed and possible differences due to type. Along dairy lines, records on feeding, milk production, quality of milk, etc., were kept of the station herd to determine the cost of milk production. The veterinary department inaugurated work on glanders, pre- pared and distributed serum under the State law, and continued its work on the eradication of the cattle tick. The results of its work with glanders indicated that the serum test is reliable. The extension and farmers' institute work is supported by special State appropriations and is conducted by the college, the station as- sisting only in an incidental way. The following publications were received from this station during the year: Bulletin 106, Live Stock Sanitary Laws of the State of Arkansas; Circulars 1, Corn Judging; 2, Farmers' Handbook on Swine; 3, Corn and Cotton; 4, How to 'Control the Two Worst Cot- ton Pests, the Boll Weevil and the Bollworm; 5, Spanish Peanuts, Dwarf Essex Rape, and Cowj^eas for Swine; 6, Farm Butter Mak- ing; 7, How to Control the Scab and Blotch of the Apple; 8, Does Better Cotton Seed Pay; 9, Suggestions on Commercial Muskmelon Growing; and 12, Hog Cholera and State Vaccination. The income of the station during the past fiscal year was as fol- lows : United States appropriation, Hatch Act $15, 000. 00 United States appropriation, Adams Act 15. 000. 00 Balance from previous year, State appropriation 14, 178. 95 Farm products, including balance from previous year. 5, 50G. 89 Miscellaneous 3, 342. 06 Total 53. 027. 90 The work of the Arkansas station has been interrupted to some extent by frequent changes on the staff, but its present organization promises progress in the different lines of investigation followed. The station is greatly in need of an adequate area of suitable land for its operations. CALIFORNIA. Agricultural Experiment Station of the University of California, Berkeley. E. J. WiCKSON, M. A., Director. As in previous years, the work of the California Experiment Station was extensive and varied, much of it being carried on with the aid of State appropriations. Insecticide-control work is put by law under the station, and a State appropriation of $5,000 annually was made for the work. An insecticide laboratoiy was fitted up during the 3^ear, and a hog-cholera serum laboratory was also provided. CALIFORNIA. 79 Progress was made in the Adams fund work of the station, and some of the projects were brought to a close. The study of the rehition of marly soils and of lime to chlorosis of citrus fruits was continued with the addition of bacteriological studies of soils. In the work on artificial immunization of cattle against tubercu- losis the testing of bovovaccine was completed. The vaccine failed to immunize longer than three years, and the amount of protection for two and one-half years was about 50 per cent. Three papers have been published on this line of work. The investigation on the control of the scales attacking citrus trees was continued, and in this connection an apparatus for making deter- minations with reference to the necessary strength of cyanid of potas- sium needed according to the size of the tree, the fabric of the tent, leakage, etc., was devised. Studies were included on the conditions governing the destruction of the scale egg, and much work was in progress in both field and laboratory. Digestion experiments with poultry were made with difierent grains and concentrated feeds in various combinations. A considerable amount of data has accumulated in these experiments and is awaiting publication. The study on the influence of environment on the gluten content of grain received a great deal of attention, and two bulletins based upon this work were published. A comprehensive study was made of the California white wheats, and a report on their chemical composition, including their gluten content and their value for milling and baking purposes, together with a progress report upon soil and climatic factors influencing the comjDOsition of wheat, was published. Work on the nature of certain physiological plant diseases was carried on at AMiittier, several physiological troubles of citrus trees being under investigation. A report on the giun disease of citrus fruits was made sometime ago. A special study was made of the relation of soil conditions and of the general influence of heredity and environment. The investigation on the sterility of almond trees was continued, and the results secured were confirmatory of previous data. It has been found that the pollen is very largely defective and that there is comparatively little self-fertilization. Progress was made in the work on walnut-oak hybrids, a consider- able number of pollinations have been made, and a number of hybrids obtained. Brief reports covering part of this work were prepared. The work on Nicotiana hybrids was practically brought to completion and awaits the preparation of the report. A number of different lines of work carried on with Hatch and other funds were conducted in different parts of the State. At Davis, variety and breeding experiments with cereals were in progress, and 80 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. > work with alfalfa, cowpeas, peas, and vetches was carried on at Davis, Kearney, and in the Imperial Valley. Experiments with Lima beans were conducted in Ventura Coimty, and in the Imperial Valley experiments with cotton were continued. The station Bulletin 211, How to Increase the Yield of Wheat in California, was well received, and its recommendations in ^ome instances have found application on a large scale. An experiment with 240 varieties of grapes was conducted on 10 acres at Davis, and another 10 acres was devoted to experiments with different stocks, with a view to finding stocks resistant to phylloxera. In the Imperial Valley about 50 varieties of table grapes were grown. It was found there that the Persian varieties tested were very early, ship well, and in general gave good results. The little leaf disease of grapes, prevalent in certain parts of the State and occurring on all types of soil, was studied, and different treatments were tried for its control. Laboratory work on wine making was continued, and an effort was made to get California w^ine makers to adopt methods as already worked out in Europe. The horticultural work at Davis included tests of varieties of peaches, almonds, apricots, figs, prunes, and other fruits, together with trials of tomatoes and onions. Of tomatoes 270 varieties and strains were grown, and breeding experi- ments were made to eliminate uneven ripening and other defects. With onions, fertilizer experiments and work on the improvement of seed were in progress. One of the objects of breeding work with onions was to get good size to meet market requirements. In connec- tion with this work on tomatoes and onions studies were made of the tomato worm and of onion mildew, and attention was also given to methods for combating them. Experimental work was also carried on with lettuce, turnips, peas, and other truck crops. The station's work in vegetable pathology included studies of olive knot and root rot of walnuts, oranges, and other trees. A general bulletin on plant diseases in California was recently published. Irrigation experiments in cooperation with this office on the dutj^ of water for alfalfa and grain, evaporation, cost of pumping versus ditch irrigation, and on the comparative efficiency of weirs and orifices were systematically conducted at Davis. Work in progress in the southern part of the State included fer- tilizer experiments with citrus fruits, tests of cover crops in orchards and in pots, and a study of the nitrogen-collecting power of different leguminous plants at Riverside and the improvement of walnuts and citrus fruits, together with the culture of hay crops on the sewage farm at Pasadena. The entomological department of the station studied the honey plants of California, citrus-fruit insects, the house fly in its relation to public health, the black and the red orange scale, and the peach-tree COLOKADO. 81 borer, and prepared reports on these different lines of work. Tests were also made of spray nozzles, and work on devising new forms of nozzles was pursued. The following publications were received from this station during the year : Bulletins 206, Commercial Fertilizers ; 207, The Control of the Argentine Ant; 208, The Late Blight of Celery; 209, The Cream Supply; 210, Imperial Valley Settlers' Crop Manual; 211, How to Increase the Yield of Wheat in California ; Circulars 52, Information for Students Concerning the College of Agriculture of the University of California; 53, Announcement of Farmers' Short Courses for 1910; 54, Some Creamery Problems and Tests; 55, Farmers' Insti- tutes and University Extension in Agriculture; 56, Worthless Fer- tilizers; 57, Announcement of Farmers' Short Courses in Animal Industry and Veterinary Science at the University Farm, Davis, Cali- fornia; 58, Experiments with Plants and Soils in Laboratory, Gar- den, and Field ; and 59, Tree Growing in the Public Schools. The income of the station during the past fiscal year was as follows : United States appropriation, Hatch Act $15, 000 United States appropriation, Adams Act 15,000 State appropriation 69, 750 Sales 1, 000 Miscellaneous 12, 500 Fees 10, 000 Total 123, 250 The California station carries on a relatively large amount of work, with the aid of State appropriations, and is covering more fully than heretofore the various agricultural regions and industries of the State. COLORADO. Agricultural Experiment Station, Fort Collins. Department of the State Agricultural College of Colorado. C. P. Gillette, M. S., Director. Improvements at the Colorado station during the year comprised a material increase in equipment for irrigation investigations, work with poultry, and feeding experiments with cattle and swine. For the current biennium the State legislature appropriated for experi- mental and extension work a total of $45,000, divided as follows: Animal husbandry, $7,500; fruit investigations, $6,000; agronomy, $5,000; potato investigations, $5,500; poultry investigations, $5,000; horse breeding, $5,000 ; dry-farming investigations, $3,500 ; irrigation and drainage, $5,000; and veterinary work, $2,500. During the year 56096°— 12 6 82 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. V. M. Cone, formerly connected with the irrigation investigations of this office, was appointed irrigation engineer. Under the Adams fund, work on new irrigation projects was begun and new devices and apparatus were installed to facilitate and expe- dite the work in the field and in the laboratory. Investigations on the occurrence of excessive amounts of nitrates in Colorado soils and their effects on plants, especially orchard plants and sugar beets, were actively pursued and the third bulletin on this line of work was published. The area of actual destruction of crops examined included 300 to 400 acres. Among the soils examined some contained as high as 6.54 per cent of sodium nitrate. The rate of fixation of nitrogen in these soils was found to be very high and further evidence, pointing to the fact that the excess of nitrates is due to phenomenal bacterial activity, was secured. The bacteriologist determined a large number of very active forms of Azotobacter having a pronounced power of brown pigmentation in the presence of nitrates from these soils. The investigations on hold-over blight in pear and apple trees were completed, and work was continued on the causes of raspberry yellows, and incidentally on tests of sprays as remedial agents. The investigations on a bacterial disease of alfalfa were also completed, but observations on the blight resistance of 84 varieties of alfalfa growing at Rocky Ford were continued. The department of entomology carried forward its studies of plant- louse life histories, and published several papers on the data secured during the year. With Hatch and State funds the agronomist continued work on improvement of wheat, study of rotations in cooperation with farm- ers in different parts of the State, and tests of forage crops suited to Colorado conditions. Experiments were also continued on the cul- ture of crops suited to high altitudes, and a preliminary report on these experiments was prepared. Much attention was given to selec- tion and breeding and the correlation of characters of field crops, particularly grains and alfalfa. The work with alfalfa was quite extensive and consisted of collecting, testing, and distributing im- proved strains and breeding for frost, drought, and blight resistance. Promising strains of alfalfa were discovered, and these were tested with other promising varieties in different parts of the State. Im- portant data were also secured with reference to the relation of root growth and stooling habit to drought and cold resistance. In addi- tion to this work, considerable attention was given to the study of varieties, adaptation, and methods of culture of the field pea, and to tests of methods of preparing new land. A grass garden was started at the station during the year, and cooperation with this department in testing varieties of sugar beets was continued. COLORADO. 83 The lines of work pursued by the horticulturist, mainly with State funds, included observations on the culture, storage, and diseases of potatoes, a study of the possibility of establishing more hardy strains of apples, experiments with celery, asparagus, and cabbage, tests of cover crops for orchards, and comparisons of horticultural rotations. Some study was made of the milder flavor of high-altitude vegetables and fruits, and experiments with different vegetables and fniits were begim at high altitude at Fort Lewis. The animal-husbandry work was also largely supported by State funds and included comparison of rations, especially those contain- ing alfalfa, ground and unground, and molasses for cattle, sheep, and hogs. California feed barley was compared with corn in com- bination with alfalfa in rations for steers and sheep. Experiments in crossing hogs and in breeding up the dairy herd were in progress. No experimental work with poultry was done, but equipment and stock were improved, and 12 demonstration breeding plants in dif- ferent parts of the State were established. The station cooperated with this department in the study of dairying in the State and in horse breeding as in previous years. In the horse-breeding work the animals in the stud now number 84, but 14 of these were condemned as not conforming to the type desired. In addition to its Adams fund work on plant lice the department of entomology studied methods of repression of grasshoppers and of foul brood of bees. The work on bees was connected with the duties of the head of the department in the capacity of State entomologist. The irrigation engineer took up work on the studies of pump irri- gation, of concrete structures for canals and ditches, evaporation experiments to determine the law of the effect of wind velocity, humidity, temperature of both air and water on evaporation from water surfaces, and to derive a formula for ready calculation of evaporation losses. In this connection a record is made of meteorc^ logical facts, especially those relating to agricultural meteorology, humidity, precipitation, temperature, soil temperature, solar radia- tion, sunshine, direction and velocity of the wind, evaporation from water surfaces, etc. A bulletin giving the results of 25 years of meteorological observations at the station and the results of evapora- tion experiments is soon to be published. Cooperation was carried on in rather extensive experiments for the purpose of determining water supplies in the subsoil, and the practicability of using this water by means of large pumping plants for the irrigation of the land above it. The experiment also included the duty of water. The botanist continued experiments on the destruction of dande- lions in lawns, made observations on the relation of seasonal condi- tions to plant growth, and engaged in cooperative tree planting of black locust and hardy catalpa with State funds. 84 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. The following publications were received from this station during the year: Bulletins 156, Butter Making — Clean Milk and Commer- cial Starters; 157, Arsenical Poisoning of Fruit Trees; 158, A Bac- terial Disease of Alfalfa ; 159, A New Alfalfa Disease — Stem Blight; 160, Nitrates in the Soil; 161, Cement and Concrete Fence Posts; 162, Rabies; 163, Farm Butter Making; 164, Poultry Raising; 165, Ration Experiments with Swine, 1906-1908; 166, Information Con- cerning the Colorado Carriage Horse-breeding Station ; 167, Life and Care of Farm Machinery in Colorado; 175, The Potato Industry of Colorado — Potato Insects; 176, Productiveness and Degeneracy of the Irish Potato; Circulars 7, Milo; 8, Growing Potatoes in Colo- rado; 9, Growing Broom Corn in Colorado; and the Annual Report for 1909. The income of the station during the past fiscal year was as follows : United States appropriation, Hatch Act $14,755.58 United States appropriation, Adams Act 13,882.71 Balance from United States appropriation, Hatcli fund_ 244. 42 Balance from United States appropriation, Adams fuud_ 1, 117. 29 Balance from previous year. State appropriation 21, 294. 81 Miscellaneous 2.3. 129. 61 Total 74,424.42 The Colorado station has in progress a large amount of valuable work, with a view to solving certain problems of greni significance to practical farmers and of much scientific interest. CONNECTICUT. The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, Netc Haven. E. H. Jenkins, Ph. D., Director. The Connecticut station in January, 1911, acquired a tract of 20 acres of land and began putting it into shape for plat work. The ]^d was cleared and fenced, a small peach and apple orchard was planted, and an experiment on soil treatment was begim. A part of the tobacco work and nearly all of the work with corn was conducted on this tract. The legislature of 1911 made the same regular appropriations to the station as for the preceding biennial period. These include $10,000 for general support, $2,500 a year for food work, and $3,000 a year for the State entomologist. A special appropriation of $10,000 was made for combating the gipsy moth if necessity for this should arise and $6,500 was allowed to meet the fire loss on the laboratory building two years ago. Under the Adams fund the study on the nutritive effect and value of vegetable proteids was continued with the assistance of the grant for this work from the Carnegie Institution. Considerable difference CONNECTICUT. 85 was observed in the different proteids. Some of them sustained life but did not produce growth, while others producing growth to a cer- tain extent had nevertheless a stunting effect. None of the proteids tried thus far would, if fed alone, produce normal growth. The re- sults of the first year's experiments were published by the Carnegie Institution of Washington, and those more recently obtained were prepared for publication. Studies on the improvement of existing methods for determining the proportion of the various amino acids yielded by hydrolyzing proteids were continued, and the results ob- tained published in scientific journals. In addition to this work the study of the proteins of maize was begun and data of importance were secured concerning proteins of some other seeds. The plant-breeding investigations included a continuation of the study of the physiology of inheritance of important seed and plant characters in maize. The study of the inheritance of seed characters was in the main completed, and the study of the plant characters yielded much of importance from a theoretical standpoint. The bio- metrical work pursued for the purpose of determining the increased vigor due to crossing nearly related strains of Nicotiana tdbacum was about completed. The second generation of two tobacco crosses was grown to determine the method of inheritance of plant characters and also as a check upon the analysis of the Sumatra-Habana cross, which resulted in the production of the Halladay variety. The in- vestigations in plant breeding with the potato were closed out. A number of lines of work were carried on under the Hatch and other fimds. The entomologist of the station in cooperation with this department, and under a State appropriation, continued his work on the gipsy moth. The colony of the insects at Stonington, which was cleaned up last year, showed no moths this season. Attention was also given to the study of the 17-year locust, the sawfly attacking the blackberry, and the pyralid moth found on Japanese barberry. Much of the time of this department is taken up by inspection and control work, including apiary inspection and the inspection of nursery stock brought into the State. The entomologist and the botanist jointly carried on spraying experiments in 11 orchards located in different parts of the State and in cooperation with their owners to determine the relative value of summer sprays on apples and peaches. The botanist further made observations on the effect of spraying with Bordeaux mixture in a dry season in combating potato blight. Life-history studies of the disease were also pursued. The work on the calico disease of tobacco was carried forward, and the observa- tions on peach yellows were continued. It was found that in sum- mer spraying for peaches self-boiled lime-sulphur and commercial sulphur preparations may be substituted for Bordeaux mixture, 86 EEPORT OP OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. which has caused much injury to tlie fruit. A test of the effects of different methods of fertilizing on the growth, fruit production, prevalence of winter injury, and the prevalence of yellows in an orchard of 900 peach trees entered upon its third year. Attention was also given to melon culture, with special reference to the diseases attacking the crop. Chestnut blight, which is spreading in the State, was studied with regard to its distribution and the methods of its prevention and eradication. The experimental forest planting with native and introduced species was continued in the station forest at Windsor. The thin- ning experiment in a white-pine plantation entered upon its third year, and of two experiments in thinning deciduous forests one was in its sixth and the other in its second year. The forester also examined lands for farmers, giving advice as to forest planting and management, and furnished at cost suitable stock for forest planting. He further brought about a greater efficiency in the system of forest- lire control in the State by securing legislation making cooperation between the firewardens of adjoining towns possible. He cooperated with the Department of Agriculture, as provided in the Appalachian Forest Reserve act for fire protection of forests on the watersheds of navigable rivers. Under an arrangement with the Forest Service, work was begun on a cooperative study of woodworking industries in Connecticut, with special reference to closer utilization of forest products. A practical result of this work in forestry has been a stimulation of interest in forest planting on nonagricultural lands. Laboratory and vegetation tests on the availability of nitrogenous manures produced by the chemical treatment of inert materials like leather, hair, etc., have been completed and the results pre- pared for publication. The general indications are that some forms of nitrogenous matter recognized to be of no immediate value as fertilizers can be converted by relatively inexpensive chemical treat- ment into fairly available forms, and that chemical methods can determine with more accuracy than heretofore whether organic nitrogen of c(5mmercial fertilizers is or is not fairlj'^ available to crops. The station carried out jointly with this department experiments on the effect of phosphates on the quality and quantit}^ of the tobacco crop. A bulletin was published during the year reporting the results of similarly arranged cooperative work with reference to the advan- tage of sterilizing tobacco-seed beds and describing the apparatus- for and the operation of steam sterilizing. The principal form of extension work by the station consisted of an exhibition illustrative of the different departments of its work in a tent, 40 by 60 feet, which was set up at six agricultural fairs in different parts of the State. Members of the staff' were in attendance CONNECTICUT. 87 to explain the exhibit and answer questions. This has been found to be a very profitable form of extension work and better adapted to the State than the instruction trains. The following publications were received from this station during the year: Bulletins 166, The Management of Tobacco Seed Beds; 167, Inheritance in Maize; 168, Improvement in Corn; and the Annual Eeport for 1909-10, parts 5, Fertilizers, 1910 ; 6, Food Prod- ucts and Drugs, 1910; 7, Tests of Summer Sprays on Apples and Peaches; 8, Commercial Feeding Stutfs, 1910; 9, Tenth Report of the State Entomologist, 1910; 10, Report of the Station Botanist, 1909-10; and 11^ Report of the State Forester, 1910. The income of the station during the past fiscal year was as follows : United Slates appropriation, Hateli Act $7,500.00 United States appropriation, Adams Act 7, 500. 00 State appropriation 19, 650. 00 Individuals 17,367.65 Fees, including balance from previous year 11,217.95 Farm products 87.79 Miscellaneous 39.21 Total 63, 362. 60 The Connecticut station is pursuing a number of important lines of investigation and is successfully meeting many of the needs of the farmers of the State. Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station, ^forrs. Department of the Connecticut Agricultural College. L. A. Clinton, M. S., Director. No changes were made in the lines of work or in the persomiel of the station during the past year. No new Imes of the Adams fund work were taken up, but the differ- ent projects were actively carried forward. Considerable work was done on the project in soil biology, special studies being made of the bacteria in frozen soils, the bacterial content of soils as affected by culture, grass-sod, and other conditions, and the relation of bac- teria to the growth of alfalfa. Bacteria were found to be very abundant in frozen soils. A second report was published during the year on the investiga- tion of bacillary white diarrhea of young chicks carried on in coop- eration with Dr. L. F. Rettger, of Yale University. This report discussed the cause of the disease and the source of the germ, and pointed out the progress made toward controlling and stamping out the disease. 88 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. \ The cheese investigations, conducted in cooperation with this de- partment, were steadily pursued on the same basis as heretofore. Special attention was given the past season to the Roquefort type of cheese. In the study of silage fermentation, special consideration was given to silage bacteria and to temperature changes taking place in the silo, especially in the interior of the mass of silage. Among the work carried on by the horticultural department under the Hatch and other funds was the closing out of a nine-year period of spraying experiments with cucumber's and melons. This department published a systematic description of New England trees, in the form of Bulletin 69 of the station, paid for from State funds. The exten- sion work in horticulture, carried on as heretofore for the college, included demonstrations of methods of orchard management in dif- ferent sections of the State. In dairy husbandry, as in the previous year, attention was given to the cost of raising and maintaining dairy cattle; and a feeding experiment with high and low protein rations in its second year was continued with 10 cows. The effect of these rations on vigor, produc- tiveness, and fertility was studied. The ice-cream studies, under way last year, were also continued. Preparations were made for testing, on a rather large scale, the comparative egg-laying capacity of different breeds of chickens. The State Game Commission began experiments in raising quail at the college. The birds were kept under close observation, espe- cially with reference to their egg production, and the problems of hatching the eggs and keeping the birds free from disease received considerable attention. The following publications of the station were received during the year: Bulletins 64, Connecticut Weather Review; 65, Butter Making on the Farm; 66, Apple Growing in New England — IV, Orchard Management; 67, Water Glass and Preservative for Eggs; and 68, Bacillary White Diarrhea of Young Chicks. The income of the station during the past fiscal year Avas as follows : United. States appropriation, Hatch Act $7,500,00 United States appropriation, Adams Act 7,500.00 State appropriation, including balance from previous year 2, 435. 83 Miscellaneous, including balance from previous year 754. 89 Total 18, 190. 72 The affairs of the Storrs station are in good condition, and many of its lines of work seem to be actively prosecuted and quite scientific and fundamental in character. KEPOKT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 89 DELAWARE. The Delaware College Agricultural Experiment Station, Newark. Department of Delaware College. H. Hayward, M. S. Agr., Director. Changes on the staff of the DeLaware station during the past year were practically confined to the addition of two extension assistants, one, M. O. Pence, in agi*onomy, and the other, W. C. Pelton, in horti- culture. After the close of the fiscal year C. F. Dawson, the veteri- narian, was succeeded by R. C. Reed, and M. T. Cook, the plant pathologist, resigned to accept a like position at the New Jersey station. The farm equipment of the station has recently been greatly improved with State appropriations for the purpose. Satisfactory progress was made during the year in several of the Adams fund projects. The results of a study of the toxicity of tan- nin, in the project on the relation of fung-us parasites to the cell con- tents of the host plants, was reported. This study showed that tannin exerts a marked influence in inhibiting germination and killing spores of parasitic fungi. "While its effect in this respect was found variable, the majority of parasites used in the experiments were retarded by 0.1 to 0.6 per cent of tannin. Fusariums were found more resistant than Gloeosporiums and Colletotrichums, and the Cladosporiums were more resistant than the Fusariums. Penicillium olivaceiim was the most resistant of any species used. It was further found that low percentages of tannin may stimulate germination. The past year was the third in which studies were conducted on the response in different ways of various types of wheat to different kinds and quantities of plant food, and the work was about completed. A large amount of data has been secured with indications of several marked relationships. Preliminary work was done on an investiga- tion of the effect of different variations in the corn kernel upon the plant. Considerable attention was given to the perfecting and sim- plifying of special chemical methods required in work on projects in agronomy and plant pathology. Studies on the double-blossom disease of the dewberry were closed out and the results reported in Bulletin 93 of the station. Many points in the life history of Fusanum ruhi, the cause of the disease and its methods of attack were brought out. Picking the diseased buds just as they opened was found to be an efficient method of control. Studies on the relation of lime to the organic matter of the soil were continued, in cooperation with the station chemist, in a series of bell jars and in field experiments. The investigation on in-and-in breeding of pigs made good progress, but was interfered with to a considerable extent by cholera. 90 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. The veterinarian published during the year the results secured in the study of anthrax carried on in cooperation with this department during the last three years. As stated in Bulletin 90 of the station, he has produced an antibacterial serum by highly immunizing sheep by repeated inoculations, first of attenuated anthrax bacilli, and fol- lowing these by inoculations of the most virulent races of the bacilli in increasing doses until the animal would withstand 50,000 times the minimal lethal dose with impunity. It is further pointed out that the serum will confer a passive immunity immediately and thus pro- tect the animal against fatal infection over the period which is neces- sary for the vaccine to confer an active immunity. This bulletin also reports observations on the efficacy of vaccines carried on for two seasons, which indicate that the anthrax vaccine will remain active for several months, and that such cultures mav be prepared several months in advance of their use provided incubation is carried to a point where all growth ceases or spores form. The veterinary research work during the past year also included some preliminary work on cerebrospinal meningitis of the horse. With the Hatch fund experiments were made with fertilizers and cover crops for peaches and apples, fertilizers for tomatoes and pota- toes in relation to their effect on the yield and quality, varieties of fruits and vegetables, lime and manure in rotation experiments with corn, wheat, oats, and grass, and varieties of corn, wheat, oats, cow- peas, soy beans, and other crops. A new series of 1, 2, 3, and 4 year rotation experiments to emphasize the importance of green manures was started during the year. The station carried on no cooperative work other than that con- ducted in connection with extension work. For the present biennium an annual State appropriation of $4,500 is available for extension purposes. This work is mainly done by station officers and consists largely in cooperative experiments. The publications received from the station during the year were as follows: Bulletins 89, Crimson Clover Culture; 90, Anthrax; 91, The Relation of Parasitic Fungi to the Contents of the Cells of the Host Plants — I, The Toxicity of Tannin; 92, Annual Report of the Director for 1910; and 93, The Double Blossom of the Dewberry. The income of the station during the past fiscal year was as follows: United States appropriation, Hatch Act $15,000.00 United States appropriation, Adams Act 15.000.00 State appropriation 5. 000. 00 Farm products 1. 9S8. 40 Total 36, 988. 40 The improvement of the equipment and work of the Delaware station is steady and substantial, and the scientific and practical value FLOEIDA. 91 of the output increases each year. The station now has a creditable farm equipment, but is still handicapped by lack of sufficient funds and laboratory room and facilities. FLORIDA. Agricultural Experiment Station of Florida, Gainesville. Department of the University o£ the State of Florida. P. H. Rolfs, M. S., Director. There were no changes on the staff of the Florida station during the past year, but since its close E. W. Berger, who resigned as sta- tion entomologist to become State inspector of nursery stock, was succeeded by J. R. Watson; Mrs. E. W. Berger was succeeded by W. Voorhees as librarian, and O. F. Burger was appointed assistant plant pathologist. Satisfactory progress in the Adams fund work of the station was made, and some of the results were published during the year. The plant pathologist reported considerable progress in the studj^ of the scalv bark disease of citrus trees in Bulletin 106 of the station. The fungus Cladosporium herbarum citricolum was isolated repeatedly from diseased spots, and when inoculated into sweet orange trees was found to produce the early stages of the disease. Constantly associated with this fungus was the wither-tip fungus {CoUeto trie hum glceosporioides) ., and this is considered an important secondary agent in the destruction produced by the disease. Heading back the orange trees during the dormant period and spraying five to six times with Bordeaux mixture or treating the bark or cut surfaces with carbo- lineum proved sufficient means for the control of this trouble. The spotting of the fruit was completely prevented by spraying with Bor- deaux mixture. Special attention was given the past season to the stem-end rot of citrus fruits. The causative organism had already been isolated and subsequent inoculation experiments showed the probable correct- ness of the conclusions relative to the cause of the disease. In con- nection with life-history studies it was ascertained tliat the fungus causing stem-end rot was in the orchard during practically the entire year, being found in partially decayed branches and twigs when the fruit Avas immature or not in the groves. Some shipping experiments in cooperation with this department were begun to determine the effect of the disease on marketed fruit. In connection with this work a second fungus capable of causing a very similar disease was dis- covered. Work on gTimmosis was continued and the organism Di- flodia natalensis Avas found to be the causative agent. Through inoculation experiments it was determined that the disease is not 92 EEPOET OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. strictly limited to citrus trees. Work on other citrus diseases demon- strated that the scab of grapefruit, Satsuma oranges, and lemons is due to CladospoTium citri. The chemist continued the study of soils and fertilizers in relation to the development and the growth of the orange tree begim near Tavares on Lake Harris. This field work comprises 48 plats with 10 trees per j^lat. Careful notes were taken as to the gi^owth of the trees, the results of diseases affecting them, the fertilizer require- ments, with special reference to the nitrates, forms of phosphates for citrus trees, etc. These field experiments on Lake Harris are supple- mented by a study of trees grown under more perfect control in tanks at the station. The studies on the white fly were continued, and life-history work on a second species was pursued. As a result of this research work, progress was made in the general management of white-fly infected orchards. It was observed that no one single method of combating the white fly will prove uniformly successful, but that the most eco- nomical and satisfactory method of handling the pest will be to com- bine the spray with insecticides with the spraying of fungus spores, and under certain conditions to fumigate the orchards. It was found that cultures of the fungi can be kept for at least seven months in cold storage, and in connection with this fact practical methods of grow- ing the cultures were worked out, making it possible to have spore- bearing material for spraying at any time. Private parties in the State have taken up the spraying with fungus spores for white-fly control, and one concern sprayed 750,000 trees in 1910. In the investigation on plant nutrition in relation to physiological diseases, important advances were made, special attention being given to the effect of different soils, methods of watering, and the character of fertilizers on melanose and die-back of citrus trees. In connection with this work, it was found that phosphorus is a means of correcting overfeeding with nitrogenous compounds, and that acid phosphate corrects the injurious effect of excessive applications of nitrate of soda. In plant-breeding work attention was principally given to velvet beans and corn. An acre of the first generation of hybrid velvet and Lyon beans was under observation, together with an acre each of pure lines of these two plants. Careful records were made of color of flowers, dwarfing tendency, vigor, and other vegetative characters. Studies were pursued of the F^ generation of com hybrids, and line breeding was conducted with a number of varieties of corn introduced from Mexico, Central America, and elsewhere. The Hatch fund work of the station in animal husbandry included feeding experiments with pigs, cattle-breeding experiments, determi- nations of the cost of milk production, and trials of various crops, Japanese cane and velvet beans were used in the feeding tests with GEORGIA. 93 pigs. The cattle-breeding work was begun with grade Shorthorns, Herefords, and native stock, and two calves of each were under observation. Kesults of the work in agronomy have demonstrated that Japanese cane is a very satisfactory forage plant. The Kudzu bean (Pueraria thunbergiana) did not prove satisfactory, as the plant did not recover well after cutting. Experiments were in progress in testing varieties of corn and cotton, together with plant-breeding experiments and breeding experiments for the improvement of these two crops in yield and quality. The station carried on cooperative work with the extension division of the college and with fruit growers in connection with several projects carried on to solve some of their difficulties. The director is the only officer of the station connected with the ex- tension work, which is conducted principally by two officers engaged specially for that purpose. Occasional lectures on specific lines of investigation, however, were given during the year by station officers. The publications received from the station during the year were as follows: Buletins 103, White-fly Control; 104, Pineapple Culture — VII, Nitrates in the Soil ; 105, Japanese Cane for Forage ; 106, Scaly Bark or Nail-head Rust of Citrus; and the Annual Report for 1910. The income of the station during the past fiscal year was as follows : United States appropriation, Hatch Act $15,000.00 United States appropriation, Adams Act 15,000.00 Fees 70. 00 Farm products 709.96 Miscellaneous 18. 27 Balance from previous year 555.85 Total 31, 354. 08 The Florida station has in hand many problems peculiar to the State, and the institution may be regarded as having a field distinctly its own in which it pursues energetically and systematically the solu- tion of questions concerning the farmer, truck grower, and orchardist. GEORGIA. Georgia Experim.ent Station, Experiment} Department of Georgia State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. M. V. Calvin, Director. No important changes occurred at the Georgia station during the year in either the staff or tlie lines of work. The position of animal pathologist and veterinarian was abolished and the work combined with that in animal husbandry. Some progress was reported upon most of the Adams fund projects. In the study of the effect of stable manure upon the bacterial flora of 1 Telegraph, freight, and express address, Oriffin. 94 EEPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. soils particular attention was given to the distribution of soil bacteria and the rate at which ammonia and other nitrogenous compounds are transformed. The presence of manure was found to influence the total number of organisms present, but it did not affect the number of species found. Sterilized manure when added to soils in pots was found to increase the bacterial flora more than unsterilized manure. Very little difference was noticed in the rate of ammonification in the different pots in the series. Manured soils were found to nitrify better than soils receiving no manurial treatment, and it was con- cluded that either the nitrifs^ing organisms are in the manure or that they act more freely in its presence. Life history and control studies of the plum wilt were continued. In the study of Mendelian inheritance in the cotton plant about 30 characters in the F^ generation of cotton hybrids were under observation. Of these hybrids about one-half acre was grown in 1910, and about 4 acres of the Fo generation were planted in 1911. Tests were also made of the value of continuous selection of cotton plants for resistance to anthracnose. ^Vhile thus far no complete immunity has been secured, selections were obtained in which the prevalence of anthracnose is very greatly reduced. The veterinarian continued his work on tick fever, but with a very limited number of animals, conducting a test of trypanblue as a treatment. In addition to this work, a test of the action and effi- ciency of bacterin in treating fistula was made. A detailed report on the work to date was prepared. In the grape-breeding project it was necessary to study the self- sterility of the Muscadine grapes. About 800 seedlings were grown to determine the prevalence of white and black fruited varieties and the causes giving rise to this difference in color. The bacteriologist in cooperation with the horticulturist studied the relation of manure, insects, influence of variety, etc., to the occur- rence of end rot in tlie tomato. Special attention was given in this connection to soil and atmospheric conditions, and particularly the moisture conditions of the soil and the atmosphere. The chemist completed two years' work on the effect of different compounds and amounts of nitrogen, potash, and phosphoric acid on the composition of the cotton plant, and prepared a bulletin giving the results ob- tained. Studies were in progress on the phosphorus content of the various parts of the cotton plant, with special reference to the seed. The preliminary work on the protein requirements of growing cattle under 1 year of age showed that the capacity for growth depends primarily upon the individual, and that as long as the pro- tein supply is adequate to furnish material for growth a larger quantity causes a greater rate of growth only to a minor degree. GUAM. 95 Individuals apparently varied in their requirements for protein and a deficiency in this particular food constituent limited growth. The project on the cotton red spider was completed during the year. Spraying experiments carried on in this connection pointed out that lime sulphur and scalecide solutions killed over 99 per cent of the spiders, as well as the eggs, without producing injurious effects upon the plant. Studies were also made during the year on the life history and means of control of the mole cricket. Several phases of the life history of this pest were worked out. With the Hatch funds various field experiments with fruits and vegetables were continued, as were fertilizer and culture experiments with field crops. Two years' experiments in cabbage culture were brought to a close and a bulletin published. Late spring frosts injuriously affected the fig orchard and the peach crop. In animal husbandry, work was done on pasturing dairy cows, feeding cottonseed meal, growing lespedeza for grazing, and breed- ing razorback hogs. The following publications were received from this station during the year: Bulletins 90, Protein Eequirements of Growing Cattle Un- der One Year of Age; 91, Cabbage Culture; 92, The Cotton R«d Spider; 93, Com Production; 94, Cotton Production; Circular 66, Variety Test of Cotton and Corn, 1910 ; and the Annual Eeport for 1909. The income of the station during the past fiscal year was as follow^s: United States appropriation. Hatch Act .$1-5,000.00 United States appropriation, Adams Act 15, 000. 00 State appropriation 710.00 Farm products 4,553.33 Total 35. 263. 33 The Georgia station is conducted in an orderly way and is ad- dressing itself to many of the practical questions of farming in the State. GUAM. Guam Agricultural Experiment Station. Under the supervision of A. C. True, Director, Office of Experiment Stations, United States Department of Agriculture. John B. Thompson, B. S., Specnal Agent in Charge. Much work was done at the Guam station in the constiniction of new buildings, building roads, clearing and draining lands, and making other improvements. The new office building was completed and occupied in the fall of 1910. A storehouse for farm implements was completed during the year, as was a stock barn 30 bj^ 40 feet in extent. Considerable additions were made to the office equipment, and the beginning was made of a station library. 96 EEPOET OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. The leading investigation was the production of feed and forage preliminary to experiments on the improvement of the live stock on the island. Experiments with corn showed that the yield of Mexi- can June com was heavier, the ears were filled better, and the grain deeper and less flinted than the native varieties, but in an experi- ment on keeping seed corn, the samples of Mexican June lost all ability to geniiinate, while a perfect stand from seed of native com was obtained. Experiments with grasses showed the superior value of Para grass folloAved by Paspalum dilatatum and Guinea grass over all others tested. The production of forage from several of the nonsaccharine sorghums was fully demonstrated, and the culture tests of such legimiinous plants as the pigeon pea, jack bean, and the common peanut gave promise of success. Work with vegetables consisted of cultural tests with beets, patolas, radishes, carrots, onions, watermelons, muskmelons, cucumbers, let- tuce, eggplants^ cabbages, and tomatoes. Satisfactory results were obtained with all these crops with the exception of muslnnelons, cabbages, and tomatoes. One of the most striking achievements was the introduction of the Smooth Cayenne pineapple from Hawaii. The fruits produced were of excellent quality and many of them weighed as much as 10 pounds as compared with a maximum weight of 4 pounds for the native fruit. Avocado, orange, lemon, and pomelo trees made good growth, and trees of 10 varieties of Japanese persimmons were secured for trial in different parts of the island. Among other fruits introduced were Peen-to peaches, grapes, strawberries, and bananas. Ceara nibber, kola nut, camphor, hedge plants, and some ornamentals were also under test. In animal husbandry experiments looking toward the improvement of the live stock of the island were begun. There were purchased for the station 6 head of Morgan horses, 4 of Ayrshire cattle, 4 of Berk- shire hogs, and 8 each of Barred Plymouth Rock and Brown Leghorn chickens. With one exception all animals continued in a thriving condition in the new environment. The oldest bull died about two months after landing with symptoms of tick fever. This stock was fed almost exclusively on station-grown forage and grain. The income of the station during the past fiscal year was as follows : United States appropriation $15,000.00 Sales and other funds 3.5. 74 Total 15. 035. 74 A growing interest in the work of the Guam station is noted. All requests for seeds and plants were granted as far as supplies were available, and instructions were given regarding their planting and care, eveiy encouragement being offered to increase interest and HAWAII. 97 bring success to the planter. The cordial cooperation of the local authorities in furthering the station's work has aided materially in the attempt to improve the agricultural condition of the island. HAWAII. Hawaii Agricultural Experiment Station, Honolulu. Under the supervision of A. C. True, Director, Office of Experiment Stations, United States Department of Agriculture. E. V. Wilcox, Ph. D., Special Agent in Charge. The new office building, provided for from Territorial funds and serving exclusively for the library, general office, and office of the entomologist, was occupied during the year. Quarters for the agronomist were provided in one portion of the old office building, which was completely remodeled to accommodate the work of the departments of chemistry and agronomy. The portion of the ground turned over to the Department of Agriculture by the Navy Department, which is situated on Magazine Hill, was cleared and planted to corn, cotton, and broom corn, and considerable success was obtained with corn, particularly with the variety Yellow Creole. A portion of the upper slope of the station at an elevation of about 750 feet was cleared and planted to Cara- vonica cotton for comparing the growth of this variety at the higher and lower altitudes. The investigations outlined in previous reports were continued and a number of new ones begun. A number of plantings of cotton were made from sea level to altitudes of 1,600 feet and the results ob- tained indicated that altitude alone did not determine success. It was also shown that the amount of rainfall necessary for good crop production has not been definitely determined. Pruning back the cotton plants at the close of each picking season and burning the rubbish was determined to be an effective means of controlling the Indian cotton bollworm. By this method the larvae and pupae of the bollworm on the infested bolls were destroyed and the pruning in- terrupted the crop of bolls as completely as a new planting where cotton is treated as an annual. The station has developed a peculiar type of Caravonica cotton in which the lint is unusually harsh and strong and apparently Avell suited for mixing with woolen goods. The quotation submitted by buyers and cotton graders on last year's crop was 40 cents for Sea Island, 28 cents for Sunflower, and 25 cents for Caravonica. The Japanese rices imported by the station were successfully grown and satisfactory yields were obtained. The substitution of these rices for the imported article has not been fully satisfactory, some con- sumers claiming that they differ in certain undefinable qualities. 56096°— 12 7 98 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. Fertilizer experiments with rice showed definitely that the applica- tion should be made before the rice is planted and that ammonium sulphate or an organic fertilizer is a better source of nitrogen than nitrate of soda. Fertilizer experiments with taro gave the same re- sults as those with rice, and thorough drying and aeration of the soil between crops, together with proper fertilizing, was found to prevent taro rot. The chemical investigations on manganese soils indicated that pine- apple is exceptionally sensitive to unfavorable soil conditions and can not be made to thrive where from 4 to 5 per cent or more of man- ganese is present. It was found that the best results with pineapples on manganiferous soils can be obtained from planting the old stumps rather than the suckers, and by fertilizing heavily with phosphates. It appeared from an examination that improper drainage of soil is a conspicuous cause of some of the pineapple troubles in the district of Wahiawa. It was further determined that pineapples did not re- quire as much water as has been formerly supposed and that with proper drainage they can be successfully growni under a heavy rain- fall. Progress was made in accumulating data for a general classifi- cation of Hawaiian soils. The most important feature of the entomological work during the year was the discovery of the Mediterranean fruit fly, which attacks peaches, all of the citrus fruits, mangoes, peppers, guavas, figs, and avocados. A plan devised by the station for the control of the pest consists essentially in the collection and destruction of fallen fruit. Studies were made of the insect pests of corn and leguminous plants, and attention was given to the subject of insect parasites, including a parasite destrojdng from 5 to 10 per cent of the bollworms. The horticultural investigations were continued with tropical fruits. A budding method for the avocado was perfected and a successful inarching method was devised for rapidly testing promis- ing seedlings. As far as possible, all types of avocados found in Hawaii have been collected and a system of classification and de- scription is being worked out. Studies of papaj'a fiiiits showed that the variation in flavor, size, and shape is almost unlimited. The station found it possible to propagate papayas by the use of moncE- cious trees without the help of sterile male trees. Spraying experi- ments showed that the rusty blight of avocado leaves can be con- trolled with the use of Bordeaux mixture. The station gave assist- ance in the distribution of suckers of the Bluefields banana and in culture experiments. From the results of this work it seems evident that a wider spacing in planting should be adopted. A number of miscellaneous investigations in progress included ex- periments with broom corn, leguminous forage crops, weed destruc- IDAHO. 99 tion with arsenite of soda as a sjDray solution, the utilization of the pulp from sisal mills, fiber in banana stalks and pineapple leaves, the production of oil from kukui nuts, etc. Arrangements were made with private individuals and companies for cooperative experiments with fertilizers for different crops, the growing of sweet potatoes, corn culture, and other forms of diversi- fied agriculture. During the past year under territorial funds the station established three demonstration farms, one on Kauai and two on Hawaii. The publications of the Hawaii station during the past year were the Annual Report for 1910; Bulletins 22, Insects Attacking the Sweet Potato in Hawaii; 23, Leguminous Crops for HaAvaii; 24, The Assimilation of Nitrogen by Rice ; 25, The Avocado in Hawaii ; Press Bulletins 28, Peanuts in Hawaii; 29, The Management of Pineapple Soils; 30, Killing Weeds with Arsenite of Soda; 31, Brief Instructions for Farm Butter Makers ; and 32, Cultural Methods for Controlling the Cotton Bollworm. The revenues of the station for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1911, were as follows: United States appropriation $28,000.00 Sales and other funds 18,494.47 Total ; 46, 494. 47 The work of the Hawaii station is continuing to attract favorable attention and to create greater interest in the culture of a number of important crops adapted to the islands. This is notably true of its work with cotton, which seems to have demonstrated the profitable- ness of growing the crop in Hawaii, and which enjoys the confidence of the planters, as shown by the increase in the acreage for com- mercial production. IDAHO. Agricultural Experiment Station of the University of Idaho, Moscow. Department of the University of Idaho. W. L. Cablyle, M. S., Director, The Idaho station made progi-ess during the year in its various lines of work. The station staff was enlarged by the addition of a plant pathologist and assistants in bacteriology, horticulture, and animal husbandry. While the State made no direct appropriation for experimental work, an allowance of $13,500 was made for the purchase of 120 acres of additional land adjoining the present ex- periment farm. The State also gave $6,000 for the construction of modern and thoroughly equipped dairy bams. 100 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. Work was actively pursued during the past j^ear on seven Adams fund projects. Studies on the ghiten content of wheat were con- tinued sj'stematically along the same lines as reported last year. At Gooding, where a part of the work is carried on, studies were made of the effect of irrigation and methods of culture on the nitrogen in the soil and on the composition of wheat. In this connection three varieties of wheat were each grown on seven plats receiving different amounts of water. At Moscow the effects of fertilizer and rotation were studied in a similar way with different varieties of wheat, including some from Minnesota, Kansas, and Nebraska. A large amount of chemical work on wheat and wheat flour was done during the past year and baking and milling tests were brought to a conclusion. The cooperative studies with this office on the duty of water in irri- gation were continued at Gooding. The field experiments consisted of the application of different amounts of water at different times and by different methods in growing a number of field and garden crops. Evaporation experiments were conducted to strengthen the data secured in the field work. The apple-breeding investigations included making 5,802 pollina- tions and placing 2,901 bags on trees. As a result of this work, 702 apples set, which gave an average of four seeds apiece. The question of self-sterility was studied, and 180 hybrids were grown from seed secured in 1910. The bacteriological study of butter in relation to keeping was con- tinued as originally outlined. In connection with the work on the effect of different factors on the bacterial flora of the product, about 150 different organisms have been identified. A large amount of data has been accumulated. A study of the duty of water in plant growth was carried on b}'^ the agronomist under controlled conditions with some of the more im- portant field crops. The plants were grown very successfully, and detailed records regarding their development were carefully kept. The agronomist also continued his work on the relation of calcium and magnesium in the growth of wheat. Bacteriological studies of soil were conducted at the station and partly in connection with the duty of water studies at Gooding. Some work was also done with Azotobacter in soils of different regions. With Hatch and other funds the agronomist conducted fertilizer experiments with wheat, oats, and corn: rotation experiments in eight series for the purpose of determining a system to do away with summer fallowing; made ear-to-row tests of corn; and compan^d varieties of wheat, barley, oats, corn, potatoes, peas, soy beans, sor- ghums, etc. IDAHO. 101 The dairy department gave special attention to methods of deter- mining moisture and the amount of shrinkage in the storage and shipping of butter. Samples were kept in storage at the station for six or more months and shipped away and returned to the station, after which they were tested. The horticulturist conducted experiments with tomatoes, onions, and muskmelons, including tests of varieties for their productivity and blight resistance; methods of pruning, training, and mulching; methods of packing the products, and deteniiining the cost of pro- duction. Studies of summer and winter pruning of apples were made in an orchard planted in 1905. Bulletin 69 of the station, "The Farmer's Vegetable Garden," based on work done by the predecessor, including four years' work, was published during the year and the line of work was discontinued. The results of work with the strawberry were published in Bulletin 70 of the station and also discontinued. In animal husbandry a feeding experiment was made with 40 pigs to test the value of soy-bean meal as compared with peas, tank- age, or corn. Shorts and barley were used in all the rations and tankage gave the best results. Soy-bean meal was rather heavy for the animals and was best fed in small amounts. At Caldwell 300 lambs were fed in two lots, the one composed of fine-wool and the other of long-wool animals. This work was carried on for the pur- pose of determining on a commercial scale the proper time for taking animals off the range for systematic feeding. The department of chemistry published Bulletin 68 of the station en the soils of the State. In addition to this work special studies were made of soils from Clagston and Caldwell, which involved a study of several types. Studies on the composition of fruit from irrigated and nonirrigated regions were completed and prepared for publication. The station cooperated with the State substation at Clagston in determining the cost of clearing cut-over pine and fir timberland and doing soil-improvement work on the timbered lands of northern Idaho. At the Gooding State experiment station the effect of seed- ing alfalfa with varying quantities of seed was studied, and varieties of various farm crops were compared and improved by selection. The station officials did some extension work in connection with mov- able schools of agriculture, farmers' institute, and a demonstration train. The following publications were received from this station during the year : Bulletins 68, Chemical and Mechanical Anal3^ses of Char- acteristic Idaho Soils; and 69, The Farmer's Vegetable Garden. 102 EEPOKT OF OFFICE OF EXPEEIMENT STATIONS. The income of the station during the past fiscal year was as follows: United States appropriation, Hatch Act $14, 824. 13 United States appropriation, Adams Act 13,724.29 Balance from United States appropriation, Hatch fund- 175. 87 Balance from United States appropriation, Adams fund- 1, 275. 71 Farm products 1,056.18 Total 31, 956. 18 The Idaho station has made progress in its lines of work, under- taken the study of a number of new and important problems, and has, in general, increased its efficiency in meeting the needs of the farmers of the State. ILLINOIS. Agricultural Experiment Station of the University of Illinois, Urbana. Department of the University of Illinois. Eugene Davenport, M. Agr., Director. The legislature of 1911 provided for special investigations by the station by the following annual appropriations: Live stock, $25,000; farm crops, $15,000; soils, $65,000; orchards, $15,000; floriculture, $8,000; dairying, $15,000; and soil maps and other publications, $50,000. In other appropriations of $19,000 for live-stock specimens, $153,000 for buildings, and $20,000 for the purchase of land the sta- tion is apparently interested with the college. Work on the five Adams fund projects in progress the previous year was continued. The investigation of the effects of inbreeding of pigs was interrupted by a loss of hogs, largely due to cholera, but new material was again gathered for the continuance of the experi- ments. In connection with the investigations on the digestion and utiliza- tion of feeds in maintenance, growth, and fattening the tabulation of a nutrition experiment with steers was practically completed and a report on the experiment was in preparation. An experiment de- signed to determine the influence of different amounts of protein upon the formation of tissue and bone was carried through the feed- ing and analj'tical stage, and work on the manuscript for a technical bulletin on this study was pursued. A feeding experiment to deter- mine the protein requirements of lambs was carried forward and slaughter tests were made upon the 21 lambs of the experiment, to- gether with cooking tests and tests on the strength of bone. In the project on the principles relating to the transmission of characters work was conducted with sweet peas, strawberries, and apples. With the apple over 540 trees are on hand, grown from selected buds and being in their fourth season. In addition to this ILLINOIS. 103 lot there are 600 two-year-old trees grown from buds selected from five different parts of the tree, 946 one-year-old trees, and 1,240 bud- grafted on seedling stocks during this past year. The amounts of annual growth were measured and selection was practiced. Crosses were made among standard varieties. In the study of the injury to foliage of apple trees by spraying materials attention was given to the relation of dew as a possible factor in rendering the copper soluble. The sprays used mainly dur- ing the year were Bordeaux mixture and a combination of lime and sulphur with Bordeaux mixture. The results of this work have indicated that brown spotting was caused by the presence of copper in soluble form and by free soluble arsenic, but the manner of action has not yet been worked out. Some headway was also made in the study of the yellowing of leaves, but definite results have not as yet been secured. In statistical studies in heredity, investigations were prosecuted on the effect of the fertility of the land upon the type and varia- bility of characters in Indian corn and upon the effect of selection for chemical composition upon the length of ear, size of kernel, and number of rows. Preliminary investigations were made in the inheritance of certain characters as well as their correlation as be- tween parent and offspring. Under the Hatch and miscellaneous funds the activities of the station were quite extensive. The old soil-experiment fields were continued and three new ones were established. Ten different farms consisting of 20 acres each were donated to the university for soil and crop experiment purposes, the land having been purchased by local subscription and deeded to the institution. In addition three small farms were deeded by individuals. The soil surve}'^ was carried forward and 6 counties were finished during the year, making in all 37 counties now completed. Much of this effort is in the nature of extension work, and the field men employed in it do much personal work with individuals, especially during the winter. The experi- ment fields are operated in connection with the soil survey. There are 31 of these experimental fields over the State, and of these about 15 are permanent, while the others are conducted on leased land. Experiments were also in progress to determine the extent of wash- ing on southern Illinois lands. The corn-breeding work of the station has shown that during the past six years the four strains of corn selected for high protein, high oil, low protein, and low oil are significantly different from each other with respect to length, weight, and circumference of ears and number of rows of kernels in the ear. It was found that the oil strains were a little more prominent than the protein strains. Selec- 104 EEPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. tion was continued for height of ears and for erect or drooping posi- tion. Breeding work was also taken up from the standpoint of unit characters and their Mendelian transmission. Similar work was done with other field crops, but mainly with a view to improvement. In animal husbandry work was continued with varying amounts of silage in fattening lambs, and experiments were made to determine the place of alfalfa and silage in the ration for beef production. The comparative cost of maintenance of horses and mules for farm work was studied, together with the value of alfalfa and clover for feeding hogs and sheep when allowed to harvest the crops themselves. Dur- ing the year a long-continued investigation on market classes and grades of meat was brought to a close and the results published as Bulletin 147 of the station. The leading work of the dairy department was the operation of the 20-acre dairy farm and the investigation into the effect of pas- teurization upon the ripening of cream and the quality of butter. A number of publications on dairy topics were issued. Competitive cow- test associations have been organized and a number of herds were tested as a line of extension work. A dairy bacteriologist was ap- pointed and the fitting up of a laboratory for the purpose of studying the milk supply of cities was begun. The botanist continued studies on the diseases of orchard fruits and fruit trees on soil fungi and on ear rots of corn. The following publications were received from this station during the year : Bulletins 145, Quantitative Relationshi'ps of Carbon, Phos- phorus, and Nitrogen in Soils; 146, Alfalfa Hay v. Timothy Hay and Alfalfa Hay v. Bran for Dairy Cows; 147, Market Classes and Grades of Meat (with abstract number) ; 148, On the Measurement of Correlation with Special Reference to Some Characters of Indian Corn (with abstract number) ; 149, Tuberculosis of Farm Animals; Circulars 144, The Illinois Competitive Cow Test; 145, A Story of a King and Queen ; 146, The Hessian Fly in Illinois, 1910 ; 147, Clean Milk; 148, Care of Cream on the Farm; 149, Results of Scientific Soil Treatment — Methods and Results of 10 Years' Soil Investiga- tions in Illinois; and the Annual Reports for 1909 and 1910. The income of the station during the past fiscal year was as fol- lows: United States appropriation. Hatch Act $15,000.00 United States appropriation, Adams Act 15, 000. 00 State appropriation, including balance from previous year 147, 241. 38 Farm products, including balance from previous year_ 40, 649. 92 Total 217, 891. 30 The Illinois station has in progress a number of lines of work which cover the State quite generally, and which have induced many INDIANA. 105 leading farmers to adopt the methods recommended and followed in these extension and demonstration activities. The results of the soil investigations throughout the State, for instance, are believed to have turned the tide of sentiment from one of soil depletion to one of soil upbuilding and improvement. INDIANA. Agricultural Experiment Station of Indiana, Lafayette. Department of Purdue University. Akthub Goss, M. S., a. C, Director. Changes made in the organization of the Indiana station during the year included a separation of the departments of horticulture and entomology, the former being placed in charge of C. G. Woodbury and the latter in charge of J. Troop. The chemical department of the station was abolished and the chemical work on soils and crops was placed under the department of agronomy. The station has a continuing State appropriation apportioned as follows : General pur- poses, $10,000; soil and crop work, $15,000; horticulture, $10,000; station extension, $10,000; dairy work, $10,000; animal diseases, $5,000; poultry, $5,000; and live stock feeding, $10,000. In addition to the station-extension fund a continuing appropriation of $30,000 was made the past year. A new horticultural building with green- houses was in process of constraction, the greenhouses being prac- tically completed. The station mailing list now contains about 37,000 names. The Adams fund work of the Indiana station continued to center on four projects. The investigation of rusts progressed in a thorough and systematic way, and the work on cedar apple rust was practically completed up to publication. The growing of rusts under control in the greenhouse in order to study their full life history yielded some important results, especially regarding forms on meadow grasses, but weather conditions interfered with the work to some extent. Hog-cholera studies, including laboratory investigations, were con- tinued and considerable work was done in testing the normal salt solution. The production of hyperimmune hogs with a virulent nor- mal salt solution proved less successful than it did when the work was first begun. The intraperitoneal, intramuscular, and intravenous methods of inoculation were compared, with the result that the intra- peritoneal method of producing a hyperimmune hog was discarded because of unsatisfactory results. The study of cholera blood and virulent blood filtrates was continued, and a line of inoculation work for the purpose of determining the comparative virulence of blood, urine, virulent normal salt solution, filtered and unfiltered, from a cholera hog was begun. 106 EEPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. In the project on the moisture content of butter the experiments have extended over a period of four years and were practically con- cluded during the past season. The controllable and uncontrollable factors in butter making were studied in connection with feeding experiments. It was found that an excess of soft fats and large fat globules take up a comparatively large amount of moisture in churn- ing, and this is believed to be beyond control ; while temperature in churning, pasteurization, and working and washing the butter are factors which ma}^ be regulated by the butter maker. The project on the pasteurization of gathered cream in relation to bacterial flora and keeping quality of butter progressed as originally outlined. The plan is to investigate what pasteurizing temperature will produce the best quality of butter at the different seasons of the year, and the work involves the making of butter from raw cream and cream pasteurized at various temperatures, the bacteriological study of the cream and of the butter made therefrom when fresh and after several months of storage, a chemical study of the butter when fresh and after being stored, and the judging and scoring of the product. In connection with this work studies were made of analytical methods used in butter analysis for the purpose of determining their accuracy. Many lines of station work were carried out with Hatch and other funds. The crop work under agronomy embraced various variety, cultural, and breeding experiments. Breeding and selection was practiced with wheat, corn, barley, oats, and soy beans. With corn, also, experiments in suckering and detasseling were carried on, but the results did not show that these practices were profitable. Ten corn-breeding plats in different sections of the State were conducted for the purpose of securing varieties suited to different localities. The wheat-breeding work has reached a stage where some of the strains are being multiplied. The experiments with oats included a test of 55 crosses secured from this department. The rotation and fertilizer experiments in progress for many years were continued, and work on three test fields devoted to soil improvement on more or less depleted soils in different parts of the State was carried on. Cooperative work was conducted on fertilizers for particular crops or soils, and pot and field experiments were in progress with fer- tilizers for potatoes on three different soil types. Other lines of endeavor included liming experiments, cooperative pasture experi- ments to determine the most satisfactory mixtures of grasses for pastures, and work with farmers in establishing alfalfa fields. The horticulturist conducted orchard-management experiments in an apple orchard set out by him for that purpose on land leased for 15 years. One of the objects of this work is to test clean culture with cover crops as compared with sod, cutting the grass, and leaving it on the ground. -The influence of these methods of orchard man- INDIANA. 107 agement on the rate of growth and earliness of bearing on the yield, color, and keeping quality of the fruit and on the humus content, moisture content, and temperature of the soil was also studied. In connection with extension work a large amount of data relative to the economics of apple growing was collected. Detailed cost records were kept covering all operations, and the effect of disease and insect- pest control on the net income was observed. The investigation of problems affecting the growing of tomatoes as a field crop was con- tinued along the lines started a year ago, and a study was made of the best sj^^stems of companion and succession cropping and of the cost of and return from vegetables grown under as nearly as possible average farm-home conditions. A careful test was made of about 140 varieties of strawberries, together with tests of varieties of potatoes, small fruits, peaches, pears, jDlums, and cherries. The dairy department of the station, aside from its Adams fund work, inspected creameries and dairies, conducted official tests of pure-blood dairy cows, tested Babcock glassware for accuracy, and m cooperation with this department directed its efforts toward the organization of cooperative cow-test associations for the purpose of herd improvement. The botanical department made the usual record of the prevalence of the more important fungus diseases attacking agricultural and horticultural crops during the past year. Attention was also given to soil sanitation or the prevention of unsanitary conditions for a particular crop by the undue accumulation of fungus germs which attack and weaken the growling plants and thus reduce the yield. The study of native and introduced weeds of the State was continued and a carefully planned series of experiments on weed control was begun. Several experiments in mushroom growing were carried out. The veterinarian operated a serum laboratory with State appro- priation. The serum building was completed during the year and the preparation of the serum was transferred to it. The quantity of antihog-cholera serum produced during the past year was 1,262,296 cubic centimeters, or enough to vaccinate and treat 31,557 hogs. In the herds from which complete reports were received there was an average loss of 2.25 per cent in the vaccinated herds and 9.5 per cent in the treated herds. In animal husbandry an investigation on lamb feeding was begun, and the experimental work in cattle and hog feeding was continued. The feeding trials with beef cattle conducted last year were prac- tically repeated to corroborate previous results. The swine-feeding work consisted of trials to determine the value of hominy feed for fattening hogs and the comparative value of tankage and shorts as supplements to corn or hominy feed. It was found that homin}^ feed produced more rapid gains but at a greater cost than corn, and that 108 REPOKT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. tankage produced more rapid and also more economical gains than shorts when either are fed with corn or hominy feeds. A mixture of shorts and tankage as a supplement to corn gave better results than either supplement fed separately. The first systematic attempt of the station to obtain data on the relative value of different feeds for fattening sheep was begun during the year. In September, 1910, a poultry department was started, and an experiment was begun to study the effect of protein in the form of skim milk in rations for laying hens. The department of agricultural extension held farmers' short courses at several points in the State, operated two educational trains, established a seed laboratory in cooperation with this depart- ment, made exhibits at the State and county fairs, and carried on demonstrations in domestic science and horticulture. Assistance was given to rural school agriculture by supplying school-teachers with bulletins and weed-seed collections, and giving practical demonstra- tions of methods of teaching agriculture. The publications received from this station during the year were as follows: Bulletins 141, Concentrated Commercial Feeding Stuffs; 142, Steer Feeding, V— Finishing Steers, 1907-1909 ; 143, Standards for Evaporated Milk, Sweetened Condensed Milk, and Condensed Skim Milk — Federal and State Dairy Laws (with popular edition) ; 144, Growing Tomatoes for the Canning Factory; 145, Testing Cream for Butter Fat (with popular edition) ; 146, Steer Feeding, VI — Influence of Age on the Economy and Profit from Feeding Calves, Yearlings, and 2-year-olds, 1906-1909; 147, Corn Silage for Winter Feeding of Ewes and Young Lambs; 148, Commercial Fer- tilizers; 149, Summary of Five Years' Kesults of Cooperative Tests of Varieties of Corn, Wheat, Oats, Soy Beans, and Cowpeas, 1906- 1910; Circulars 23, Agricultural Extension, VII — How to Grow More and Better "Wheat; 24, Agricultural Extension, VIII — Infor- mation on Work of Purdue Experiment Station and School of Agri- culture; 25, Agricultural Extension, IX — How to Grow More and Better Corn; 26, Agricultural Extension, X — Milk Production, IV — Computing Rations for Dairy Cows; 27, Suggestions for Beginners in Alfalfa Culture; and the Annual Report, 1910. The income of the station during the past fiscal year was as follows : United States appropriation, Hatch Act $15,000.00 United States appropriation, Adams Act 15,000.00 State appropriation, including balance from previous year 103,093.12 Miscellaneous, including balance from previous year — 05, 801. 57 Total 198, 894. 69 An. Rpt. Office of Experiment Stations, 191 1. Plate I. Fig. 1 .—Movable Poultry Houses, Iowa Station. Fig. 2.— Orchard Heating to Prevent Injury from Spring Frosts, Iowa Station. An. Rpt. Office of Experiment Stations, 1911. Plate II. Fig. 1.— Industrial Alcohol Plant, Minnesota Station. Fig. 2.— Flour-Testing Laboratory, Minnesota Station. IOWA. 109 The affairs of the Indiana station are conducted in a systematic and businesslike way and the amount of work done appears com- mensurate with the funds available. The station is studying a large number of live agricultural problems of the State and is filling a position of great usefulness. IOWA. Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station, Ames. Department of Iowa State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. C. F. CuRTiss, M. S. A., D. Sc, Director. Several changes occurred in the staff of the Iowa station during the year. C. A. Scott, the forester, was succeeded in September by G. B. MacDonald. The new chemist, A. W. Dox, entered upon his work in October, and W. A. Lippincott succeeded H. C. Pierce as poultryman. A. Leitch, in charge of the dairy farm section, re- signed to take up commercial work, and was succeeded by H. H. Kildee, assistant animal husbandman of the station. P. E. Brown, of the New Jersey station, entered upon the position of soil bacte- riologist in August, 1910. K. E. Neidig was appointed research as- sistant in the chemical department beginning with November, 1910, and at the close of the year W. F. Beckman succeeded C. V. Gregory as bulletin editor of the .station. Many useful additions and other improvements were made in the poultry (PI. I, fig. 1) and other animal husbandry equipment, as well as in the experiment field and laboratory facilities of the station. The State has provided the station with a permanent annual appropria- tion of $15,000 and an additional $15,000 a year was given by the last legislature. The five distinct lines of Adams fund work previously reported were continued and satisfactory progress was made. Studies on the relation of organic matter in the soil to crop production under different systems of soil management were carried on with different substances as the sources of the organic matter. The work on humus and its relation to the physiological activities of the apple, in which the departments of horticulture and of soils cooperate, was conducted in a rented orchard with 10 varieties of apples under different methods of culture and orchard management. The study of Mendelian unit characters in cattle breeding has re- sulted in 10 different matings of the blue-gray Shorthorns made by crossing the white Shorthorn bull and the Galloway cow. Observa- tions were made on the transmission of certain characters and full written and photographic records were made. In the study of the influence of feed, environment, and breeding on dairy cows, special attention was given to the effect of environ- 110 EEPOET OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. ment and of breeding to good pure-bred sires. The project started original!}^ with 12 Arkansas cows and marked improvement has been shown by individuals from one period of lactation to another. Figures were secured on the digestive capacity of these cows and their calves up to maturity. Measurements were made of the calves to obtain data relative to their growth. The apple-breeding project was conducted with a view to finding out the varieties containing the elements of hardiness as unit char- acters. Observations were made on nursery trees, including seed- lings, and records were kept on a number of characters such as vigor of growth, resistance to winterkilling, and other qualities with refer- ence to their dominance and recessiveness. The Iowa station carries on numerous lines of work under Hatch and other funds. Soil work was conducted about the State, and a report on a study of the gumbo soils of Iowa was made in Bulletin 119 of the station. The distribution of these soils is pointed out, and their physical character is described. It was found that drainage, fall plowing, and the use of clover or other green manuring crop improved the gumbo soils, while the use of lime, even in large amounts, did not seem to better their physical condition. The appli- cation of ground limestone in its relation to certain groups of soil bacteria was studied by the soil bacteriologist. The work of the horticultural department consisted of cultural experiments with potatoes, a comparison of northern and southern grown potatoes for seed, spraying vineyards and orchards, cold storage of apples, top-working orchards, using stocks of superior hardiness, and a study of the affinity between stock and scion. The use of heaters to protect against frosts (PI. I, fig. 2) was tested and, with State funds, an orchard survey of the leading apple-growing county of the State was made. The forester had in progress some forest nursery work with spe- cial reference to the farm, gave particular attention to the value of Cottonwood and white pine for lumber, and tested preservative treat- ments of fence posts and other timbers. Plantations of the hardy catalpa in different parts of the State were studied as to their fence- post production and their financial returns. The animal husbandry department made observations on the l^reparation of corn for feeding pigs, the use of forage crops for growing pigs, hogging down com, and on feeding brood sows. Silage feeding was practiced with beef cattle to determine how much silage can be fed to advantage. Some work was also done on the effect of silage fed to sheep on birth weight and other factors. Im- provement of range sheep by selection and breeding was continued as in previous years. IOWA. Ill The poultry work included observations on the influence of pure- bred cocks on mongrel stock and on the effect of different rations in fattening poultry. Trap-nest selections were made and attention was given to the improvement of poultry-house appliances. The dairy department gave considerable attention to ice-cream work and published during the year Bulletin 118 of the station, on a frozen product made from sour milk and called lacto. This de- partment also gave attention to creamery construction and made observations on the shrinkage of butter in transit and in storage. The station chemist in cooperation with the animal husbandry department made digestion studies with hogs in connection with feeding corn in different ways, and also studied the composition of the pigs at the time of birth to determine a possible correlation with the feed of the sows and other factors. In cooperation with the hor- ticultural department he studied sugar content, acidity, and other factors in apples as characters in relation to Mendel's law. In rural engineering the station continued its work on the con- struction of silos, and especially those built of tile. This line of work included the construction of masonry water tanks on the top of the silos and various waterproofing materials were tested. Work was also done on the gasoline engine for the improvement of its efficiency. The cooperative work with this office in irrigating with sewage was successful and was favored by the dry season. A great variety of work in progress in agronomy included the breeding of grains, testing, and acclimatizing different strains and varieties, comparing various methods of making germination tests, conducting 30 cooperative tests with alfalfa in different parts of the State, breeding clover and timothy, determining the value of sweet clover under Iowa conditions, experimenting in the reseeding of pastures with different grasses, and having under trial a large num- ber of forage crops. . Corn was bred- for different sections of the State in four breeding centers, and in this connection correlation studies on the relation between stock characteristics and yield were made. The botanist carried on work in cooperation with this department on cross-pollination and self-pollination of alfalfa with and with- out bees, on the cytologj^ of fertilization, and the use of pollen from the same and different plants. Studies were also made of onion smut, rust of alfalfa and timothy, and other diseases, and on the deJayed germination of weed seeds. The entomological department made a study of the wheat-head army worm as a timothy pest and published results in Bulletin 122 of the station. This department also studied the pear slug and the oyster-shell scale and tested methods of spraying in combating the codling moth and the strawberry slug. 112 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. The State has appropriated $50,000 per year for extension work and a staff of 16 instructors is devoting its entire time to this class of work, while 10 others devote to it from three to five months each during the winter season. The extension work is so organized that the extension men are connected with the departments responsible for the information disseminated, while the head of the extension depart- ment directs these men as to when and where they shall go. The publications received from this station during the year were as follows: Bulletins 115, Results of Seed Investigations for 1908-9; 116, Two Barley Blights with Comparison of Species of Helmin- thosporium upon Cereals; 117, The Iowa Silo; 118, Lacto: A New and Healthful Frozen Dairy Product ; 119, The Gumbo Soils of Iowa ; 120, The Hardy Catalpa in Iowa; 121, Creamery Bookkeeping; 122 (with popular edition) , The AVlieat-head Army Worm as a Timothy Pest; 123, Classification of Ice Cream and Related Frozen Products; and 124, A Centrifugal Method for the Determination of Humus. The income of the station during the past fiscal year was as follows : United States appropriation, Hatch Act $15,000.00 United States appropriation, Adams Act 15, 000. 00 State appropriation 43,008.24 Farm products 10,878.64 Miscellaneous 864. 07 Balance from previous year 6,255.66 Total 91, 006. 01 The Iowa Experiment Station and the agricultural people of the State are drawing closer together every year. The station has a large amount of work of interest to the agriculture of the State and has made progress in the differentiation and organization of its exten- sion enterprises. The generous appropriations from the State enable it to cover a wide range. KANSAS. Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station, Manhattan. Department of Kansas State Agricultural College. E. H. Webster, B. Agr., M. S., Director. The work of the Kansas station was materially strengthened and extended during the past year. In addition to an annual appropria- tion of $22,500 for the use of the station the State appropriated $7,500 for cooperative experiments, $2,000 for irrigation experiments, and $5,000 for a soil survey. The last legislature also appropriated $125,000 for the first wing of an agricultural building, to cost even- tually about $450,000. This wing is now in the process of construc- tion. A number of changes occurred in the staff during the year. KANSAS. 113 The Adams fund work of the station is represented by eight proj- ects. Much time was devoted to the wheat and alfalfa breeding inves- tigations. Three years' work on variations and correlations in wheat have been concluded, and studies were in progress on the third and fourth generations of wheat and emmer hybrids, this breeding being largely for rust resistance. In the alfalfa-breeding work drought resistance was sought, and a number of pure strains was grown. Several hybrids between common alfalfa and other forms of Medicago were under observation. In cooperation with the chemical depart- ment the botanist studied the physiological relations of yellowberry in wheat. The veterinary department continued its investigations on cere- britis in horses and confined its efforts largely to a study of moldy corn in its relation to this disease. The effect of feeding moldy com was studied, and experiments with cultures of the fungi were made. In connection with this investigation studies were conducted on the blood, brain, and tissues of the animals under observation, and arrangements were made with the veterinarians of the State to send in for examination all brains of horses dying of the disease. The study of the factors influencing the keeping quality of eggs received much attention. Special apparatus was constructed and daily bacteriological examinations of eggs were made. The investi- gation included studies of eggs while in the process of formation, when newly laid, and at different stages of incubation and storage. The earliest period at which putrefactive infection of the egg may occur was sought, and the influence of tiie health of the hen on the keeping quality of her eggs was investigated. The influence of the bacterial content of eggs on their hatching quality was also studied, and an improved method for the bacterial examination of eggs was worked out. In entomology the study of climate and en\dronment on certain injurious insects was carried on in incubators in order to reduce the variable factors as much as possible. Work was pursued on the tem- perature and moisture factors to determine the optimum of these relations and their effect on the common parasites of the insects. The determination of the fatal temperature of the pests and its effect on their parasites, together with a study of the causes of their peri- odical appearance, formed a part of the work. In connection with the investigations on stored grain and mill insects, a new method of combatinsT these insects was devised. The study of the influence of nutrition on the form and growth of animals was carried on during the year with three lots of steers, each on a different feeding basis. The development of the skeleton as affected by the method of feeding was studied at the close of definite 56096°— 12 8 114 EEPOET OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. periods when animals were slaughtered for the purpose. Consider- able analytical work was done on the study of the digestibility of Kansas feeding stujffs. The work conducted with Hatch and State funds was very exten- sive. A new farm of 320 acres turned over to the dei:iartment of agronomy, and 10 acres of the old fann now used for plant-breeding work were given up entirely to work with field cmps. This con- sisted of rotation, cultivation, and fertilizer experiments on all lead- ing crops. Special work was in progress with broom corn, selection with forage plants, sorghum selection and testing, and Kafir corn breeding for forage and for seed. The drought of 1911 seriously in- terfered with all crop experiments. The soil investigations in prog- ress included studies on the influence of tl^e seed bed on nitrates, moisture, bacteria, and other factors. Cooperative experiments financed by special State appropriation were participated in by over 300 cooperators working with corn, wheat, oats, and other farm crops. The animal husbandry department carried on some feeding experi- ments with pigs, in which corn and various supplements were fed to determine the effect of feeds on the carcass. A study was further made of alfalfa feeding of sheep in relation to lambing. A compre- hensive experiment in horse feeding was conducted at Fort Riley, in which 1,000 horses were fed to test corn and alfalfa as compared with the Army ration of oats and timothy or prairie hay. The re- sults were very favorable to the use of corn and alfalfa for cavalry horses. Some experiments were in progress on calf feeding; silage crops and sweet clover were tested with the herd. The dairy herd was considerably enlarged and the barn and yards rearranged. Data were collected on the cost of spraying, efficiency of spraying apparatus, and the comparative value of lime-sulphur and Bordeaux mixtures. A trial of orchard heaters for protection against frost was made, and studies on the influence of pruning on fruit and bud formation, grape pruning, home-grown versus Minnesota potatoes for planting, causes of unproductiveness of tomatoes, and the effect of a Fusarium in seed potatoes. Tree planting was conducted in western Kansas to test species for windbreaks and other purposes, and a test was made of curing posts of Osage orange and honey locust. The veterinarian conducted investigations on hog-cholera serum, blackleg vaccine, bacterins, and on the possibility of the use of muscle extract for inoculation purposes. The hog-cholera serum prepared is sold and the returns about support the work. During an extensive outbreak of hog cholera during the summer over 1,000,000 cubic cen- timeters of serum were sent out in one month. The corn-ear worm was studied with special reference to its life history and field experiments made for its control. Observations were also made on methods of controlling the chinch bug and differ- KENTUCKY. 115 ent fruit-insect pests by spraying. Some work was begun in breed- ing grasshoppers to determine the laws and principles of heredity as applied to them. The milling investigations embraced studies of the changes taking place in wheat from the time of ripening in the field until it has gone through the sweat. Milling and baking tests were made of the wheat, and the factors influencing the milling quality of flour were con- sidered. The publications received from this station during the year were as follows : Bulletins 168, The Common Mole ; 169, Fertilizers and Their Use; ITO, Breeding for Type of Kernel in Wheat; 171, Studies on Hog Cholera and Preventive Treatment; 172, The Pocket Gopher; 173, Meningo-encephalitis ; 174, Spraying the Apple Orchard; Cir- culars 9, Eabies — Hydrophobia ; 10, Provisions of the State Forest Law; 11, The Relation of Size, Weight, and Density of Kernel to Germination of Wheat; 12, Treatment of Seed Wheat for Smut; 13, How to Grow Black Walnuts; 14, Contagious Abortion; 15, Spraying Apples; 16, Burning Chinch Bugs; and 17, Protecting Trees from Rabbits; and Feeding Stuffs Bulletins 10-16, Registered Feeding Stuffs. The income of the station during the past fiscal year was as follows : United States appropriation, Hatch Act $15. 000. 00 United States appropriation, Adams Act 15.000.00 State appropriations, including those for substations 15, 000. 00 Fees 7,732.69 Farm products 1, 323. 59 Miscellaneous 13. 683. 77 Balance from previous year 1,593.98 Total 69,334.03 As a result of support from the State the work of the Kansas sta- tion has been materially strengthened and a greater amount than formerly has been made possible. Many of the new lines of endeavor have been important in carrying the work of the station to the farmer. KENTUCKY. Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station, Lexington. Department of the State University. M. A. ScovELL, M. S., Ph. D., Director. The staff of the Kentucky station was strengthened during the year by the addition of several men who devote their time almost entirely to research work. F. M. Surface was appointed biologist in animal husbandry, R. Graham, veterinarian and in charge of serum produc- tion, and L. S. Corbett, H. H. Jewett, and H. R. Niswonger, assistants in animal husbandry, research entomology, and nursery inspection, 116 EEPOET OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. respectively. Since the close of the year J. H. Kastle was appointed biological chemist. With a State appropriation received bst year for a hog-cholera serum laboratory, a bleeding house, a cremator}^, and a number of small hog cots were provided. Under the Adams fund the investigations relative to infectious abortion in cows were continued and some promising and leading data were secured. The organism studied was tested on various kinds of animals and valuable infomiation was obtained. The etiology of the disease was also studied in aborting mares and jennets, and observations on the physiological characteristics of two germs isolated in this connection w^ere made. Preliminary work was done on the cause and treatment of white scours in calves, particular at- tention being given to determining the effect of feed on the disease. Work on milk fever was prosecuted quite actively. The urine of cows was studied to establish a normal for urine, analyses being made m about 100 cases, and to disclose the effect of the disease on this body Avaste. The investigation of the nodule organisms of leguminous plants included some 34 experiments in transferring the organisms from one plant to another. The work has thus far been done on alfalfa, vetch, clover, field pea, cowpea, garden peas, soy bean, and a field bean. The organisms from certain plants were found to be identical and trans- ferable, while in other cases they were found to be identical morpho- logically and physiologically, but were not transferable. The organ-' isms of alfalfa and sweet clover were shown to be identical and that they could not be transferred to red clover. Work was continued on the corn-ear-worm project with special reference to parasites and predaceous enemies. The study of a bac- terial disease of tobacco was not actively prosecuted during the lat- ter part of the year on account of the nonappearance of the disease. Soil studies by the chemist were continued in joot cultures, the work centering on soils responding to applications of potash. The Avork of the station conducted with Hatch funds included feed- ing experiments by the department of animal husbandry, Avith forage crops pastured off by hogs, and a comparison of various grains and other feeding stuffs in drj^-lot feeding. ' The department of entomology had charge of nursery inspection under a State fund, conducted some experiments in spraying tobacco with different insecticides, and worked on the life history of the large slug. This department also carried on some lines of work in agronomy. The chemical department made analyses of limestones and phos- phate rock to determine their value for agricultural use, and studied methods for the anal3^sis of phosphate rock and certain insecticides and for the determination of potash in soils and fertilizers. Deter- i KENTUCKY. 117 minations of carbon dioxid in soils were maae and field experiments were conducted on the depletion of potash in the soil of the station farm as due to tobacco growing. Numerous soil analyses were made for farmers and others, and the analyses of phosphate rock have been a factor in placing the mining of this rock in the State upon a com- mercial basis. The work in agronomy covered experiments with com on the rate of planting, methods of cultivation, selection of long; as compared with short, and rough with smooth ears, and ear-to-row tests in the improvement of varieties. Culture and variety tests were continued with the soy bean and attention was given to methods of handling the crop for hay. Other activities along agronomical lines included variety tests with wheat and oats, work with spring and winter barley, inoculation experiments with alfalfa, and fertility and rota- tion trials. The cooperative work of the station with this department con- sisted of rotation experiments now under way for several years, the inspection of imported florists' stock brought into the State, sheep- dipping experiments, and work with barley, oats, and tobacco. The station also cooperated with the State geological survey in soil work. The extension work of the station other than cooperative experi- ments was done mostly in connection with the public schools, normal schools, and with farmers' institutes. In this connection a number of the station staif gave lectures during the year. The publications received from this station during the year were as follows: Bulletins 146, Commercial Fertilizers; 148, Seed-testing Apparatus — A Study of Conditions under which our Germination Tests are Made; 149, Bleached Flour; 150, The Preservation of Drugs; 151, An Outbreak of Gadflies in Kentucky; 153, Boys' Corn Clubs and Improved Methods of Corn Growing; and the Report on Food and Drugs for 1908-9. The income of the station during the past fiscal year was as follows : United States appropriation, Hatch Act $15,000.00 United States appropriation, Adams Act 15, 000. 00 State appropriation, including balance from previous year 31. 773. 52 Fees, including balance from previous year 64, 385. 66 Farm products, including balance from previous year — 13, 170. 58 Miscellaneous, including balance from previous year 1, 500. 43 Total 140, 8.30. 19 The Kentucky station has developed into a large enterprise with many interests. Its inspection work has been organized on an effi- cient basis, and the addition to the administrative staff of a number of experts the past year should materially strengthen its experimental and research features. 118 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. LOUISIANA. No. 1. Sugar Experiment Station, Auduhon Park, New Orleans. No. 2. State Experiment Station, Baton Rouge. No. 3. North Louisiana Experiment Station, Calhoun. No. 4. Rice Experiment Station, Crowley. Department of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and MecTianical College. W. R. DoDSON, A. B., B. S., Director, Baton Rouge. The changes on the staff at the Louisiana stations during the year inchided the appointments of H. Morris to succeed T. C. Paulsen as animal pathologist, and of S. G. Chiquelin as assistant director of the sugar station to succeed H, P. Agee, who resigned to become assistant director of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Station. R. G. Tillery, assistant chemist, left the station to go into commercial work, and W. E. Cross was elected to the jDosition of research chemist in charge of Adams fund work. G. Tiebout was given charge of a truck farm for the college of agriculture, affording facilities for some experi- mental work. In this connection an irrigation plant with a 12-horse- power gasoline engine and a pumping capacity of 300 to 1:00 gallons per minute has been installed. At the station at Baton Rouge the facilities for work in the depart- ment of plant pathology Avere enlarged and considerable new equip- ment was acquired. The dairy was also enlarged and a concrete silo 10 feet in diameter and 40 feet high was constructed. The State appropriations for the year ended June 30, 1911, were $17,000 for ihe sugar, State, and North Louisiana stations and $7,500 for the rice station at Crowley. Although some interruption was caused by changes on the staff, the work of the stations made good progress during the year. Under the Adams fund, work on the cottonseed-meal project was continued with pigs, guinea pigs, and rabbits fed with differently treated meal and seed to determine the effect of the different treatments on the toxicity of the products. Salts of phosphoric acid were also used in the feeding experiments, and studies were made of the possible con- nection of fungi such as the boll rots Avith the degi'ee of toxicity. The work on the anthrax project was largely' confined to studying the role of certain birds and insects in the spread of the disease. Cerebro- spinal meningitis was studied by testing the effects of feeding the common molds to horses, rabbits, and guinea pigs. Owing to lack of material, work on the " foot evil " of the horse was held in abeyance. In plant pathology the bean-anthracnose project was continued by a further study of the means of prevention, and considerable time was devoted to the further study of cotton wilt and the cotton-boll LOUISIANA. 119 rots. The life historj' of the principal organisms connected with these cotton diseases and their relation to the host plant were worked out and some of the results are soon to be published. The investigation of the fig diseases was completed, the perfect stage of fig anthracnose having been worked out, and the results of the study were published as Bulletin 126 of the station. Considerable work was done on the sugar-cane diseases, and a bulletin on the subject was published during the year. This work included a study of the distribution of the diseases in the State and the life history of the different causative organisms. A large number of successful inoculation experiments were carried on with the organism causing the red-rot disease. In studying the wilt disease of pepper, special attention was given to the distribution of the fungus on different host plants and to the resist- ance of the sclerotia to different chemicals and to desiccation. Studies of the life history of an alfalfa disease were continued, and notes were also made on a leaf spot attacking this crop. A lack of material prevented work on rice smut during the past year. The investigations on conditions most conducive to complete com- bustion in bagasse furnaces were reported upon. A drier has been designed by means of which the moisture content can be determined and studied. During the past cane-grinding season the drier was operated in 40 tests of eight hours each. The efficiency of the drier was found to be about 30 per cent and the fuel value of the bagasse to be increased about 32 per cent. The results of this work on mois- ture contained in bagasse and its influence on fuel value, the condi- tions influencing combustion of bagasse, and other matters connected w4th the problem have all been published and the work is considered as completed. The station deems it a matter of practical mechanics to adapt machinery to the accomplishment on a large scale what it has accomplished in an experimental way. The bacteriological study of raw sugars and sugarhouse products was continued and a bulletin entitled " The Bacterial Deterioration of Sugars '■ was published during the year. Particular attention was given to the relative rates of deterioration of various types of sugars and the conditions that cause deterioration, including more particu- larly moisture, temperature, and the presence of impurities. A study was also made of the highly acidifying types of organisms in sugar and the influence of these organisms and their products on the deterioration of sugar. In studying the nonsugars of sugar cane, work on the pentosans, carbohydrates, and nitrogen constituents in cane was taken up. Dur- ing the grinding season special attention was given to the means of adapting the carbonation process to clarification of cane juices, and some important facts regarding the influence of temperature and degi'ee of alkalinity were developed. A much greater percentage of 120 KEPOKT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. impurities than has heretofore been possible in sugarhouse practice was removed in experiments undertaken. Encouraging results were further secured in an effort to recover some of the large percentage of sugar left in cane-sugar molasses. A study was also made of the composition of cane fiber preliminary to an evaluation of bagasse. A wide range of work was carried on with the Hatch and other fimds. The work in agronomy embraced experiments in maintenance of soil fcrtilit5\ crop rotation, effect of removing suckers from corn, sources of nitrogen for corn, cultural methods, pasture experiments, and other field and forage crop work. In animal husbandry, tests were made of sweet potatoes for pig feeding and the relative value of full-blood, one-half, and three-quarter grades of swine for pork pro- duction was studied. Additions were made to the dairy herd and the results of three years' feeding experiments with dairy cows were prepared for publication. In horticulture some experiments in ship- ping produce and trials of methods of storing, seed selection of toma- toes, and similar work were carried on. Work in tick eradication was carried on with other than station funds, while work with hog- cholera serums was under the direction of the State sanitarj^ board. The chemical department did all the chemical work from the station departments in addition to making digestion experiments with les- pedeza ha}^, molasses, and other feeding stuffs, testing the value of rock phosphates, and making a study of various root crops when tested for milk production. The Xorth Louisiana Experiment Station at Calhoun purchased about 80 acres of land adjacent to that already owned for the pur- pose of expanding its hog- feeding experiments. The past year hog- feeding experiments were conducted with corn, cowpeas, and sweet potatoes. A selected strain of Irish potatoes gave a yield of 40 bushels per acre in excess of commercial seed. The station also demonstrated that certain varieties of grapes can be commercially grown if proper attention is given to spraying. Seed of crimson clover in good quantity and quality was secured on large plats of hill lands. The rice station at Crowley gave particular attention during the year to methods of exterminating red rice, trials of crop rotations, and fertilizer tests. During the year a barn and implement store- room costing about $2,000 was comjDleted. Improvements were also made about the well and pumping plant and a good equipment for irrigation was thereby secured. The publications received from this station during the year were as follows: Bulletins 120, Some Sugar-cane Diseases; 121, A Pre- liminary Report on the Sugar-cane Mealy Bug; 122, Rough Rice as Feed for Horses and Mules; 123, Some Experiments in Grazing and Soiling; 124, part 1, Breeds of Hogs; part 2, The Best Crops to MAINE, 121 Grow for Hogs, and Other Data; 125, The Bacterial Deterioration of Sugars ; 126, Diseases of the Fig Tree and Fruit ; Fertilizer Re- port, 1909-10; and Feed Stuffs Report, 1909-10. The income of the station during the past fiscal year was as follows : United States appropriation, Hatcli Act $15, 000. 00 United States appropriation, Adams Act 15, 000. 00 State appropriation, including balance from previous year 24,857.32 Individuals 250.51 Fees 2,000.00 Farm products, including balance from previous year 3, 763. 04 Miscellaneous 1,734.15 Total 62, 605. 02 The Louisiana stations are studying numerous problems connected with the various lines of agricultural industry of the State, and are broadening their scope to meet the needs of a growing agriculture, which in some of its branches is peculiar to the region. MAINE. Maine Agricultural Experiment Station, Orono. Department of the University of Maine. C. D. Woods, Sc. D., Director. The principal change in the staff of the Maine station during the year was the resignation of F. M. Surface, assistant biologist, to accept a similar position in the Kentucky station. His place was filled by the appointment of E. P. Humbert, who has resigned since the close of the fiscal year to take up work in agronomy at the Xew Mexico station. The work on the Adams fund projects at this station progressed steadily and constituted a large part of the station work. The study of potato scab was followed along the same general lines as heretofore. The effect of different kinds of manure on the develop- ment of the disease was studied and investigations regarding the length of time the fungus is able to live in the soil were made. Laboratory work on the blackleg of potatoes was continued, com- parative studies of organisms from Canada and Germany being made, and methods of treatment given trial. Some preliminary work was done on the early blight of the potato. In the research work with poultry the system of breeding based on the ability of the birds to transmit high-laying qualities to their offspring rather than on performance alone continued to promise good results. This year's work gave additional evidence that high- laying ability is a characteristic of a certain few blood lines in the 122 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. station's flock, and that by isolating these lines and breeding them pure it will be possible to establish a strain in which high produc- tion is a fixed characteristic. The results secured with the second and third generations were prepared for publication. A study of the factors concerned in egg production progressed well toward com- pletion. A detailed study of the microscopical structure of the ovi- duct of the hen was made, and the time of the formation of the watery albumin, to some degree a nonnal constituent of all hen's eggs, with reference to the formation of other parts of the egg, was determined. These fundamental scientific studies carried on by the station for some years have enabled the institution to give out information of important practical bearing regarding the origin and control of various factors influencing the market quality of eggs. The experiments in reciprocal crossing of breeds of poultry were continued, with good results. The manner in which a number of the characters of the fowl are inherited has been worked out in detail and the first report of these studies was published in Bulletin 179 of the station. The accumulated data on the interrelation of apple diseases were summarized and published during the year. An apple rot caused by a new and undescribed fungiis. belonging to a class not before reported from America, was described in a technical paper. In connection with the study of variation in fungi, as the result of environment, 3 different Fusarium forms were isolated from apples and about 25 other forms from other plants. These fungi were grown in different culture media for comparison, and a large portion of the data was held ready for publication. The entomological research work made good progress, and several publications were issued. The investigation of fungus gnats was completed during the year. About 300 species have been studied and all the important economic phases of the problem were covered. The species of gnats especially affecting cultivated plants were bred for the purpose of study. In the work on plant lice a form on alder and maple trees was studied, and pea and potato aphids were com- pared for structural characters. Considerable preliminary work was done in studying the early stages of economic species of Diptera, Psyllidae. and the native hymenopterous and dipterous parasites destructive to injurious insects of Maine. The field work of the station under the Hatch fund was largely carried on at Highmoor, where improvements in renovating orchards and in getting the fairn into shape for various other lines of experi- mental work were actively pursued. A seedling orchard of over 2,000 French crab and about 1,000 Tolman Sweet root-grafted scions was set out for a long-time stock and scion experiment. Experi- ments with the apple carried on cooperatively by the horticultural MARYLAND. 123 and biological departments of the station included the crossino- of different varieties. Ear-to-row tests of corn and sweet corn were conducted, and varieties of oats were compared on 31 plats. Much attention was given during the j^ear to the selection of promising plants from the different experimental plats with a view to obtain- ing improved varieties of corn and oats adapted to Maine conditions. The inspection work of the station for which the State has made an appropriation of $9,000 was carried on as heretofore. Recent laws have given the station greater power in the control of food, feed, insecticides, and fungicides. The State department of agri- culture furnished funds to aid the State Rural Improvement Asso- ciation, and work in this connection was done by the extension department. The publications received from this station during the year were as follows: Bulletins 179, Poultry Notes; 180, The Fungus Gnats of North America, II; 181, Gall xVphids of the Elm; 182, Four Rare Aphid Genera from Maine; 183, Experiments in Breeding Sweet Corn; 184, Digestion Experiments with Poultry; 185, Maine Apple Diseases; 186, Finances, Meteorology, Index; 187, Insect Notes for 1910; 188, Field Experiments; and 189, Orchard Spraying Experi- ments. The income of the station during the past fiscal year, was as follows : United States appropriation. Hatch Act $15,000.00 United States appropriation, Adams Act 15, 000. 00 State appropriation 5, 200. 00 Fees 12,000.00 Miscellaneous, including balance from previous year 2, 658. 93 Total 49, 858. 93 The affairs of the Maine station are in good condition and its work is generally thoroughly done. The position of the station has been greatly strengthened by the acquisition of the Highmoor farm. MARYLAND. Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station, College Park. Department of Maryland Agricultural College. H. J. Patterson, B. S., Director. The principal lines of work" at the Maryland station were not changed materially during the past year, the financial support given by the State remained the same, and no new buildings were added to the equipment. Considerable progress was reported on several of the station's Adams fund projects, and some of these investigations were brought 124 KEPOKT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. well toward completion. The laboratory study on the diffusion and depletion of lime in the soil was about completed, and the work of compiling the results for publication was taken up. A bulletin was published setting forth some of the results obtained in the study to straighten out the classification of the hymenopterous family Braconida- and to learn more about the habits and the host relations of the different species. In this bulletin five new species were described, additional ciiaracters were pointed out, and errors in former descriptions were corrected. This work was based in part on a large series of reared specimens of various species and on results secured in breeding from known parents. The study of the bacteria and animal organisms in the intestinal contents and mucosa of healthy chickens was completed, and a bul- letin giving results was published. The purpose of this bulletin was to set forth the methods used in making the examinations, together with the results obtained wherever of value as a contribution to the physiological and pathological bacteriology and protozoology of the intestines of liealthy domestic fowls. The observations were made upon the feces of 45 birds, ranging in age from 1 day old up to 2 years, and upon the intestinal mucosa of 60 birds, including birds taken from the shell, newly hatched chicks.^ and fowls ranging in age up to 2 years. It was found that chickens reared under sanitary conditions do not harbor many animal organisms. Heterakis worms and tapeworms found in healthy birds were believed to indicate some insanitary condition of the poultry yards. A study of white diar- rhea in chickens and the possibilities of its prevention by sub- cutaneous and intravenous injections of some phenol compounds into fowls whose ovaries are infected was taken up during the 3'ear. A number of other lines of work were carried on under Hatch and other funds. In agronomy, cooperative wheat, oats, and barley tests were made in different sections of the State, one to four varieties of wheat being tested by each of 30 farmers, one to three varieties of winter oats by each of 10 farmers, and a variety of winter barley was grown by several experimenters. Alfalfa was tested at two dif- ferent points in the State and the station cooperated with the au- thorities in 10 counties in conducting corn-gi'owing contests. To- bacco investigations were conducted in cooperation with this depart- ment. The work outlined last 3'ear was continued and four series of new rotation tests were begun, the crops entering into rotation with tobacco being crimson clover, vetch, winter oats, cowpeas, potatoes, wheat, and red clover. The horticultural department of the station made changes in its fruit plantations by removing some of the old orchards and vine- yards and making new plantings for study and experiment. An overhead sprinkling system of irrigation was installed to irrigate MARYLAND. 125 a strip J:0 feet by 300 feet for experiments with vegetables. A test of the use of orchard heaters for protection against late frosts was extended to include two points in western Maryland, one on the East- em Shore, and one in the experiment-station orchard. A test was also made of these heaters for protecting strawberry beds. The botanist identified a large number of plants sent in for that purpose and determined the purity of many samples of seed. He gave considerable time to the study of tomato variations in conjunc- tion with the work conducted in the horticultural department. Studies of the leaf-mold fungus and the leaf-spot fungus of the tomato were also carried on. A bulletin was prepared covering all phases of the weed question and including the results of tests on the eradication of certain weeds made during the past 9 or 10 years. The work of the department of entomology was continued along the same lines pursued the year before- The results of spraying, fumigating, and dipping for the control of San Jose scale were sum- marized and published in bulletin form. It was found that the pest can be very successfully controlled by thorough applications of the remedies recommended. A study was also made of the distribution of the terrapin scale within the State and the results of methods tested for its control were compiled and published. It was found that a standard miscible oil, employed at a strength of 1 : 15, applied just as late in the spring as possible before the buds open is quite effective in controlling this pest. A cooperative study of beekeep- ing in Maryland was carried on with this department and the re- sults, which are largely statistical with reference to the industiy in the State, were published in bulletin form. The poultry work of the station was pursued along the same lines outlined in the last report, but in addition the value of feeding mix- tures composed of grains produced on the farm was tested; rations composed of corn and wheat products were compared as to their influence on the quality and quantity of the eggs ; the length of time required for eggs to become fertile after the male is placed with the hens and the length of time eggs will remain fertile after the male is removed was determined ; and the effects of age of eggs on incuba- tion were studied. The department cooperated with the college in giving a 10-day special poultry course, and also prepared several poultry exhibits. New lines of w^ork in animal husbandry included experiments with pigs and cooperative dairy field work. Experiments were made with different rations and with different methods in feeding pigs, and attention was given to the construction of two types of hog houses. In cooperation with this department the station has been instru- mental in the forming of cow-testing associations and dairy-breeding associations. At the station the results of keeping cows in an open 126 KEPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. barn continued to be very satisfactory. The cows in the open barn made as good yields as those in the closed barn, while the cost of food for i^rodiicing 100 pounds of milk in the open barn was a little more than in the closed and the cost of labor less. Demonstration and cooperative work was conducted on about 100 different farms of Baltimore County, and covered variety tests of corn, potatoes, small fruits and orchard fruits, fertilizer experiments, the use of burned and unburned lime, improvement of wheat by head selection, tests of methods of seeding timdthy and clover, and the use of crimson clover as a cover crop. Demonstrations were also con- ducted during the year on about 8 acres of the station farm of the use of dynamite for clearing the land of stumps, digging ditches, and digging holes for setting trees. The following publications were received from this station during the year: Bulletins 145, Tuberculosis of Animals; 146, Poultry House Construction and Its Influence on Domestic Fowls, I; 147, Wheat — Variety Tests and Diseases ; 148, Spraying, Fumigating, and Dipping for the Control of San Jose Scale ; 149, The TeiTapin Scale ; 150, Pig Feeding Experiments and Two Kinds of Ploghouses ; 151, Fertilizers on Asparagus; 152, Aphidiinse of North America; and the Annual Reports for 1909 and 1910. The income of the station during the past fiscal 3^ear was as follows: United States appropriation, Hatcti Act $15,000.00 United States appropriation, Adams Act 15,000.00 State appropriation, including balance from previous year 14. 037. 03 Farm products, including balance from previous year__ 8, 264. 36 Total 52, 301. 39 The general interest in the Maryland Experiment Station and its work showed a steady growth during the year, and the demand for help along certain lines was greater than the institution was able to give. MASSACHUSETTS. Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station, Amherst. Department of the Massachusetts Agricultural College. W. P. Brooks, Ph. D., Director. At the Massachusetts station the new entomological building was formally dedicated November 11, 1911. Several changes on the staif were made during the year, the principal one being the permanent appointment of F. W. Morse as research chemist. The State made an appropriation of $7,500 for improvements in the chemical laboratory. With this amount a fireproof vault of considerable capacity has been constructed. Provision was also made for two laboratories to be MASSACHUSETTS. 127 used exclusively in the research work of the chemical department. At the cranberry substation in Wareham a screen house and labora- tory was erected at a total cost of $2,500. The last legislature made an appropriation of $75,000 for a new dairy building for the college and station. The Adams fund work of the station made the usual progress dur- ing the year. The work on milk secretion continued to involve studies of methods for the quantitative determination of insoluble fatty acids. Methods for the purification of unsaturated fatty acids were also studied. Considerable advance was made in the establish- ment of reliable methods. The influence of various factors on the rancidity of fat was investigated, and the effect of molasses and other carbohydrate substances in the ration was given further study. The departments of entomology and chemistry continued their co- operation in the study of the conditions under which arsenical com- pounds used as insecticides are injurious to foliage. In this connec- tion, chemically pure acid arsenate of lead, meta-arsenate of lime, and Paris green were prepared. This work is essentially an effort to standardize spraying on the basis of pure materials. The accumu- lated data were partl}^ published and partly prepared for publication during the year. The plant-breeding work of the station included a study of the variation of apples, with special reference to the cause of different forms. A close relation between variation and temperature was found to exist. Chemical work on 100 varieties showed each variety to have its special chemical composition and its own course of de- velopment. Biometrical work with peas included the examination of 10,000 ]:)lants during the summer. The results indicated that the common varieties of garden peas are made up of subgroups or strains differing markedly in productiveness, and it was suggested that ad- vantage be taken of this fact in the improvement of the crop. Studies of Mendelian inheritance were continued with beans, squashes, nas- turtiums, and pansies, special attention being given to various char- acters and their correlation. In the study of the digger wasps the entomological department in- vestigated the group specially with reference to their value as parasites. The investigations on asparagus were carried forward along the same general lines followed the year before. The results thus far secured did not warrant conclusions as to the relations of different plant-food elements to yield, but the results in the past season seem to indicate the value of nitrate of soda in increasing rust resistance. The effect of several elements of fertility on the chemical composition of the plants was also studied. 128 KEPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. The principal field work on the cranberiy project was conducted at East Wareham on the 12-acre bog recently secured with State funds. Considerable work was done during the year in improving the bog and preparing it for various lines of experimental work. In addi- tion to the field work, studies were carried on in closed plats of a new and original type, assuring control of different factors in which it is believed the chemical changes occurring in cranberr}^ bogs, and which may be induced by different fertilizer applications, can be closolv followed. The relation of injurious and beneficial insects to cran- berries also received attention. Two publications were prepared on the results obtained in study- ing the relations of climate to the development of plants and crops in health and disease. This study included investigations on light with reference to plant growth and to greenhouse construction and to the development of tip-burn of lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers, and of the mosaic disease of tobacco. A number of important lines of work were carried on under the Hatch and State funds. The agriculturist continued observations on the top-dressing of j^astures and permanent mowings, and gave fur- ther attention to the subject of alfalfa culture. It was determined that profitable hay crops may be produced in permanent mowings by top-dressing with fertilizers only, and that a combination of slag meal and potash salt produces hay made up chiefly of Kentucky blue grass and white clovers. The use of slag meal and low-grade sul- phate of potash as a top-dressing for pastures gave good results and favorably modified the character of the herbage. The experiments and observations with alfalfa led to the conclusion that the crop can be successfully grown in Massachusetts. The horticulturist studied the effect of summer and winter prun- ing on bud formation, gave attention to the renovation of different types of apple trees, continued the experiments of varieties of dif- ferent botanical species of plums and with 11 different stocks of apples to determine the effects of stock on scion, made observations with reference to season of ripening and color and quality of fruit, and conducted variety work with different groups of peaches, plums, and api^les, and fertilizer work in orchards. The botanical department followed work relating to soil biology, studied methods of soil sterilization and their eli'ects, and continued spraying work, including the devising of more efficient nozzles. Attention was given to the abnormalities of stump growth, and an article on this topic was published in the station report for 1911. This department also conducted experiments relating to the preven- tion of the clogging of drain tile by roots, and found that either excelsior or sawdust first saturated with creosote and packed about the joints of drain tiles keeps the roots from entering. MASSACHUSETTS. 129 The entomological department conducted a cooperative experi- ment on methods of controlling wireworms on seed corn. Studies on the relative importance of the different broods of codling moth have been in progress since 1903. A study on the control of onion thrips was completed and studies of the elm-leaf beetle and aspara- gus beetle were continued. Efficient methods for combating onion thrips were suggested and definite regional limits of the elm-leaf beetle and asparagus beetle were mapped out. The organization of apiary inspection under a new State law was begun during the year. The chemical department of the station studied the cause of clover sickness, varieties of corn best suited for silage in Massachusetts, and the value of coconut meal in milk production. The inspection of the department was carried on as heretofore, but a separation of the inspection work from the experimental work was effected and thereby much better facility is secured for the more scientific work of the department. The veterinarian of the station took part in studies on Sporo- thrix and epizootic lymphangitis and a report on this work has been published.^ At the cranberry station the Skinner system of irrigation in its relation especially to frost protection, winter flowage, and spraying for insects and fungi, was tried and the improvement of varieties of cranberries by selection and breeding was carried on. A more complete organization of the extension department of the college has been effected and the staff of this department was in- creased. As a result of this step station officers are doing much less extension work than heretofore. The cooperative work of the station consists of cooperative experiments in alfalfa culture with parties throughout the State and with this department in the work with asparagus and cranberries. The following publications were received from this station during the year: Bulletins 133, Green Crops for Summer Soiling; 134, The Hay Crop in Massachusetts; 135, Inspection of Commercial Fer- tilizers; 136, Inspection of Commercial Feed Stuffs; 137, The Rational Use of Lime— The Distribution, Composition, and Cost of Lime; Meteorological Bulletins 258-269; Circulars 18, Alfalfa as a Crop in Massachusetts; 19, The White Fly; 20, The Use of Lime in Massachusetts Agi'iculture ; 21, The Control of Onion Smut; 22, Poultry Manures. Their Treatment and Use; 23, A Parasite of the Asparagus Beetle; 24, An Act to Provide for the Protection of Dairymen — The Babcock Test; 25, Cottonseed Meal; 26, Fertilizers for Potatoes; 27, Seeding Mowings; 28, Rules Relative to Testing; i.Iour. Med. Research, 23 (1910), No. 1. 56096°— 12 9 130 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. Dairy Cows; 29, The Chemical Analysis of Soils; and the Annnal Eeports for 1909 and 1910, parts 1 and 2. The income of the station during the past fiscal year was as follows : Uuited States appropriation. Hatch Act $15,000.00 United States appropriation, Adams Act 15, 0(X). 00 State appropriiition. including balance from previous year 17, 698. 48 IndiAiduals 25.00 Fees 6, 239. 83 Farm products 2, 068. 85 Miscellaneous 9, 601. 69 Total 65, 633. 85 The Massachusetts station is doing a large amount of useful, scien- tific, and practical work. Its field is constantly widening, and the more complete organization of the extension department of the college can not fail to be of great assistance to the station in relieving it of extension duties. MICHIGAN. Experiment Station of Michigan State Agricultural College, East Lansing. Department of Michigan State Agricultural College. R. S. Shaw, B. S. A., Director. The staff of the Michigan station was enlarged during the year by the creation of several new positions. These new places were filled by the appointment of W. H. Brown as plant physiologist, G. H. Coons as plant pathologist, and George Bouyoucos as research assist- ant in the division of soils. Some rearrangement was also made in the veterinary department of the station, W. S. Bobbins assuming the duties for which W. G. Giltner was formerly responsible. Beyond this the station force remained intact and manifested a degi-ee of permanency. A tract of land containing 600 acres and adjoining the Upper Peninsula station at Chatham was donated to the station by the Cleveland Cliff Iron Co. It is proposed to establish on this land a model demonstration farm for the Upper Peninsula, which possesses different environmental conditions than the other portion of the State. A soil house was constructed at the main station during the past year for the purpose of serving field projects under the Adams fund, and a piggerj' was constructed to foster the preparation of hog-cholera serum. Work on the several Adams fund projects in hand was continued, and some of the results were published during the year. In the study of the keeping qualities of butter the efforts were centered mainly upon pasteurization and ripening as compared with nonpasteurization and nonripening in lessening the deterioration of butter in storage. MICHIGAN. 131 Work was also done with yeasts and torulse found in milk and butter, with various strains of Bactermm lactis acidi, and on troubles with off flavors in milk and cream. A paper was published on the fer- menting capacity of the average single cell of B. lactis acidi. The investigation of infectious abortion in cattle during the past year resulted in the isolation from the exudate and cotyledons of an aborting cow the bacterium described by Bang and others as occurring in epizootic abortion, and work was taken up with a view to estab- lishing a lactic flora on the genital mucosa for the purpose of over- coming and of preventing the reappearance of the abortion and other objectionable bacteria. The problem was approached by studying the normal and abnormal flora of the genital passages and of the flora after treatment with lactic cultures. The chemist continued the study of the organic nitrogenous com- pounds in soils and their variability, together with the study of the chemical factors rendering soluble the insoluble phosphates of the soil. The laboratory investigations in connection with these studies were supplemented by pot experiments. Papers were published during the year on the neutral ammonium citrate solutions and the use of Busch's nitron for the determination of nitrate nitrogen in soils and fertilizers. The botanist entered upon a study of the twig and branch cankers of apple and peach, and the entomologist continued to give attention to the agents instrumental in destroying insects. A bulletin on part of the entomological problem and entitled " How do contact insecti- cides kill insects ? " was published. Among different lines of work conducted with Hatch and other funds the veterinarian studied several diseases which broke out in the State during the year. These included infectious anemia in horses, malignant catarrh and granular vaginitis of cattle, avian tuberculosis, worms in pigs, and an unknown disease in cattle and one in sheep. The agglutination work conducted for two or three years past in connection with the Dorset-Niles serum production was completed, and the results were published as Technical Bulletin 8. This department also tested 510 cattle for tuberculosis, of which 8 were condemned. > In soil bacteriology, a study was made of the role of microorgan- isms in the building up of the barren sand of the Jack pine plains and of peat. Particular attention was given to the formation of humus, the decomposition and availability of peat compounds, and the peculiarities of peat as a soil. Other problems in hand con- cerned largely the technique and reliability of methods in common practice. The department of bacteriology also prepared and dis- tributed cultures for the inoculation of leguminous crops, alcohol- acetic cultures and lactic cultures, and hog-cholera serum. 132 EEPOKT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. The chemist entered upon a study of the manufacture and storage of lime-sulphur-spray solution, and worked in cooperation with the horticulturist on the influence of cover crops and commercial ferti- lizers in grape culture. In addition to this work, attention was given to the analysis of 120 samples of a miscellaneous nature sent in by residents of the State and to the fertilizer control work. The horticultural work included the continuation of cover crop and fertilizer tests in vineyards and orchards. The cover crops under trial were buclrwheat, velvet bean, spring vetch, cowpeas, winter vetch, oats, and rye. Winter vetch, sown at the rate of 25 to 30 pounds of seed per acre in July or August, proved the most promising cover crop planted. Tests were also continued to deter- mine the advantages of spraying potatoes to protect them from blight and rot, and spraying tests of orchard fruits were continued for the comparison of self-boiled lime-sulphur mixture, dilute boiled lime sulphur, and Bordeaux mixture on apple, cherry, plum, and peach. A report was made during the year on a series of potato fertilizer experiments. The time of the botanical department was taken up largely with matters of reorganization and equipment and with the examination of seed samples as provided by the pure-seed law of the State, to- gether Avith the study of weeds. Attention was further given to com- bating the rot knot of ginseng and to the determination of plant diseases. The entomological work of the season included studies of cut- worms, plant lice in orchards. Tussock moth, rose chafer, and wire- worms. Special efforts were continued in establishing effective measures for the control of the tamarack sawfly, and in this connec- tion a parasite was introduced and this insect was liberated in the Upper Peninsula for the purpose of overcoming the tamarack pest in that section. The farm crop work of the station consisted mainly of the breed- ing of wheat, oats, rye, barley, beans, soy beans, cowpeas, clover, alfalfa, timothy, and orchard grass, together with a study of the effect of manures and fertilizers and the rotation of crops on soil fertility. A number of select clovers were set out in the nursery and a small variety series of alfalfa was started during the year. An experiment, known as the Davenport fertility and rotation ex- periment, was discontinued and the data were summarized during the year. The South Haven substation gave attention mainly to spraying tests for combating plant diseases and insects pests attacking l)ush and orchard fruits and the study of varieties of apples including some new or little-known sorts. MINNESOTA. 133 The extension work of the station was devoted mainly to the in- troduction of alfalfa, testing varieties of corn, and the distribution of seed of promising varieties of field crops. In this work the sta- tion is aided materially by the Michigan Experiment Association. The station also gave some assistance at corn shows, fairs, farmers' institutes, and other popular means of disseminating agricultural knowledge. The publications received from this station during the year were as follows: Bulletins 260, Seeds of Michigan Weeds; 2G1, Baby Beef Production; 262, Suggestions on Planting Orchards; 263, Fertilizer Analyses; Special Bulletins 51, Spray and Practice Outline for Fruit Growers ; 52, Corn Production in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan ; 53, Grasshoppers and Their Control ; 51, Spray and Practice Outline for Fruit Growers, 1911; Technical Bulletins 5, The Usefulness of Curves in the Interpretation of Microbial and Biochemical Processes; 6, Lime-sulphur Spray; Circulars 7, Lactic Cultures for Dairy Pur- poses; 8, Tuberculosis; 9, Vinegar and Its Making; 10, Manufacture and Storage of Lime-sulphur Spray ; and the Annual Report for 1910. The income of the station during the past fiscal year was as follows : United States appropriation, Hatch Act $15,000.00 United States appropriation, Adams Act 1.5,000.00 State appropriation 6, 187. 87 Fees 4, 540. 00 Miscellaneous 246.2.3 Balance from previous year 2,324.52 Total 48, 29S. 02 The field of activity of the Michigan station continues to grow, and with its organization on a broader basis and the resulting differentia- tion of lines of work, to some extent related, the efficiency of the institution in experimental and research work is increasing. MINNESOTA. Agricultural Experiment Station of the University of Minnesota, University Farm, St. Paul. Department of the University of Minnesota. A. F. Woods, M. A., Director. The different lines of work pursued at the Minnesota station made satisfactory progress during the year and no important changes occun-ed in the station staff. No new buildings were constructed, but the installation of the experimental industrial alcohol plant was completed. This plant has a capacity of 100 proof gallons of alcohol per day and is equipped with continuous stills, pressure grain cooker, and other necessary apparatus. (PI. II, fig. 1.) 134 EEPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. Progress was reported on all Adams fund projects. Further re- sults secured in the stable ventilation project were suunuarized for publication in bulletin form, and in the project on food requirements for milk production a large amount of data was tabulated and some of the results were worked up for technical and popular bulletins. In the study of the relation of type of animal to beef production work was taken up with the fifth lot of steers. The influence of the method of cropping on soil fertility was studied on about 50 plats. The work has largely been a study of the humus in the soil when the permanent plats were laid down, as com- j3ared with the humus content 10 years later and at similar inter- vals. Marked differences were noted in the amount and composition of the humus present and some striking differences were noted in the effect on different crops. The potash, phosphoric acid, and nitro- gen were likewise determined, and an effort was made to correlate the results with findings elsewhere in the State, especially where single crops had been raised for many years. Samples of all the crops and fertilizers used in connection with this work were analyzed. The life-histoiy work on Empoasca Tnali was practically finished, only a few points in its life history and whether or not it is parasi- tized remaining to be determined. The studies of Maerosiphum granaria were also about completed but work was continued to de- termine a particular point in its life history. The most serious in- vasion of Brucophagus funehris during the past season occurred near Duluth, where the year's field work on this pest was done. Work on the plant-rust problem included studies of spore germi- nation of a number of species and of the resistance and its nature of various -host plants to parasitic fungi. In working for rust resis- tance some Fo hybrids were grown and a study of the correlations of host characters was made. As a practical result of this work a high rust resistance has been united with a good quality of grain in wheat. Certain points in the life history of common wheat rust were also studied and determined. In the fruit-breeding experiment, considerable progress was made in hybridizing and selecting plums, grapes, apples, straAvberries, pears, and other fruits, and a study was made on natives and hybrids to determine the underlying principles of plant breeding, and to learn what constitutes hardiness. A statistical study of fruit char- acters was also conducted. Many thousand crosses have been made and the material on hand offers an unusually favorable opportunity for this line of investigation. The work of the station under Hatch and other funds is more ex- tensive than that under the Adams fund and is also very important. The veterinary department continued its work in virulent blood vac- cination as a means of immunizing very young pigs against hog MINNESOTA. 135 cholera. Other activities inchided a test of the practical value of von Behring's antituberculosis vaccine, and work on swamp fever in cooperation with this department, principally on methods of diagnosis. The department of dairy and animal husbandry studied the yield of milk and butter fat in relation to the feed consumed and con- ducted breeding experiments for maximum utility, symmetry, and uniformity in animals. Extensive pig- feeding experiments and feed- ing tests with silage for cows were also conducted. The chemical department made an extensive study of wheats and flours, including composition, milling, and baking tests (PI. II, fig. 2), and physical and chemical studies of the soils of the 25 demonstra- tion farms of the station were carried on. The analytical data were checked up with pot tests, and the work is to be extended to field trials. The work in agronomy and farm management was conducted along the lines of plant breeding, farm crops, crop rotation, cost of crop production, weed eradication, and farm management. Through the station's work, corn growing has been extended northward in the State. The weed eradication work consisted of studies of methods for the eradication of quack grass and Canada thistles. The farm management work, partly in cooperation with this department, in- cluded studies of farms in a number of localities to determine the cost of operation and net profit under different types of farming. In botany and plant pathology the smuts of cereals were studied, and jDarticular attention was given to the loose smuts of wheat and barley and the smut of corn. A preliminary study of forest, park, and shade trees was begini, and seed testing was carried on, about 3,000 lots of seed being tested during the year. Other lines of work comprised the building up of a flax-sick soil, the development of plants resistant to flax rust, studies of bean bacteriosis and early blight of the potato, and tests in orchard spraying. The. entomological department tried methods of controlling grass- hoppers, oak borers, plum curculio, cutworm^, and potato beetles. Grasshoppers were successfully controlled with arsenite of soda and molasses baits at a cost of about 30 cents per acre. Poisoned bran mash was most successful in the destruction of cutworms, and arsenate of lead sprays in combating the potato beetle. The adult potato beetle was found to require a more concentrated solution of arsenate of lead than the larva. In addition to this work, studies were made of the larch sawfly, which defoliates tamaracks in the State, and an elm-leaf pruner, which cuts off the leaves and terminal twigs of the elm. A species of tussock moth from eggs on a rosebush from France and parasites of the cutworm were also studied. The department of horticulture conducted experiments in potato breeding, tested varieties and cultural methods, studied the rate of 136 EEPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. luber development, and compared methods of spraying for disease and insect control. Some tomato-breeding Avork was in progress and new varieties were compared with old or standard sorts. The department of agricultural engineering pursued investigations on tile drainage and studied the value and possibilities of utilizing the peat lands of the State. Irrigation work was also carried on to determine the value of irrigation in Minnesota. A practical experi- ment was made to determine the minimum radii for the economical laying of tile curves with tile from 4 to 30 inches in diameter. The experimental work in forestry was carried on under State funds and included wood preservation work in cooperation with the Forest Service and silvicultural work at the forest experiment sta- tions at Itasca and Cloquat. The principal work at the Grand Rapids substation included the improvement and building up of the station dairy herd to show what could be done in dairying with such animals as are found on the farms of northeastern Minnesota, the raising of a bacon breed of hogs in connection with dairy farming, the possibilities of specialized poultry keeping, and the improvement of the more important field crops in that section of the State. Tests with alfalfa indicated that the crop is well adapted to northeastern Minnesota, a stand being readily obtained without inoculation. At the Morris substation the work was mostly confined to getting the farm into shape. At Crooks- ton about 430 acres were platted into two major practical farm rota- lions, one a 5-year and the other a 7-year scheme. The experimental work with field crops was reorganized during the year and the poul- try work was continued along previous lines, but interrupted to some extent by building operations. The extension work of the department of agriculture is provided for by a special State appropriation of $25,000, with an additional $2,500 for dairy extension work. A special corps of extension work- ers is maintained independent of the college and station. The exten- sion work, however, is in a general way supervised by the heads of the" station departments. The following publications were received from this station during the year: Bulletins 117, The Cost of Producing Minnesota Farm Products, 1902-1907; 118, Potato Experiments and Studies at Uni- versity Farm in 1909 ; 119, Poultry ; 120, Eye Growing in Minnesota ; 121, Orchard and Garden Spraying; 122, The Snnits of Grain Crops; and Wall Chart, Some Minnesota Insects and Useful Birds. The income of the station during the past fiscal year was as follows : ITuited states appropriation. Hatch Act $15,000.00 United States appropriation, Adams Act 14.907.99 Balance from United States appropriation, Adams fund- 2. 01 State appropriation 107, 033. 36 Total 137,033. 36 ^n Rpt. Office of Experiment Stations, 1911 Plate III. Fig. 1.— Yearling Mule Colts out of Thoroughbred Mares, Weights 654 and 660 Pounds. Fig. 2.— Yearling Mule Colts out of Clyde Mares, Weights 770 and 780 Pounds. A STUDY OF THE PRINCIPLES OF MULE BREEDING, MISSISSIPPI STATION. An. Rpt. Office of Experiment Stations, 1911. Plate IV. Fig. 1.— Two-Year-Old Mule Colts, on Right out of Native Mare, on Left out OF Thoroughbed Mare, Weights 880 and 780 Pounds. Fig. 2.— Two-Year-Old Mule Colts out of Clyde Mares, Weights 1,100 and 1,000 Pounds. A STUDY OF THE PRINCIPLES OF MULE BREEDING, MISSISSIPPI STATION. I MISSISSIPPI. 137 The scope of the work of the Minnesota station is widening and the influence of the institution is extending to all parts of the State. The liberal support given by the State shows that the value of its work is receiving recognition. MISSISSIPPI. Mississippi Agricultural Experiment Station, Agricultural College^ Department of Mississippi Agricultural and Mechanical College. J. W. Fox, M. S., Director. Few changes occurred on the staff of the Mississippi station during the year. At its close, R. P. Hibbard, the bacteriologist, handed in his resignation, and later J. W. Fox, the director and agronomist, resigned, to take charge of a large tract of land for private parties, and he was succeeded as director by E. E. Lloyd, who will also continue to be animal husbandman, and as agronomist by J. R. ]licks, the assistant agronomist of the station. Since the close of the fiscal year James Lewis, the veterinarian, also resigned and was succeeded by E. M. Ranck. On March 5, 1911, one of the cattle barns of the station was destroyed by fire and about 70 head of stock were lost. Since then the construction of a new barn, 48 by 125 feet, with concrete drives and 200-ton hay capacity, together with a 160-ton concrete silo, was begun. Among the Adams fund projects, j)rogress was noted in the mule- breeding work and additions to the stock under experiment were made to include other breeds. (Pis. Ill and IV.) In connection with the cottonseed meal project in charge of the bacteriologist and the dairyman, the bacteriological study of the blood, milk, and urine of the cows fed cottonseed meal was continued and was supplemented by studies with hogs. Fresh and stained Ijlood was examined for changes in the leucocytes, specific gravity, percentage of hemoglobin, and other conditions. Examination was made of the urine for blood and of the milk for pus cells. In the study of cotton anthracnose, a very complete investigation was made into the life history of the fungus C oUetotrichum gossypii. Observations were made on stalks in the field to determine how long they would continue as a source of infection to the new crop, and some physiological and ecological studies of the fungus were pursued. The varieties entering into this work did not show an appreciable resistance to the disease. The study of inheritance of different characters in cotton was con- fined to 4 varieties, but in addition 50 varieties were planted for 1 Telegraph address, StarkriUe ; express and post-office address, AfiriciiUural College; freight address, A. and M. College Station. 138 EEPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. observations regarding natural crossing and other characters. Nu- merous crosses between the most promising of these sorts were made to stud}' the inheritance of the characters or qualities which made the varieties apparently better than others. Careful notes on the different f)lants used for crossing as well as on the different varieties were made and self- fertilized seed Avas secured from the plants. The analysis of factors concerned in earliness Avas taken up and the time and rapidity of fniiting, the relative amount of shedding of squares and bolls, the size of bolls, and other characters were studied. The life-history studies on scale insects were carried forward and a bulletin on the subject was prepared. Considerable work was also done on pecan insects and the peach-tree borer, and a large amount of data was accumulated. Progress was further reported in the study of the life history of species of crayfish occurring in Mississippi and of the means for their control. In addition to the Adams fund work, the entomologist studied the spread of the boll weevil in Mississippi and the causes for its move- ment at different rates in the A^arious sections of the State. Much time was giA^en to the study of the insect and the means of control- ling it. A bulletin has alreadj^ been published on the subject. At- tention was further given to insects attacking the coAvpea, and addi- tions were made to the station collection of insect specimens. The work in agronomy included variety, fertilizer, and culture tests with cotton, variety tests with corn, wheat, and forage crops, and cultural tests Avith alfalfa. A topping experiment with cotton Avas conducted, and it Avas shown that the plants topped July 15 gave a little Ijetter yield and were much earlier than those topped later. An application of 10 tons of barnyard manure per acre was found more effective in the prcA'ention of rust in cotton than 400 pounds of kainit. An experiment was also conducted in combating the cotton worm which appeared about August 15 on the station farm. Twelve varieties of cowpeas and 5 varieties of soy beans were tested for yields of hay and seed. The horticultural work of the station under the Hatch fund con- sisted of experiments with various fruits and ornamental plants, especially Avith strawberiies, grapes, pecans, hedge plants, roses, and ornamental shrubs. Cooperative work along these lines was begun in different parts of the State. Two bulletins on this work Avere published during the year. Poultry work was resumed by the station during the year and experimental Avork, including feeding experiments Avith cotton-seed meal as a source of protein for laying hens, inheritance of size of egg, and testing incubators under local conditions, Avas begun. Observa- tions Avere also made on local supplies of feed for hens and chicks, MISSISSIPPI. 139 as compared with standard feeds. Some attention was given to insect pests and the means of their control in poultry houses. A very com- plete system of records for all breeding, egg laying, and experi- mental work was installed. The department of animal husbandry carried on steer-feeding ex- periments to compare the value of feeding in stables or in the open and the profitableness of feeding silage, cottonseed meal, and cotton- seed hulls. A test was also made of feeding small amounts of cotton- seed meal to steers on pasture. In pig-feeding experiments various crops with and without grain and tankage and cottonseed meal were compared. From 1 to 4 pounds of cottonseed meal per day was fed without ill effects. In addition to this work, an extensive experi- ment was in progress on the cost of wintering brood mares and mule colts. The cheapest ration consisted of hay, silage, and cottonseed meal. In dairying work was carried on to determine the relative value of soiling crops and purchased feeds, and in this connection a study of the cost of milk production was pursued. A comparison was also made of corn chops, wheat bran, rice bran, and rice polish for dairy cows. The publications received from this station during the year were as follows: Bulletins 128, Inspection and Analyses of Cottonseed Meal; 137, Inspection and Analyses of Commercial Feeding Stuffs; 138, Inspection and Analyses of Commercial Feeding Stuffs; 139, Boll Weevil in Mississippi, 1909 ; 140, Cotton Diseases in Mississippi ; 140-B, Cotton Diseases in Mississippi; 141, Control of Diseases of Fruits, Vegetables, and Flowers; 142, Inspection and Analyses of Commercial Fertilizers; 143, Inspection and Analyses of Cottonseed Meal; 144, Inspection and Analyses of Commercial Feeding Stuffs; 145, Inspection and Analyses of Commercial Feeding Stuffs; and Circular 32, Inspection and Analyses of Commercial Fertilizers. The income of the station during the past fiscal year was as fol- lows: TTnitecl States appropriation. Hatch Act $15,000.00 TTnited States appropriation, Adams Act 1.5,000.00 State appropriations for substations 29,150.00 Fees 306. 00 Individuals 5, 2GG. 9G Farm products 7, 280. 89 Miscellaneous 199.00 Total 72, 202. 85 The Mississippi station during the year made general progress under its new organization and placed its work on a stronger and more promising basis. 140 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. MISSOURI. Missouri Agricultural College Experiment Station, Colli mhia. Department of the College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts of the University of Missouri. F. B. MuMFORD, M. S., Director. The Missouri station during the past year extended its organization by establishing three new departments— farm management, poultry, and forestry — and increased its working force by the appointment of a number of assistants. The new buildings recently completed were the veterinary laboratory, costing $30,000; new dairy barn, $12,000; implement and wagon barn, $2,000; poultry plant, $2,500; hog-cholera serum laborator}^, $1,500; and cattle sheds, $300. A new agricultural chemical building has been authorized, and the station purchased 80 acres of land for the use of its horticultural department. The following appropriations in which the college and station are jointly interested were made by the legislature for the biennium beginning January 1, 1911: Outlying experiments, $15,000; soil sur- vey, $12,000; manufacture and distribution of hog-cholera serum, $25,000; agricultural laboratories, $8,000; agricultural library, $2,000; animal husbandr}^, $12,000 ; dairy husbandry, $5,000 ; experiment sta- tion, $20,000; dairy barn, $12,000; for completing veterinary build- ing, $5,000; and agricultural chemistry building, $G0,000. A series of research bulletins was inaugurated during the year. General progress was made during the year in the Adams fund work of the station. The study of the factors infliiencing the prop- erties of milk was continued, and the project on the use made of food by steers at different ages and at different conditions was practically concluded as originally planned, with the exception that considerable analytical work remained to be done. Some of the results obtained in each of these studies were published. The work on age as a factor in animal breeding was carried on with sows of different ages. The investigation has now proceeded to the fourth generation, and the offspring were all reared upon the same rations; and the weights, measurements, and gains were tabu- lated. In the study of the dormant period of trees it was found that hard freezing or extreme drought will force the development of buds, and that late going into dormancy will prolong the rest period of treas and thus protect against late spring frosts. The results further showed that cultivation, pruning, and the application of fertilizers delays ripening of wood in the fall and consequently extends the dormant period later into the spring. The work on orchard fei'tiliza- tion in its relation to disease resistance was conducted mainly on thin soils, and excellent results were secured during the past very MISSOURI. 141 dry year. In connection with this investigation a study was made of the osmotic strength and freezing point of sap as influenced by fertilizers and as related to the dormant period. A preliminary report was prepared, giving some o:^ the results secured in the investigations on the powdery mildews, and the work was continued during the season. Attention was mostly given to the mildews of wheat and barley to determine susceptibility and the relation of light and other factors to infection. In the project on immunizing hogs against cholera and swine plague a study was made of the blood in relation to its immunizing power. Blood of normal, diseased, and hyperimmune hogs was used and its relation to determining the potency of serum was considered. The work conducted under Hatch and other funds was very ex- tensive and nearly every department was represented in it. In animal husbandry attention was given to summer feeding of cattle and the results of five years' work published. Data were collected on wintering cattle, feeding silage to beef animals, and other feeding problems. A rotation of forage crops for pork production, includ- ing blue grass, clover, rape and oats, corn and cowpeas, and rye was tested, and the cost of production for each crop or combination was worked out. Attention was further given to the influence of feeding on the condition of cattle at the beginning of the feeding period. Experiments with nitrogenous supplements fed with corn showed them to be more efficient and profitable when fed during the latter part of the feeding period than when fed continuously throughout. Observations were also made on the comparative profitableness of fattening j^earlings and 2 and 3 year old cattle. A mule-feeding ex- periment was begun, and experiments in feeding early lambs were carried on. The department of agronomy conducted work in corn breeding for high and low protein, studied barrenness in cornstalks, tested varie- ties of corn, and carried on wheat-breeding and selection experiments. Several crossbred wheats have been produced that are more produc- tive than either parent, one variety, Missouri 44, having averaged 8 bushels more per acre than the two parent sorts. Variety tests of soy beans and cowpeas were in progress, and experiments with alfalfa were conducted at the station and at a number of other localities. Soil-management work was pursued on outlying experiment fields to determine the fertilizer treatment required, showing that for the majority of soils in the State nitrogen and phosphoric acid were the limiting factors of crop production. Corn-breeding work was car- ried on at the station by the ear-to-row method. The department of horticulture, in a comparison of fall and spring planting of fruit trees and ornamentals, secured results favorable to fall planting. Tests were also made of Ben Davis and Grimes 142 KEPOKT OF OFFICE OF EXPEKIMENT STATIONS. Golden apples grafted on strong, medium, and weak stocks, and also of scions from best and poorest bearing trees to determine the value of the selection of scions based on the fruitf ulness of the parent stock. Selection work with strawberries and tomatoes was in progress and some experimental work in canning vegetables was undertaken. Asparagus selections were made for size of stalk and resistance to rust. An experiment on hardiness and phenology of northern and southern peaches of the same varieties, as well as of a number of species of native forest trees, was completed, and the results were about read}^ for publication. The work was carried on for 10 years, and all varieties had apparently attained a common phenology. Considerable demonstration w^ork was done in peach and apple or- chards of the State, and marked results demonstrating the value of proper orchard management were secured. In plant pathology, investigations were made on the grain smuts with special reference to the influence of temperature of smut in- fection. In addition, a leaf spot of tomatoes having appeared in a certain part of the State was studied. The entomologist of the station studied a number of insect pests including bagworms, striped cucumber beetle, hickory-twig borer, San Jose scale, chinch bug, the fall army worm, and other pests. The work on bagAvorms and on the distribution of San Jose scale was prepared for publication. The veterinarian continued work on tuberculosis, giving special attention to testing the von Behring method of eradication. He also studied the possibility of swine infection from cattle, and especially how soon the infection may be recognized in pigs. The possibility of conserving hog-cholera serum in a dried fonn was also investi- gated. Under State funds active work was pursued in the produc- tion of hog-cholera serum, for which at certain times there was a great demand. The dairyman studied the effect of feeding cottonseed meal to dairy stock, the influence of heavy and light feeding of heifers, and early and late calving on the mature animal. The nutrients required for milk production were studied and tlie data for five Jerseys Avere completed and published in bulletin form. The experiment was broadened to include Holsteins, Ayrshires, and Shorthorns, and the work includes digestion experiments which run for a year for each lot. The station carried on in numerous localities a large amount of work supiDorted by State funds. This endeavor was mainly along the line of demonstration work, although some experiments on soils, alfalfa, selection and breeding of various grains, and testing new varieties were carried out. In the Ozark Mountain region experi- ments were conducted on the improvement of pastures with a view MONTANA. " 143 to developing the dairy industry. In 1910, 366 men in 105 counties cooperated with the station in experiments to determine the best methods of farming, and the results of this work demonstrated that alfalfa can be successfully gi'own in every county of the State, and that the best varieties of corn for Missouri are Boone County ^Vliite. Reid Yellow Dent, Johnson County ^Vllite, and St. Charles Wliite. The publications received from this station during the year were as follows: Bulletins 85, Sup., Inspection of Commercial Fertilizers; 87, Cooperative Variety Tests of Corn — Variety Tests of Com at Columbia; 88, Soil Management in the Ozark Region; 89, Forest Conditions of the Ozark Region of Missouri; 90, Fattening Cattle on Blue Grass Pasture; 91, Inspection of Commercial Fertilizers; 94, Factors Affecting the Per Cent of Fat in Cream from Farm Separators; 95, Pork Production with Forage Crops; 96, Report of the Director for the Year Ended June 30, 1910; Research Bulletins 1, An Experimental Study of the Rest Periods in Plants ; 2, A Study of the Cause of Wide Variations in Milk Production by Dairy Cows ; 3, Soils of the Ozark Regions; Circulars 39, The Seeding of Cow- peas; 40, The Seeding of ^Ufalfa; 41, Directions for Testing Milk on the Farm; 42, The Seeding of Clovers and Grasses; 43, Wlieat Growing in Missouri ; 44, Feeding for Milk Production ; 45, Select- ing and Judging Com; 46, Factors Influencing the Yield of Oats; and 47, Raising Calves on Skim Milk. The income of the station during the past fiscal year was as follows : United States appropriation, Hatcli Act $15, 000. 00 United States appropriation, Adams Act 15, 000. 00 State appropriation, including balance from previous year 5, 569. 16 Fees, including balance from previous year 16, 519. 40 Farm products, including balance from previous year. 6,115.35 Miscellaneous 46, 919. 62 Total 105, 123.53 The Missouri station continues to carry on the scientific in\>esti- gation of agricultural problems of the greatest value to the State and to disseminate the practical results of its experimental work by a variet}^ of means. MONTANA. Montana Agricultural Experiment Station, Bozeman. Department of tlie Montana College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. F. B. LiNFiELD, B. S. A., Director. Changes in the staff of the Montana station during the year were confined to the api^ointment of H. B. Bonebright to take charge of agricultural engineering work. The last legislature made the fol- 144 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT* STATIONS. lowing appropriations for 1912: Maintenance of the station at Boze- man, $22,500; improvement at this station, $4,000; work in drj^ farm- ing, $20,000; maintenance of the Fergus County substation, $3,000; and maintenance of the horticultural substation, Ravalli County, $2,000. The station chemist was designated as State chemist in food and health matters, with an appropriation of $1,500 per year; and a dairy inspector and instructor to be located at the college was au- thorized, with an appropriation of $3,000 per j^ear. At Bozeman, $10,000 Avas used during the year in the erection of greenhouses. (PI. V, fig. 1.) At the Fergus County substation a ncAv horse barn was completed and other improvements in the buildings were made. A new barn was also constructed at the horticultural substation. The Adams fund work made steady progress. The life history of the oyster-shell scale was studied in the laboratory and in the field. Observations on the number of broods in Montana were made, and a mite attacking the scale was studied in cooperation with Iowa station. The efficiency of different substances used in combating the insect was determined. Among sugar-beet insects, the army cut- worm was studied with special reference to its control through parasites and other predaceous enemies. Work on the life history of the root louse was completed, as was also the study of the beet aphid, which was differentiated from the European species brought over for comparison. The investigation of the physiological effect of arsenical compounds was continued with vegetables and trees, and substances were tried as to their capacity of counteracting the injuries resulting from this class of insecticides. A preliminary report on this project has been published.^ The soil-moisture project, as such, was closed out and the results secured prepared for publication in two bulletins. This general line of work was reorganized to include bacteriological and chemical soil studies, which made good headway. A preliminaiy report on the Montana apple canker was prepared and a report on antliracnose was made ready for the press. Work on the temperature conditions of hatching eggs in the in- cubator and under the hen was carried forAvard, together with studies of other phases of incubation. A self-recording apparatus for get- ting temperature records was installed to facilitate the work and to give greater accuracy. In studying the effect of various factors upon wool considerable attention had to be given to devising methods. A large number of samples of wool were gathered and studied with reference to strengtli and other qualities as affected by methods of handling and treating 1 Phytopathology, 1 (1911), No. 3. An. Rpt. Office of Experiment Stations, 1911. Plate V. /^\ J — -^-^^^S^ itJ Fig. 1.— New Greenhouse Attached to Agricultural Building, Montana Station. Fig. 2.— Experimental Steer-Feedinq Plant, Constructed of Hollow Tile with Cement Stucco Finish, Nebraska Station. An. Rpt. Office of Expennnent Stations, 1911. Plate VI. Fig. 1.— Refuge Camp and Headquarters for Snow Measurements on Mount Rose. Fig. 2.— Summit Station, Mount Rose Observatory (Altitude, 10,800 Feet). METEOROLOGICAL AND CLIMATOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, NEVADA STATION. MONTANA. L45 sheep. In conjunction with this investigation crossing experiments were carried on with range sheep. The results secured in the study of cement were published in a bulletin. The causes of disintegration and the means of overcoming them were the principal topics of this investigation, which is to be carried further. Under Hatch and other funds the department of entomology in co- operation with this department continued its work on the spotted- fever tick. In addition a new grain aphis was studied, and spray- ing experiments for devising means of combating grasshoppers and insects attacking cabbage, sugar beets, and apples were carried on. Studies of pear blight were made mostly under the State horticul- tural inspection law and a report on this work was made in Circular 2 of the station. Culture experiments were conducted with celery and tomatoes, special attention being given to methods of blanching celery and of growing celery seed, and to the irrigation of tomatoes on heavy soil. Pruning experiments with cantaloups and cucumbers showed that the pruned plants were relatively advanced in their season of growth. Experiments in pruning were also carried on in the station orchards on young and old trees. With small fruits, variety tests were continued and studies were made of methods of winter protection. The orchard work conducted at the substation in the Bitter Koot Valley included variety tests and methods of keeping up soil fertility by clean culture, potato cropping, small cover crops, field peas, the use of clover left on the ground as hay, and the growing of peas and beans. Feeding experiments were conducted by the department of animal husbandry with different kinds of stock. In experiments with dairy cows clover silage was compared with clover hay and corn silage, corn meal was compared Avith shorts in a mixed ration in pig feeding, and feeding tests with beef cattle were conducted to determine cost of production. The inbreeding of pigs was continued and the results have shown the weakening of offspring and the splitting up of colors. Among other work the department of chemistry carried on studies with alkali and other infertile soils in cooperation with the depart- ment of agronomy. Pot experiments were made with soil deficient in available lime. The experimental work in agronomy on the station farm was con- tinued along the same general lines as the year before. This depart- ment has charge of the demonstration work in different parts of the State, including 18 localities. The agronomist also cooperates with this department in work on crop rotations, including rotations with susrar beets and in cereal studies. It has been found that blue hull- less barley is successful in different regions of the State, and 5 acres 56096°— 12 10 146 EEPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. of this crop were grown at the station. Guy Mayle barley has proved especially good for dry farming, and Banner oats and Stanley wheat have also been found promising for the State. The veterinarian continued work on contagious abortion, investi- gated infectious anemia in horses, and studied the effect of ticks on different animals. The extension work is organized under the college, and the station force cooperated in this work by giving lectures at farmers' institutes, public-school teachers' institutes, and high schools. The following publications were received from this station during the year: Bulletins 79, Seventh Annual Eeport of the State Ento- mologist of Montana; 80, Ornamental Trees and Shrubs for Mon- tana; 81, The Destruction of Hydraulic Cements by the Action of Alkali Salts; Circulars 5, Alfalfa Management in Montana; 6, Flax Growing in M6ntana ; and the Annual Eeport for 1909. The income of the station during the past fiscal year was as follows: United States appropriation, Hatch Act $15,000.00 United States appropriation, Adams Act 15, 000. 00 State appropriation 44, 353. 99 Fees 6,858.19 Miscellaneous 9, 432. 66 Total 90, 644. 84 The Montana station is working closely in the interests of the agricultural people of the State. Its work along all lines is much appreciated, and the large number of settlers coming into the State has caused an increase in the demand for information. The research work of the station is being placed on a stronger basis. NEBRASKA. Agricultural Experiment Station of Nebraska, LincaJn. Department of the University of Nebraska. E. A. Burnett, B. S., Director. The Nebraska station made general progress in its lines of work, although the severe dry weather of the year interfered with some of the experiments, esj)ecially those conducted in the drier parts of the State. At the newly established substations improvements were made and experimental work started. A house and barn costing $6,500 were constructed and other improvements amounting to about $2,500 were completed at the Valentine substation, and improvements, including a barn, were made at the Scotts Bluff' substation at a cost of about $2,000. At Lincoln the steer- feeding plant (PI. V, fig. 2) was completed at a cost of about $11,200, and at the North Platte substation there were NEBRASKA. 147 erected a residence at a cost of $4,550, a gravity water system at $2,000, and concrete sheds and hog houses and minor buildings at $3,500. The State appropriated $15,000 for a new substation, $15,000 for the erection and operation of a serum plant at the main station, $5,000 for the station entomologist as State entomologist, and $3,000 for the station botanist as State botanist, $35,000 for agricultural extension, and $85,000 for a new building for agricultural botany, horticulture, and entomology. Since the close of the fiscal year J. H. Frandson was placed in charge of dairy husbandry and C. W. Pugsley in charge of agricultural extension and farm management. No new Adams fund projects were entered upon during the year, but progress in the established lines of work was reported. The rela- tion of conformation and quality to gaining capacity was studied in six groups of 8 steers each, comprising rough and smooth types and specimens from dairy breeds. Rations were fed to compare different sources of protein, and the effects of the use of clover in place of silage when fed with corn and alfalfa were observed. Individual records were kept of the feed consumed and the gains made. About 40 calves were reared under similar conditions for use in the investigation. Work on the effect of soil moisture on winter injury of fi'uit trees was limited to walnut, peach, and apple trees. The degree of low temperature at which fruit trees are injured was studied, and its in- fluence on the upward flow of the sap was investigated. Special apparatus was constructed for the determinations. Some work along this line was also done with raspberries. In connection with the project on heredity in plants, color inheri- tance in beans and corn, and latent inheritance in crossing black and white beans were studied. Observations were made on the color and the shape of both the plant and kernels in corn, together with corre- lation studies. Some work along this line was also done with gourds, balsams, nasturtiums, snapdragons, portulacas, geraniums, and petunias. The plant-disease project included an investigation of a new form of dry rot of potatoes discovered in western Nebraska and the study of the life history of the causative organism. It was found that this dry rot is largely a storage trouble and that the fungus can only affect tubers which have been injured. Work was also pursued on bundle blackening of the potato and on potato scab. In studying the composition of humus as affected by climate, samples were examined from the western half of the United States and Canada. These samples, studied under a method worked out bj' the station, showed that no soils in the humid or semiarid regions of Nebraska have a high percentage of nitrogen in the humus. The influence of different methods of cropping in this relation and the 148 REPORT OP OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. effect of huiniis at different depths and on different types of soil were also investigated. Work on the soils of the transition region included studies on the hygroscopic coefficient and a means of determining it readily. The minimum water capacity of soils was determined, and vegetation ex- periments in 6-foot cylinders were carried on with wheat, beans, milo maize, and desert plants under different moisture conditions to deter- mine the moisture content of surface soil at which plants will die. Advantage was taken of the prevalence of dry w^eather to carry this work well tow^ard completion. In connection with the hygroscopic studies, observations were made on the upward and downward move- ment of soil moisture. Good progress was made in the studies on transpiration, or the relation between leaf area in the com plant and the water used in groAvth. The methods for carrying on the work have been in- geniously worked out, and the study as carried on included tran- spiration under different conditions of soil fertility and adaptation of varieties or strains in its relation to transpiration. In addition to this work, seepage and run-off were determined in lysimeter experi- ments, and corn, sweet sorghum, and milo maize were included in the investigation. A study of the relation of water loss through tran- spiration to weather factors — wind, humidity, and temperature — indi- cated that transpiration follows evaporation from free water surfaces quite closely. The relation of the humidity of the air to the quantity of water required to produce 1 pound of gain was studied in experi- ments conducted in the greenhouse with the factor of humidity under control. Work on close breeding in maize included five different lines of investigation for the purpose of studying different phases of the subject. These experiments on inbreeding brought out the elemental strains of the variety, resolving it into its original elements, and showed that the vigor of the plant is impaired in a varying degree. Field tests conducted with the inbred progeny showed that the first inbreeding reduced the yield about one-half. The results of studies on the competition of cereals showed that under a thick rate of planting a certain percentage of the plants were crowded out and failed to produce seed. A larger jiercentage of plants originating from shrunken seed than of those coming from plump seed were crowded out, thus indicating the possible importance of natural selection in maintaining the vigor and yield of cultivated cereals. With corn. a higher yield was obtained with seed grown under thick planting than with seed from a thinly planted crop. In his hog-cholera studies the veterinarian used horse-blood serum for hyperimmunization on over 1,400 pigs with a loss of 7^ per cent. NEBRASKA. 149 In connection with this work, studies were made on the potency of the serum. Owing to the lack of typical swamp-fever cases during the early summer the work on this disease could make but little progress and was limited to a study of certain conditions of the blood as causative factors. Under Hatch and other funds the entomologist worked out the life history and studied the parasites of the bull-pine sawfly. He also worked on melon aphis, strawberry leaf roller, and a sawfly affecting the strawberry. The results of his work on the bull-pine sawfly and the melon aphis are reported in detail in the last annual report of the stati-on. The agronomist tested high-yielding ears of corn selected by farmers, about 40 ears having been selected and sent in as high yielders. Ear-to-row breeding work was begun with corn selected according to four tjT^pes, and experiments were also carried on with thick and thin planting in rows and with silage corn. Seven hun- dred samples of oat varieties were grown on small plats under simi- lar conditions. A detailed study of the progeny showed that many samples bearing the same variety name were entirely different types, while others bearing different names were identical. Studies on comparative yields and relative nitrogen content during successive years on 224 small permanent plats sown each year to a uniform wheat and all receiving uniform treatment showed that plats giv- ing comparatively high yields one year did not necessarily give high yields in other years. In connection with this study of standardiz- ing plats it has been shown conclusively that the error in compara- tive data can be much more reduced by a duplication in small plats systematically arranged over a field than by increasing the size of the plats. In horticulture the experiments in orchard management with ref- erence to clean culture, cover crops, and sod were continued and some hybridizing work was done with apples on groups of different kinds. Demonstration work over the State in spraying showed that profit- able crops of apples can be grown where proper care is given to the trees and careful spraying methods are followed. The results of the more recent spraying demonstrations in apple orchards were published. The publications received from this station during the year were as follows: Bulletins 115, The Determination of Humus; 116, Eco- nomical Beef Production; 117, Growing Feeder Steers in Western Nebraska; 118, GroAving Crops in Western Nebraska; 119, Spraying as an Essential Part of Profitable Apple Orcharding; 120, Alfalfa Management; and the Annual Report for 1909. 150 REPORT OF OFFICE OP EXPERIMENT STATIONS. The income of the station during the past fiscal year was as fol- lows: United States appropriation. Hatch Act $15. (X)0.00 United States appropriation, Adams Act 15, 000. 00 State appropriation for substations, including balance from previous year 23,249.31 Farm products 35,808.33 Balance from previous year 8, G88. 20 Total 97, 745. 84 The Nebraska station is in a thoroughly prosperous condition, and its work is much appreciated throughout the State. Its investiga- tions in a number of lines are conspicuous for their excellence. NEVADA. Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station, Reno. Department of Nevada State University. J. E. Stubbs, M. a., D. D., LL. D., Director. During the past year the Nevada station did not enter upon the study of new problems but confined its work to the projects already in hand. The State appropriated $3,000 for general station expenses and $2,000 for meteorological work on Mount Rose. (PL VI, figs. 1 and 2.) The live-stock equipment of the station was increased by the purchase of some pure-bred cattle and sheep of different breeds. The inspection work under the station is provided for by the State for the current biennium, as follows: For food and drug insj^ection, $12,000 ; for the insjDection of weights and measures, $4,000; and for the main- tenance of the State Hygienic Laboratory at Elko. $10,000. Work on most of the Adams fund projects was actively pursued during the year. In the investigation on poisonous plants a consider- able quantity of poisonous extract obtained was studied as to its composition and chemical reactions. The matter of antidotes was also given consideration. The meteorological investigations were continued and observations were made on snow with reference to depth, density, and evaporation, and the effect of forests, different kinds of trees, broken ground, and of sunlight was studied. A temperature survey of the Truckee Valley was made to determine the possibility of successfully heating orchards for the prevention of injury from late spring frosts in this particular region, and other studies of this nature were made in determining the possible forecasting of frosts from mountain tops. Considerable work was done in perfecting apparatus and instruments for making different meteorological records. Efforts were also made to ascertain the quantity of seasonal moisture in the mountains available for irrigation. NEVADA. 151 A paper was prepared during the year on the food of the parasites of the codling- moth after oviposition, the relation of their food to their longevity, and their reproduction. The life histories of some of these parasites were worked out and written up and new forms were described. In connection with studies of the feeding habits of the parasites numerous photographs were taken with apparatus specially devised by the station for such purposes. Other work under the Adams fund included studies of equine anemia with reference to its effect on the bone marrow, the blood, and the liver; chemical studies of certain constituents of the alfalfa plant; alfalfa breeding work; and a study of native species of Tri- folium. A paper on the intracellular bodies associated with equine anemia has been published.^ Under the Hatch fund the department of botany, horticulture, and forestry confined its work to established lines, including studies of native plants of economic importance, orchard heating experiments for the prevention of injury from late spring frosts, and trials of different species of forest trees. The botanical collection of the station now includes manj?^ seed samples of native clovers, lupines, and other native species of value economically. The orchard heating experi- ments resulted in successfully encountering a temperature of 22° F. on May 8, and in demonstrating the necessity of using in oil heaters a fuel of a certain grade and quality. Up to the present time the station work in forestry has been preliminary. Observations with regard to the economic possibilities of certain species of forest trees were made during the year and forest nursery work was carried on with species of fir, spnice^ and pine. The results with Pinus sco'pu- lorum were especially promising. The department of entomology continued its studies of certain cut- woiTns infesting alfalfa and completed the life-history work of one of the species. The work of the department further included studies of the food of certain mosquitoes and experiments on combating the European elm scale. Fumigation experiments were made with hydrocyanic-acid gas to determine its efficiency in the control of the Mediterranean flour moth. A native parasite of the flour moth was found and studied. Attention was also given to the potato eelworm, with reference to local conditions, and to alfalfa weevils. The work in agronomy was conducted along the same lines as heretofore and included sugar-beet experiments and evaporation and irrigation experiments in cooperation with this department, together with work on alfalfa and in potato breeding. The alfalfa experi- ments in progress included methods of irrigation, culture, and variety tests. iProc. Amer. Vet. Med. Assoc, 48 (1911). 152 REPOET OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. Ir animal husbandry, lamb breeding was continued and feeding experiments were carried on with pigs and sheep. The pigs were kept on pasture during the summer and fed alfalfa silage as a part of the ration during the winter. The sheep were fed alfalfa silage alone, which proved to be a good ration for breeding ewes. A record of the cost of butter-fat production on different feeds was also continued. The activities of the department of chemistry consisted principally of routine work and included 35 water analyses, 135 soil analyses, and 75 analyses of a miscellaneous character. A report on gypsum was published in the last annual report of the station. The dry farm established at Elko has a State appropriation of $10,000 for the current biennium. The control of this farm is in the iiands of a board on which the station is represented. The work con- ducted there during the past year consisted mainly in testing varieties of spring grain. The following publications were received from this station during the year: Bulletins 72, Annual Eeport of the Board of Control, the Director, and the Members of the Station Staff, 1909 ; 73^ A Neglected Field in Photomicrography; 74, First Annual Report of the De- partment of Food and Drugs Inspection for the Year Ended De- cember 30, 1910; 75, The Sugar-beet Industry in Nevada; 76, The I^otato Eelworm (with Italian edition) ; 77, Fixing Standard Weights and Measures; Circular 8, Artificial Coloring in Food Products; 9, Use of Benzoate of Soda and Cereals in Meat Products; 10, Ice- cream Cones; and 11, Vinegar. The income of the station during the past fiscal year was as follows : United States appropriation, Hatch Act $15, 000. 00 United States appropriation, Adams Act 13,890.64 Balance from United States appropriation, Adams fund- 1, 109. 36 Miscellaneous, including balance from previous year — 5,204.85 Total 35, 204. 85 In accordance with a growing demand for agricultural informa- tion in the State and a greater appreciation of the station's efforts, the amount of work at the institution increased materially during the past year. NEW HAMPSHIRE. New Hampshire College Agricultural Experiment Station, Durham. Department of New Hampshire College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. J. C. Kendall, B. S., Director. A new dairy building for the college and station was completed during the year. For the ensuing biennium the legislature appro- NEW HAMPSHIEE. 153 priated for the college and station $5,000 for a horse barn, $7,000 for establishing a department of forestry, $3,000 for live stock, $1,500 for publishing information bulletins, $5,000 for extension work, and $10,000 for general running expenses. Under the Adams fund the station conducted work on eight dif- ferent projects. In studying the availability of potash in certain soils field work was conducted on about 30 series of plats, but the unusually dry season caused the results to be indefinite. In the laboratory the effect of different substances on the availability of the natural potash in soils was studied, and some phases of the work were brought to completion. Work on the fruit-spot disease of the apple brought out further particulars in regard to the life history of the fungus. Studies of leaf spot centered on the differentiation of apparently two species of fungi and the determination of the causative organism. A study of the fruit rot of tomatoes was begun, special observations being made on the various stages of the disease and of different factors, with a possible bearing on its development. The sheep-breedingt work was in its fourth year, and up to the end of the year 270 sheep of different generations had entered into the investigation. Detailed records regarding measurements, wool pro- duction, inheritance of wool color, quality of milk, and lamb produc- tion were made. Information regarding this project was published during the year in Bulletin 151 of the station, and a preliminary report on the work was prepared in addition. Work on the apple maggot progressed well toward completion and the results are to be published during the ensuing year. In- formation with reference to the control of the pest was published in Circular 14 of the station and the details of the project were dis- cussed in Bulletin 151. The project on fruit-bud formation was continued, and data of practical importance were secured. The progress of this investiga- tion for the three years ending with 1910 was summarized during the year in Bulletin 153. The investigation of heredity in vegetables and other plants was continued with squashes, muskmelons, strawberries, and carnations. With squashes and muskmelons close approximation of Mendel's law was secured in most cases, (PI. VII, figs. 1 and 2.) With straw- berries records were made of the leaves and fruit of over 900 plants in continuation of correlation studies. During the year the work carried on with Hatch and miscellaneous funds was placed on a project basis. The department of agronomy has accumulated a large amount of data in variety tests with corn in progress for several years. Fertilizer tests were made witli com grown for silage, and definite results were obtained. An ear-to- 154 KEPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. roAv test of corn conducted since 1907 was continued and has resulted in a marked variation in yield among the Jitferent varieties. Fer- tilizer tests on grass lands to determine the effects of various ferti- lizer elements on the yield of hay on the bowlder clay type of soil were carried on as previously outlined. The results of five years' work indicated the value of nitrate of soda for top-dressing on this kind of soil. Pasture-improvement work was conducted on six plats, and experiments on soil inoculation for leguminous plants were in progress. The department of botany carried on spraying experiments with Bordeaux mixture and various lime-sulphur washes. A number of insecticides were applied with the lime sulphur to determine their comparative efficiency and their tendency to injure the plants. The entomological department made considerable progress in add- ing to its economic collections, studying the blister mite, apple leaf- hopper, and other apple insects, as outbreaks of these pests occurred, and in making observations with reference to the repression of black flies, deer flies, and midges. In animal husbandry a sheep-feeding experiment was completed and the results published as Bulletin 152 of the station. The prin- cipal feature of this work was the comparison of clover hay and of hay consisting of timothy and native grasses for sheep and lamb feeding, together with a study of the value of turnips in the ration. Work relating to the eradication of the stomach worm in sheep was continued during the year. The chemist, among other lines of work, continued studies on the liming of soils. The results secured in the preliminary tests gave no evidence that lime was needed on the soils under experiment. In horticulture observations were made on varieties of plums with reference to pruning, blossoming, time of bearing, yielding capacity, etc., and a variety test of apples was carried on in an orchard with part of the trees 5 years and part 9 years old. Work with carnations and lettuce was closed out during the year and fertilizer experiments with potatoes were begun. An orchard sur\'ey of the State was carried forward as an extension feature. The station is carrying on cooperative experiments with fanners in hay culture and with this department in conducting farm sur- veys. The members of the station staff have assisted to some extent in fanners' institute and extension work. The following publications were received from this station during the year: Bulletins 148, Results of Seed Tests for 1910; 149, Results of the Feed Inspection for 1910; 150, Results of Fertilizer Inspec- tion for 1910; 151, Twenty-first and Twenty-second Reports; 152, Feeding Sheep and Lambs — Clover Hay v. Native Hay, Turnips v. Dry Ration; Circulars 8, The Box Pack for Apples; 9, Alfalfa in NEW JEESEY. 155 New HamiDshire; 10, Breeding and Selection of Corn; 11, Horticul- tural Information — How to Obtain It; 12, The Purchase and Home- mixing of Fertilizers; and 13, A Few Notes on Lime for Agricul- tural Purposes. The income of the station during the past fiscal year was as follows : United States appropriation, Hatch Act $15,000.00 United States appropriation, Adams Act 15,000.00 Miscellaneous 5,381.03 Total! 35,381.03 The work and affairs of the New Hampshire station are conducted in a systematic manner. A progressive step has been made in the recognition of college, station, and extension work as three distinct lines of endeavor, and this taken with the increase of extension work provided by a new appropriation will be of material benefit to the station. NEW JERSEY. New Jersey State Agricultural Experiment Station, l^eio Brunswick. At Rutgers College. f J. G. LiPMAN, Ph. D., Director. New Jersey Agricultural College Experiment Station, 'New Brunswick. Department of Rutgers College. J. G. LiPMAN, Ph. D., Director. During the past year the New Jersey stations suffered the loss of their director, Dr. E. B. Voorhees, who died Jime 6, 1911, and who has since been succeeded by Dr. J. G. Lipman. After the close of the 3^ear, A. W. Blair of the Florida station was appointed associate chemist to aid in investigations in soil chemistry, and H. R. Lewis was placed in charge of the newly established poultry department. Several changes in assistants were also made during the year. The State legislature at its last session appropriated $15,000 for buildings and equipment, and $3,000 annually for maintenance of a poultry department. Rapid progress was made during the j^ear in erecting poultry structures and in organizing experimental work. The legislature also appropriated $20,000, of which $11,000 was made immediately available for buildings and equipment and $3,000 annually for maintenance of experiments in floriculture. The sta- tions also profited by an annual appropriation of $3,000 from the State for investigations in plant pathology, particularly for the study of the chestnut blight. M. T. Cook, formerly of the Delaware station, was recently chosen pathologist. Two special funds, one of $2,000 per annum for the study of diseases of bees, in particular foul 156 REPORT OP OFFICE OP EXPERIMENT STATIONS. brood, and $10,000 for the study of live-stock problems, mainly the suppression of tuberculosis, in cooperation with the -State board of agriculture, were to a large extent administered by the stations. A department of dairy husbandry w^as established with A. S. Cook, formerly of the Dairy Division of this department, in charge. The horse barn, dairy barn, two silos, and several smaller structures were destroyed by fire July 11, 1911. The loss, amounting to about $25,000, was covered by insurance. Rebuilding on a better plan has already begun. The Adams fund work, as heretofore, was confined to studies in soil chemistry and bacteriology and plant breeding. The work in soil chemistry and bacteriology has been well developed, and during the past year included studies on the accumulation and utilization of atmospheric nitrogen and on the availability of nitrogenous fer- tilizer materials. In connection with these lines of work, studies were made of the accumulation of nitrogen in the soil by means of green manures, the efficiency of different methods of inoculation of legumes, the influence of lime on nitrogen transformation in the soil, and the reciprocal relations of legumes and nonlegumes when grown together. Extensive laboratory and pot experiments on ammonifica- tion were made, with the result that a very satisfactory bacterio- logical method for determining the availibility of organic nitro- genous fertilizers was worked out, and much light was thrown upon the conditions which control ammonification and nitrification in the soil. In the plant-breeding work attention was given to heredity, toxi- cology, sap circulation, and shading and other conditions of environ- ment. Work on heredity was principally pursued with the view to determining rules of inheritance, and to .this end stress was laid upon the behavior of tomatoes in their first generation. This work has been in progress for several years and was conducted on an extensive scale. Breeding work similar to that with tomatoes was also extended to fruits. Work was also pursued in breeding types of eggplant, with particular emphasis upon the characteristics of a hybrid of an American and a Chinese species. Other truck crops considered along similar lines were okra, peas, peppers, gourds, and bush and vine varieties of '^quashes. Work in plant toxicology was begun and a bulletin was published upon Bordeaux injury to peaches. The study of plant sap circulation was limited to the sweet potato vine, and plant shading was studied in the greenhouse preparatory to more extended work in the field. The main feature of other plant environment work w-as a study of the effect of various conditions of light, heat, and moisture on the development of certain parts in the early growth of different plants. I NEW JERSEY. 157 In addition to the Adams fund investigations in plant breeding some Avork was done under the Hatch fund in fixing certain of the more promising sorts of beans, sweet corn, tomatoes, and eggplants secured in the breeding investigations. The stations continued to give considerable attention to various features of peach growing in the State and published Bulletins 226 and 231 on this work. The peach orchards planted for experimental purposes at Vineland and High Bridge came into bearing during the year and some of the newer varieties fruited sufficiently to give indi- cations of their value as commercial sorts. Studies were also con- tinued on the behavior, prevalence, and control of peach diseases. The investigations wnth carnations and roses were conducted for another-year in greenhouses. The results with carnations upon the various soil mixtures indicated that the physical character of the soil is an important factor in the success of this plant. Tt was also observed that a certain variety of rose produced good crops of high- quality flowers during the past season on plats which had received only chemical fertilizers. Several demonstrations of greenhouse fu- migation with potassium cyanid were made by members of the horti- cultural division in private ranges with entire success. Some coopera- tive fertilizer tests were planned and begun with one of the promi- nent rose growers of-the State. The work of the stations in animal husbandry included the main- tenance and grading up of the dairy herd and some observations on groAvth and feeding of forage crops to cheapen the cost of milk pro- duction. The work in this line, as already mentioned, was strength- ened by the organization of departments of dairy husbandry and poultry raising. The biologist continued investigations on oyster propagation and floating and w^as able definitely to establish certain important points relating to the catch of spat on cultch. He demonstrated the marked advantage of placing shells as nearly as possible the day before the set occurs, and determined the conditions which make it possible to predict with reasonable certainty the date of setting as related to spawning. A comparison was made of planting shells in heaps and of sowing them broadcast in securing a catch of seed oysters. A new floating laboratory for oyster investigations was equipped and used for the first time during the year with very satisfactory results. In cooperation with the horticulturist the entomologist carried on a study of the insect enemies of the peach, including particularly investigations with reference to the influence of the plum curculio in favoring the development of rot or causing a portion of the June drop, and a series of experiments on the control of the peach borer. Investigations were also made on the injuries and methods of con- trol of the flea beetle on cranberries. In connection with his work 158 REPOET OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. as State entomologist, he made a study of nursery insect pests and continued observations and study of insects injurious to shade trees. In continuation of a systematic test of insecticides, experiments were made with iron arsenate and nicotin extract. The work on mosquito control in progress for several years was continued. In connection with the fertilizer inspection a study was made of the feasibility of using nitrate of soda in mixed fertilizers and the practical advantage of such use was clearly demonstrated. Consid- erable attention was given to the testing and perfecting of analytical methods. The stations continued cooperation with the State geo- logical survey and with this department in a soil and agricultural survey of the State, the stations giving attention especially to the fertility of the various soil types. The following publications were received from this station during the year: Bulletins 228, Structure of Tomato Skins; 231, The Sec- ond Season with the Peach Orchard; 232, Contribution to the Study of Bordeaux Injury on Peaches; 233, Analyses and Valuations of Commercial Fertilizers, and Analyses of Fertilizer Supplies, Home Mixtures, and Special Compounds; 234, Analyses and Valuations of Commercial Fertilizers and Ground Bone; 235, Insects Injurious to the Peach Trees in New Jersey; 236, Spraying Experiments with Peaches, and the Annual Eeport for 1909. The income of the stations during the past fiscal year w^as as fol- lows: State Station: State appropriation (fiscal year ended Oct. 31, 1911) $47,000.00 College Station: United States appropriation, Hatch Act 15,000.00 United States appropriation, Adams Act 14,558.78 Balance from United States appropriation, Adams fund 441. 22 Total 77, 000. 00 The work of the New Jersej'^ stations is developing steadily, and increasing in scientific thoroughness and practical usefulness. It has a prominent place in the agricultural development of the State. NEW MEXICO. Agricultural Experiment Station of New Mexico, Htate College. Department of New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. LuTHEE Foster, M. S. A., Director. Some lines of work at the New Mexico station were materially strengthened during the year, while progress on some experiments was retarded through numerous changes on the station staff. NEW MEXICO 159 Of the Adams fund projects, the investigations on cacti were about completed. The breeding and selection work with Mexican chili was continued, but some difficulty was experienced in attacks of a disease which killed or injured some of the original strains. In the work on crown gall of grapes about 100 varieties reached the stage at which it was proposed to dig them out to note the relative resistance of the varieties preliminary to further study of the disease and its trans- mission. The work on the failure of potatoes to produce tubers was continued on different soils and with different fertilizers in pots, field plats, and the greenhouse. The irrigation project included studies of the movement and utili- zation of the water in the soil and of the effect on the water table by pumping from a varying number of wells at the same time. Some new equipment was provided for these studies. A study of the nutritive effect of feeds for beef production was begun with 10 yearling and 2-year-old range steers in convenient stalls and yards built for the purpose. In this connection digestion experiments were conducted with two yearlings and two 2-year-old steers with a ration of alfalfa. Investigations on the codling moth were actively carried on, and included, in addition to studies on life history and habits similar to those of previous years, observations on the effect of electric lights on the night movements of the larvae. Under the Hatch fund the work in agronomy included a test of duty of water for alfalfa, following the ordinary methods of irriga- tion practiced in the locality, but measuring the water and the crop, variety studies of wheat, oats, corn, barley, rye, and nonsaccharine sorghums, together with a comparative study of spring and winter wheats, and of variety work with alfalfa, including a test on the time of seeding. More than 20 varieties of wheat were under observa- tion for the selection of pure strains for breeding purposes. Winter seeding was compared with spring seeding of wheat with results indi- cating that winter seeding may be preferable to the accepted method of spring seeding. Work was also carried on with short-staple and long-staple cotton. A series of experiments with potassium sulphate, acid jDhosphate, and manure on alfalfa was undertaken, as well as a test of fertilizers on a rotation with leguminous crops. A rotation of alfalfa, wheat, beans, and late corn was laid out, and tests were made of alfalfa as a nurse crop for wheat. A large number of non- saccharine sorghums were grown, and some high-yielding, quick- maturing strains were selected. Varieties of corn were studied with a view to selecting improved strains, and a number of miscellaneous tests with minor crops were carried on. A number of important lines of work were followed in the horti- cultural department, A comparison of ditch and well water for 160 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. irrigating peach orchards was begun and studies were continued on the critical frost stage of the peach. It was shown that peach blos- soms and fruit are generally more resistant to cold in the region of the station than in other parts of the United States. Tests of heading back and whitewashing peach trees for the prevention of sun scald were continued. The results of station experiments with peaches from 1006 to 1910 were published during the year in Bulletin 76. A number of varieties of apples most successfully grown in the north- western part of the United States were added to the new apple orchard. Various methods of irrigating and covering grapes to pre- vent winter injury were tested, with interesting results. The station vineyard contains a large number of varieties which have done well except for some winter injury. Experiments with cabbage included tests of varieties, time of planting, and fertilizers and manures. Onions were grown very successfully from home-grown seed and com- manded as good a price as those from imported seed. Thinning was found, as in previous years, to be more exj^ensive than transplanting. The results from experiments on the growing of Denia onion seed showed that a large quantity of good seed can be produced. Co- operation was carried on in orchard irrigation with this department and in celery and Denia onion experiments in cooperation with fann- ers of the State. Experiments were made with sweet potatoes both on the bottom and on the mesa lands. Apples were successfully budded on pear stocks. The phenological observations which this station has been making for several years were continued. In addition to work connected with the Adams fund investigation of cacti, the chemical department continued a study of the irrigating waters of the State and also examined water samples to determine their fitness for domestic use. The cooperative investigation of the waters of several of the rivers was undertaken with the State engineer. Eighty-three soil samples were examined to determine their fitness for cropping and to suggest remedies for the removal of alkali. Analyses were also made of several samples of insecticides and two samples of sugar beets. In animal husbandry a series of experiments was made with 20 yearling steers, testing alfalfa alone and with shelled corn, corn meal, and com stover. It was found that local finishing can be profiti>l>ly done with alfalfa alone. Some experiments were made in feeding grain to cows at pasture, also with alfalfa and grain for sheep. Summer experiments were cai-ried on with pigs on alfalfa pasture supplemented with skim milk, corn, and barley. Experiments with pigs were in progress to test rations of alfalfa and skim milk; skim milk, shorts, and bran; shelled corn and alfalfa; and corn meal, skim milk, and alfalfa. In this connection a comparison was made of the An. Rpt. Office of Experiment Stations, 1911. Plate VII. Fig. 1.— Growing Melons for Crossing in Greenhouse. Fig. 2.— Parents and Offspring in Melon Grosses. STUDIES OF INHERITANCE OF CHARACTERS IN MELONS, NEW HAMPSHIRE STATION. An. Rpt. Office of Experimsnt Stations, 1911. Plate VIII. Fig. 1 .-Nutrition-Experiments Building, Ohio Station. Fig. 2.— Soil Laboratory, Ohio Station. NEW YOKK. 161 Tarn worth and the Duroc- Jersey breeds. A poultry plant was started and a study of the causes of low hatch in incubators with eggs from six different breeds was made. Experiments in egg preservation were started and an incubator cellar was constructed. The work in dairy- ing was limited to some tests of covered milk pails and a comparison of soiling crops. The principal investigation carried on by the department of meteorology was in cooperation with the department of soils and consisted of determining the air, water, and soil temperatures, rela- tive humidity, wind velocity, and rainfall. The time of maximum temperatures of the surface soil was determined, and some relation between soil texture, soil temperature, and air temperature was established. The publications received from this station during the year were as follows: Annual Reports for 1909 and 1910. The income of the station for the fiscal year was as follows: United States appropriatiou, Hatch Act $15,000.00 United States appropriation, Adams Act 15, 000. 00 Farm products 1,488.13 Fees 1, 310. 38 Balance from previous year 319.53 Total 33, lis. 04 The New Mexico station has to deal with varied agricultural prob- lems, with only the comparatively limited Federal funds. Its effi- ciency could be greatly increased and the benefit to agriculture cor- respondingly enhanced by financial aid for supplementary lines of work which can not be undertaken with the funds from the Federal Government. NEW YORK. New York Agricultural Experiment Station, Geneva. W. H. Jordan, D. Sc, LL. D., Director. Several important changes occurred on the staff of the station during the past year. A farm of about 90 acres, cornering on the station farm, was secured with a State appropriation of $15,500, to furnish additional land for experimental purposes. The special ap- propriation for work on grape diseases in the Chautauqua district was discontinued, but the work was maintained with a balance of funds from previous appropriations. The Adams fund work of the station was in continuation of the two projects heretofore approved, and was maintained in part by State funds with which the greater part of the station work is car- ried on. Progress was made on the project in animal nutrition with special reference to the physiological effect of certain phosphorus 56096°— 12 11 162 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. compounds, but the work was not completed. The cheese investiga- tions were conducted cooperatively by the chemical and the bac- teriological departments of the station. The chemical study of the cheese-making process was well advanced and the part played by bacterial enzyms in this process was given much attention. Studies on the fermentation of citric acid in milk and its relation to cheese making were reported on during the year in Technical Bulletin 14. It was found that the citric acid amounting to about 0.2 per cent entireh^ disappeared during the cheese-making process, being con- verted into acetic acid and carbon dioxid. Under other funds, mainly derived from the State, the station car- ried on numerous lines of work. The chemical department gave con- siderable attention to the study of milk and cheese not directly con- nected with the Adams fund project. In continuation of studies of the chemistry of lime-sulphur mixtures reported in Bulletin 329 of the station, investigations were begun in cooperation with the ento- mologist on the chemistry of mixtures of lime sulphur and lead arsenate. The development of a method for determining the purity of quicklime for spraying was undertaken. The method worked- out for the preparation of lime-sulphur wash has enabled fruit growers to make their own preparations at reduced cost. The work of the bacteriological department included the classifi- cation of soil and cheese organisms, a systematic study of cheese flora, and the determination of the germ content of milk from producer to consumer. An inquiry was made regarding the system of payment for milk on the basis of its sanitarj^ quality, and a bulletin was pub- lished on this topic. The study of udder conditions as affecting the germ content of milk was completed during the year, and studies of the soft-rot organisms, which have been in progress for several years, were continued. Attention was also given to the bacterial count of milk as influenced by stable conditions, type of milking pail, and the condition of the milker. The 10-year potato spraying experiments carried on by the botan- ical department were completed during the past season. These ex- periments have shown a pronounced profit from the systematic use of Bordeaux mixture and arsenicals 'as a result not only of protection from diseases and insect pests, but of stimulation of growth of the plants. Spraying with lime-sulphur mixtures did not prove so effec- tive as the use of Bordeaux mixture. The main part of studies on currant-cane blight was completed and reported upon during the year in Technical Bulletin 18, but experiments on treatment of the disease were continued. Experiments in spraj^ing with iron sulphate for the destruction of dandelions in lawns, which have been in progress for several years, have so far proven unsuccessful. Tests were made of NEW YORK. 163 the corrosive sublimate treatment of cabbage seed for the prevention of black rot. This department also did considerable work in testing seeds, particularly alfalfa and clover seed, and studying various plant diseases to which attention was called from time to time. The horticulturist continued work on the series of fruit mono- graphs, which he has undertaken, and collected material for such monographs on peach, pear, and cherry. Plantations of many varieties of orchard and small fruits were maintained for study in this connection and for other purposes, such as the study of individual variations, breeding, and crossing. Improved varieties of apples de- veloped by the station were distributed to some extent. Crosses of apples of the European and American types have been made with some promising results. Experiments in orchard culture and with fertilizers were continued, and extensive tests were made of the merits of budding apj)les from trees of known good quality. Tests of strains of Baldwin apples from 104 nurserymen were in progress. Experi- ments in crossing tomatoes were about completed, and variety and cultural tests with strawberries were reported upon during the year in Bulletin 336 and were continued. The work of the entomologist was centered mainly on fruit insects, particularly those of the apple, pear, and grape as reported in Bulle- tin 331, and including the California thrips, the pear-tree psylla, the grape thrips, and Fidia. Attention was also given to the injury to pears due to a species of insect related to the tarnished plant bug. Tests of homemade concentrated lime-sulphur mixture and of screen- ing as a protection against cabbage maggots were reported upon dur- ing the year in Bulletins 330 and 334, and studies of the life history of some cambium miners and of the apple and pear membracids were reported in Technical Bulletins 15 and 17. An effective method of controlling the pear psylla was worked out. Considerable field Avork on insecticides and other methods of control was in progress, the work on grape insects being done largely in the Chautauqua grape district. The station conducted feeding experiments with poultry to ascer- tain the relative importance of certain mineral nutrients and carried on breeding experiments to determine the effect of selection and in- breeding on egg production. The miscellaneous lines of work of the station included inspection of fertilizers, feeding stuffs, insecticides and fungicides, and dairy glassware, cooperative fertilizer experiments on potatoes, dairy herd tests and selection, and experiments on the effect of fertilizers on the yield and quality of tobacco in cooperation with this department. A large number of cooperative experiments, including experiments with alfalfa, in potato spraying, on currant cane blight, cabbage black rot, potato scab, leaf blister mite, Hessian fly, tarnished plant bug, grapes 164 REPOKT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. and grape insects, orchard tillage versus sod mulch, dwarf apples, lime sulphur, potato fertilizers and varieties, and tobacco fertilizers were conducted in different parts of the State. The publications received from this station during the year were as follows: Bulletins 323, Potato Spraying Experiments in 1909 Cwith popular edition) ; 324, Inspection of Feeding Stuffs; 325, Re- port of Analyses of Samples of Commercial Fertilizers Collected by the Commissioner of Agriculture During 1910; 326, The Modern Milk Pail (with popular edition); 327, Potato Fertilizers: Methods of Application and Form of Nitrogen (with popular edition) ; 328, Notes on New York Plant Diseases, I (with popular edition) ; 329, Chemical Investigation of Best Conditions for Making the Lime- sulphur Wash (with popular edition) ; 330, Experiments with Home- made Concentrated Lime-sulphur Mixtures (with popular edition) ; 331, A Preliminary Report on Grape Insects (with popular edition) ; 332, Director's Report for 1910 ; 333, Seed Tests Made at the Station During 1910 (with popular edition) ; 334, Observations on Screening Cabbage Seed Beds (with popular edition) ; 335, Spraying to Eradi- cate Dandelions from Lawns (with popular edition) ; 33G, Newer Varieties of Strawberries and Cultural Directions (with popular edi- tion) ; 337, Publicity and Payment Based on Quality as Factors in Improving a City Milk Supply (with popular edition) ; 338, Potato Spraying Experiments in 1910 (with popular edition) ; Technical Bulletins 13, The Constancy of Certain Physiological Characters in the Classification of Bacteria ; 14, The Fermentation of Citric Acid in Milk; 15, Medullary Spots: A Contribution to the Life History of Some Cambium Miners; 16, The Acidity of Gluten Feeds; 17, The Apple and Pear Membracids; Circulars 11, Orchard Management; 12, Dwarf Apples; and the Annual Report for 1909. The income of the station during the past fiscal year was as follows : United States appropriation, Hatch Act $1, .500. 00 United States appropriation, Adams Act 1,500.00 State appropriation, including balance from previous year 132,575.85 Total 115,575.85 The New^ York State station has made steady and conservative progress in the several well-planned lines of research to which atten- tion has been given, in most cases, for several years and hss extended its work along logical lines of development. It has sought with marked success to make the results of its research work practically useful by extending them to different parts of the State. NEW YORK. 165 Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station, Ithaca. Department of New York State College of Agriculture at Cornell University. L. H. Bailey, M. S., LL. D., Director. Considerable progress was made at the Cornell station during the year in improvement of equipment and development of work. A number of changes in personnel occurred, and the pomological work of the station was organized as a separate department. The construc- tion of the poultry building, for which the last legislature appro- priated $90,000, was begun, and a complete system of drainage of the experimental farm was undertaken. There was a large increase in the number of industrial fellowships established during the year, especially in plant pathology, in which there are now 12. The men holding these fellowships spend the winter months at the station doing laboratory work on special topics assigned to them, and in the spring go into the field to study the practical side of the question. In case of plant-disease studies quite complete temporary field labora- tories have been established in a number of instances. The Adams fund work of the station proceeded regularly. There was no material change in the general plan of the plant-breeding work, the most important feature of which continues to be the study and development of timothy. This work involved an elaborate study of the range of variation and of the biotypes of this grass. Some of the new types secured bid fair to be of great value for general culti- vation. A test of 19 different new sorts gave an average increase per acre of 851 pounds over the best ordinary, timothy obtainable. Ex- periments in potato breeding were continued as in previous years. Results of the last four years' work show marked variations in pure tuber lines and indicate striking possibilities in this line. The study of methods of breeding oats, tests of value of hybridiza- tion versus selection in oat breeding, the cumulative action of selec- tion, and the factors necessary to hardiness in winter-oat varieties were carried on. Experiments were also made on the cumulative action of selection in wheat. Other phases of the laws of inheritance in hybridization were studied with tomatoes, peppers, phlox, and other plants. Valuable results were accumulated, particularly with reference to inheritance of characters in tomatoes, peppers, and phlox. Certain phases of the relation of mutations and variations to breeding were studied with various plants, primarily wnth silene, corn, timothy, daisy, Stellaria, and many wild plants. Studies of the influence of environment in producing variations of importance in species and variety formation were continued with various cultivated and wild plants, particularly wheat and peas. 166 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. In studies in soil technology attention was given largely to loss of lime as nitrate in the drainage of the soil pits. It was found that the amount so lost was greater than that taken up by crops. The entomologist completed a study of two species of red bugs of the apple and published the results in Bulletin 291 of the station. He further practically completed the work on the plum-leaf miner and joint worms of grasses. With Hatch and other funds work was done in improvement by selection of brome grass, rape, vetch, and corn. Experiments in the improvement of wheat and oats were continued in cooperation with this department. Investigations were continued on the reciprocal relation of leguminous and nonleguminous plants to nitrification in the soil, confirming the results previously reported. Experiments with different systems of fertilizing in rotations were continued, together with studies of the effect of lime on nitrification. Investigations on Mallophaga of fowls and work on the larch case bearer were completed, and the study of the life history and control of the apple-leaf roller was undertaken. Experiments were made on methods and cost of spraying for the elm-leaf miner, as well as on a parasite of this insect. Some work was also done on orchard pro- tection by means of electric lights and charged wires on the codling moth in western New York, on the second brood of the apple maggot, and on onion thrips. The new department of pomology made extensive plantations of orchard fruits to study stocks, scions, and varieties. Methods of packing and marketing received attention, and a survey of the small fruits of Avestern New York was begun. Work on the classi- fication of the peony was completed during the year and published in Bulletin 306, and similar work on sweet peas was nearly completed and that on gladiolus was continued. Experiments with fertilizers on muck soils Avith the object of reducing the cost of nitrogenous fertilizers were inaugurated. In plant pathology attention was given particularly to investiga- tions on black rot and other diseases of grapes, bean anthracnose, diseases of ginseng, lime sulphur, and other liquid and dust fungi- cides, apple-tree canker, diseases of peaches, fire blight, and other diseases of nursery stock, bulb rot and other diseases of gladiolus, chestnut-bark disease, and diseases of truck crops. Investigations in plant physiology were conducted on respiration of fruits, respiration of seedlings, ripening and coloration of to- matoes under varying conditions of light, heat, and surrounding gases, morphology of the root-tubercle organism, production of active cultures of root-tubercle organisms, fermentation of tannin, antag- onistic relation of mineral nutrients, yellows and other physiological NEW YORK. 167 diseases, stimulation and toxicity, particularly with manganese and copper, and currant diseases. Work in dairying included the modification of the Babcock test for cream and the relation of temperature to the accuracy of the read- ings in this test, efficiency of cream separators, studies of the city milk supply, the manufacture of Camembert cheese, moisture in Cheddar cheese, effect of starter on yield of cheese, metallic flavors in milk, tests of herds supplying milk to the dairy department, moisture in butter, and leucocytes in milk. In animal husbandry, attention was given to the study of causes and prevention of losses in winter feeding of lambs, tests of feed- ing standards for dairy cows, skim-milk feeding of calves, tests of substitutes for oats for horses, breeding of heavier types of work horses, and production of hot-house lambs. The work in the poultry department included breeding with a view to production of an American breed of white-egg producers, fattening with high and low protein rations, texture of rations for fattening poultry, and preservation of eggs in water glass, lime- water, and soap solutions. In cooperation with the chemical de- partment a study was made of mineral matter in rations for hens, and in cooperation with the veterinary college investigations were conducted on bacillar}^ white diarrhea. As in previous years a large amount of demonstration and exten- sion work was done under State funds and research men were not called upon to any great extent to take part in it. The following publications were received from this station dur- ing the year: Bulletins 277, The Principles of Brooding — The Im- proved New York State Gasoline-heated Colony-house Brooding System ; 278, Classification of the Peony ; 279, Variation and Corre- lation in Timothy; 280, Pastures in New York; 281, Butter Mois- ture Tests; 282, Seven Methods of Feeding Young Chickens; 283, Control of Insect Pests and Plant Diseases; 284, Labor-saving Poul- try Appliances; 285, The Cause of "Apoplexy" in Winter-fed Lambs; 286, The Snow-white Linden Moth; 287, Correlation of Characters in Corn; 288, Spray Injury Induced by Lime-sulphur Preparations; 289, Lime Sulphur as a Summer Spray; 290, Studies of the Fungicidal Value of Lime-sulphur Preparations; 291, The Apple Red Bugs; 292, CaulifloAver and Brussels Sprouts on Long Island; 293, The Black Eot Disease of Grapes; 294, A Heretofore Unnoted Benefit from the Growth of Legumes; 295, An Agricul- tural Survey — Townships of Ithaca, Dryden, Danby, and Lansing, Tompkins County, New York; 296, Spraying for Black Rot of the Grape in a Dry Season; 298, The Packing of Apples in Boxes; 299, The Elimination of Tubercle Bacilli from Infected Cattle, and the Control of Bovine Tuberculosis and Infected Milk ; Circulars 7, The 168 REPORT OP OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. Relation of Lime to Soil Improvement; 8, The Elm-leaf Beetle; 9, Orange Hawkweed or Paint Brush; 10, Propagation of Starter for Butter ^Making and Cheese Making; and the Annual Reports for 1909 and 1910. The income of the station during the past fiscal year, in addition to State funds, was as follows: United States appropriation. Hatch Act $13. .500 United States appropriation, Adams Act 13, .500 Total 27, 000 The work of the Cornell Experiment Station is well supported and is organized on a large scale. In response to public demand there has been a rapid growth of the more popular forms of work in different parts of the State, but this is quite distinctly differen- tiated from the more strictly research work of the station. NORTH CAROLINA. North. Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station, Weiit Raleigh. Department of North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. C. B. Williams. M. S.. Director. The few changes occurring on the station staff during the year in- cluded the appointment of J. P. Pillsbury, of the Pennsylvania col- lege and station, as horticulturist. Satisfactory progress was made in the various Adams fund in- vestigations. Some of the results in the studies on soil nitrification were published and further data were prepared for publication, A modification of the diphenylamin method for determining nitrates and nitrites was devised and the method thereby rendered far more delicate. The Tiemann-Scliulze method for determining nitrogen was also modified to shorten the lime necessarj^ for its application and to remove a source of inaccuracy. The investigation conducted had a bearing largely on the efficiency of soil extracts, the inoculat- ing power of soil extracts, and the value of nutrient media rather than soil extracts for the cultivation of soil organisms. Experi- ments were also begun to compare different methods of inducing nitrification in rich and poor soils. The work on soil nitrification also included studies on the movement of bacteria through the soil, associative activity of the soil organisms, and on nitrification in the greenhouse and in the field. The study of lettuce diseases, especially the disease due to Sclero- tinia, was practically completed during the year. Practical means by soil sterilization were worked out for the control of the disease. The results of this study were prepared for publication but some points regarding the cultural characters of the fungus remained to NORTH CAROLINA. 169 be determined. The investigation of a disease attacking cabbage and other cruciferous plants was undertaken. Work on the cabbage worm was held in abeyance because the pest did not make its appearance during the season. The melon-worm investigations were practically finished and the results were pub- lished in Bulletin 214, which deals with the pickle worm {Diaphania nitklalis) and the melon worm {Diaphwiia hycdinata). Work on the corn billbug was well started and studies on its life history were in progress. Hibernation records were made and the relation of Sphe- nophot'iis callosus to other species was studied. The insect was found on species of Cyperus in one locality and a smaller species was ob- served on nut grass. The veterinarian gave considerable time to the cottonseed meal project, performing post-mortem examinations of pigs, rabbits, and guinea pigs, and making clinical studies of the same. The animal pathologist cooperated in this project and made quantitative feed- ings of various extracts of cottonseed meal, the residue, and of pyro- phosphate of sodium to obtain material for further study. Results with rabbits and pigs appeared concordant, and death followed feed- ins: the residue as well as the fresh cottonseed meal. The animal hus- bandman also cooperated in this work and carried on feeding ex- periments with cottonseed meal for hogs and worked much of the year with meal made from Sea Island cotton seed. Experiments were also begim with feeding cottonseed meal to sucking pigs to study the effect of early feeding. These feeding experiments Avere intended to supplement the laboratory investigations. Studies on the relation of soils to productivity and their fertilizer requirements, and the cause of development of suckers and their effect on the yield of corn were continued. Data showing the effect of different fertilizers on the nitrifying power of soils and also on the humus, nitrogen, potash, and phosphoric acid in soils have now accu- mulated during six years. Among other facts, it was established that the presence of suckers did not decrease the yield of corn. The pro- duction of suckers was found to vary with varieties, fertility of soil, and distance of planting. The horticultural department determined the cause of double flower and sterility in blackberries and dewberries, the results corroborating those of the Delaware station. A study of methods of control was in progress. In the study of self-sterility, all but three varieties of dew- berries were found to be self-sterile, but when two varieties of self- sterile varieties were planted together they readily fertilized each other. Most varieties of blackberries also appeared self-sterile. The studies of the Rotundifolia grapes indicated that practically all the cultivated varieties are self-sterile. One vine was under observation to determine its possible self-fertility. Some of the results of this 170 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. work were published in Bulletin 200 of the station. A study was undertaken of the unit characters of Rotundifolia grapes, and about 2,400 seedlings were grown for observation. The station pursued numerous lines of work with the Hatch fund. The agronomist tested 59 varieties of corn, 39 of cotton, 14 of wheat, 23 of oats, 26 of cowpeas, 21 of soy beans, 11 of adzuki beans, and 2 of seta beans. The results of the station tests with corn during the past few years have indicated that the relative standing of the differ- ent varieties is greatly modified by the fertility of the soil and the distance of planting. Promising results were secured with adzuki beans, the yield of seed per acre being better than cowpeas. Last year these beans required less than 100 days from planting to maturity. In animal husbandry experiments were conducted to determine the value of cottonseed meal as a concentrate for horses, mules, and beef cattle, and the results secured in this work have largely been pub- lished. Other work of this department included experiments to de- termine the value of corn silage, corn stover, and cottonseed hulls as roughage for beef cattle, breeding experiments with swine, and a stud}^ of the value of different crojDS for pork production. Rye, oats, barley, and a mixture of these crops with rape, crimson clover, Canada field peas, soy beans, and cowpeas gave good results as graz- ing crops for hogs, and sweet potatoes, peanuts, and artichokes proved to be desirable root crops for this purpose. The poultry work at the station included the study of breeds and of systems of feeding and management. In dairy husbandry feeding experiments were con- ducted with cottonseed meal as a feed for heifers and young calves. A comparison was made of a mixture consisting of equal parts of corn meal, oats, and wheat bran, and of one made up of equal parts of cottonseed meal, oats, and wheat bran. The roughage used con- sisted of a mixture of corn silage and hay. The animal pathologist pursued studies on fowl cholera, especially with reference to the effectiveness of vaccination against this disease. In addition to the Adams fund work the entomologist conducted experiments to determine the breeding places of the common house fly and the effectiveness of different materials recommended for kill- ing the larvae in their breeding places. A 40 per cent solution of formalin in milk or in milk and water was used successfullv in killing flies around dairy barns and dwelling houses. Cooperative experiments with farmers in the mountain region of North Carolina were carried on to determine the suitability of sugar beets for that section both with reference to yield per acre and per- centage of sugar developed in the beets. With this department co- operative experiments were made with tobacco to secure wilt-resistant strains. Other cooperative work with this department consisted of NOETH CAKOLINA. 171 studying different varieties of cowpeas, soy beans, adzuki beans, seta beans, barley, and tobacco, making a plant survey of North Carolina, and conducting tillage and rotation tests with cotton and corn. Co- operative variety and fertilizer tests with cotton and corn were con- ducted in different parts of the State on different types of soil. The publications received from this station during the year were as follows : Bulletins 206, Insects and Fungus Diseases of Apple and Pear; 207, Hog Raising in North Carolina ; 208, Fig Culture in North Carolina; 209, Self-sterility of the Scuppernong and Other Musca- dine Grapes; 210, Improved Methods for Making Cottage and Neuf- chatel Cheese; 211, Feeding and Management of Poultry for Egg Production; 212, Prevention of Oat and Wheat Smut; and the Annual Report for 1909. The income of the station during the past fiscal year was as follows r United States appropriation. Hatch Act $15 ,000 00 United States appropriation, Adams Act 15,000.00 Farm products, including balance from previous year__ 6. 377. 94 Total 3G. 377. 94 The affairs of the North Carolina station are in general in good condition, and its numerous lines of experimental work are making progress. Efforts are put forth to make all definite results imme- diately available to the farmer. Agricultural Experiment Station of the North Carolina State Department of Agriculture, Raleigh. B. W. KiLGORE, M. S., Director. The principal lines of work followed by this station during the year consisted of soil studies to determine the plant food or fertilizer re- quirements of the different types of soil of the State, the crops to which they are best adapted, and the methods best suited to their handling. In carrying out this work, systematic fertilizer tests were made on the different soil types, varieties of different staple crops were grown on them, and rotations for soil improvement were studied. Considerable time was given to the analysis of soils. Work was also can-ied on in different parts of the State with various horti- cultural crops, including apples, peaches, pears, strawberries, grapes, pecans, etc. Considerable cooperative work was done with farmers for the pur- pose of popularizing results obtained by the station. In cooperation with this department the station made a special study of the Scup- pernong grape, carried on tobacco work, and continued a soil survey of the State. The officers of this station give considerable attention to demonstration work and to farmers' institutes. 172 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. During the past year about $70,000 derived from the finances of the State department of agriculture were avaihible for experimental, demonstration, and farmers' institute work. Bulletins presenting the work of the station were issued during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1911, on the following subjects: Analyses of Fertilizers and Cottonseed Meal, 1909-10 — Registration of Fer- tilizers; Variety, Cultural, and Fertilizer Experiments with Cotton on Piedmont Red Clay Loam Soil; Variety, Cultural, and Fertilizer Experiments with Corn on Piedmont Red Clay Loam Soil ; Variety Tests with A^lieat and Oats; Inspection of Illuminating Oils; Annual Report of Farmers' Institutes; Estimates of Food Products Shipped Into North Carolina in 1909; Stock Feeds; Eleventh Annual Report on Food Adulteration Under the Pure-food Law ; Analyses of Fer- tilizers, 1910 — Registration of Fertilizers ; Condimental Feeds, Stock, and Poultry Tonics and Conditioners; Varietv Tests of Com and Cotton; Report of General "Work on the Buncoml^e and Transylvania Test Farms; Analyses of Fertilizers, 1911 — Registration of Fer- tilizers (two bulletins) ; Experimental "Work with Cotton, Corn, and Peas at the Iredell Test Farm; Preliminary Report on the Mountain Soils; and' Cooperative Experiments and Demonstrations with Sug- gestions as to Soil Improvement, Cultivation of Corn, Cotton, and Legumes. NORTH DAKOTA. North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station, Agricultural College. Department of North Dakota Agric-ultural College. J. H. Worst, LL. D.. Director. General progress was made in the various lines of work at the North Dakota station during the year. The station staff remained practicallj'^ the same as the. year before, and several of the station departments entered upon the use of the facilities afforded by new buildings recently completed. The new fire-proof chemical building, costing $125,000, was occuj)ied. This building is well equipj^ed for research work, but the chemical library destroyed by the fire has thus far been replaced only in a small way. Additional quarters for the botanist were secured during the past year, and private parties provided funds for securing assistants in the pure-seed work of the department, its field-breeding experiments, and its studies on the histology and physiology of plant diseases. The State made biennial appropriations of $25,000 for maintaining five substations, $24,000 for the support of the demonstration farms, and $15,550 for addi- tional buildings and other equipment at the substations. For the enforcement of the pure-seed law, the State appropriates $2,500 per 3'ear. NORTH DAKOTA. 173 The Adams fund work of the station was conducted by the chemi- cal, botanical, and veterinarj' departments. Work on the physiology of the sap movement in trees was continued, and as a check similar work was done with herbaceous plants, sunflowers, and corn, and studies on small trees and shrubs were begun in the laboratory and the greenhouse. The study of the principles underlying resistance and immunity to disease was continued as in previous years by breed- ing various cropping plants year after year under conditions be- lieved favorable to the development of disease. The principal crops in this experiment were wheat, flax, and potatoes. The results of this research work have enabled the station to place in the hands of farmere three types of flaxseed highly resistant to disease. Two of the types are essentially wilt resistant and the other is both wilt and rust resistant. Similar work was done with wheat, and types devel- oped under conditions testing their ability to resist disease have been originated and were distributed during the year for further testing their value in resisting disease. Cultures obtained in a study of soil organisms Avere tested under held conditions and their effect on crops was studied. Investigations on the bacterial and fungus flora of soils and their effect on the soil and plants were also continued during the year. The results secured during the past year in the study of swamp fever in horses were embodied in Bulletin 94 of the station. It was found that the disease was due to a filterable virus, and further work was done on the problems of early and proper diagnosis. In this connection some of the more recent methods such as the complement fixation method and others were tried, and a comparative study was made of the disease known in Europe as anemia. It was found that the virus is present in the urine but apparently not in the feces of iqifected animals, and that infection can be induced through the mouth. A continuation of the work on the nutrition of the wheat plant in its relation to soil conditions was reported. This work was mainly a study of the humus and other plant foods, and how they are changed by cultivation and cropping. Studies on the utilization of flax straw were in progi-ess, attention being given to the chemical and other constituents of the fiber and the possibility of economically utilizing the straw in paper or other products. This study brought out an inquiry as to the presence of a glucosid of flax straw in various stages of growth and its relation to stock poisoning. The study of the milling properties of wheat as affected by soils, varieties, and other factors was continued in cooperation with this department, and involved milling and baking tests of wheats and flours produced in different parts of the State as well as different varieties grown under varying conditions. Studies were made of 1Y4 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. the nitrogen content of wheats and flours, especially the gluten, and also of the volume and quality of the loaf when produced from different flours; also the relation of phosphorus compounds to mill- ing and baking, the effect of tempering grain on the quality of the flour, the relation of moisture to milling qualities, effect of frost, rust, bin heating, and other conditions. The work in the department of agriculture was all supported by Hatch and State funds. The plant-breeding work of this depart- ment was considerably extended during the year, embracing work with alfalfa, wheat, oats, barley, flax, rye, corn, and potatoes. Nur- ser}^, centgener, and field trials were conducted to detennine hardi- ness, yield, adaptability, quality, and other characters. Less varia- tion was noted in the strains under investigation and a number of varieties were distributed for farm trial. Experiments on rotation and fertility were continued and laboratory studies on moisture, nitrogen, and other soil factors were in progress. The rotation plats were observed as beginning to show the benefits of previous crop- ping, and a study was inaugurated on a series of long rotations with and without live stock. Much of the agronomy work was carried on at the five substations and the 24 countv demonstration f^rms, thus giving a wide range of conditions. Special studies in main- tenance of soil fertility and methods of seeding crops to secure the best results, and of the cost of producing various farai products were in progress at the station and elsewhere. In animal husbandry the economy of feeding for early maturity of pigs and the value and different methods of feeding peas, rape, bar- ley, oats, and other feeds in comparison with dry-lot and grain feed- ing were studied. The question of cost of production Avas given considerable prominence. Wintering brood sows and sheep, cross- breeding sheep, and differences in wool production were given attend tion, and experiments with beef cattle to detennine the value of corn when pastured off, the amount of stock various pastures will carry, and the cost of milk production under station and farm conditions were carried on. The station endeavored to interest fanners in better dairy stock and the assistant dairyman tested cows and had charge of the advanced registry of dairy cows in the State. The record of the station herd for five years was published in Bulletin 91. With poultry the principal line of work was breeding hens for high egg production, and studying methods of housing and feeding fowls. The records of the station showed a number of hens that produced 200 eggs per year. The horticultural department used the new greenhouses in breeding work, especialh' pure-line breeding with lettuce and tomatoes. Selec- tion experiments Avith sAveet corn and nuiskmelons were begun with the intention to continue them as pure-line races. Similar work with NORTH DAKOTA. 175 garden peas and tomatoes was carried on in the garden. The orchard work consisted of experiments with phnns, apples, and other fruits, particuhir attention being given to tlie improvement of native pUims in hardiness and vigor of growth. About 1 dozen phmi selections and 200 apple trees were planted in the station orchard. With forest trees comparisons as to their drought resistance were made, and methods for the successful growing of coniferous seedlings under North Dakota conditions were demonstrated. Work was also done on the control of grasshoppers and cabbage worms during the past season, and studies on wireworms were undertaken. The work carried on by the botanical department and supported by Hatch, State, and other funds included weed eradication, a study of oat varieties with a view to their standardization, plant breeding, selection of wheat and flax, seed inspection, testing of possible new crops such as Russian sunfloAver, hemp, and soy beans, cooperation with farmers in introducing disease-resistant varieties, and methods of cropping. In the State serum laboratory, with which the veter- inarian is connected, studies were made regarding the action of various serums, their manufacture and use. The veterinarian also continued to render service to the State live stock sanitary board in the bacteriologic diagnoses of animal diseases. A breeding circuit at New Salem, including about 200 cows owned by different farmers in that community, was conducted as a part of the cooperative work of the station. The 24 demonstration farms, located in as many counties and in counties containing no substations, give the station an opportunity to demonstrate the value of its experi- ments for practical results. The work on these farms has brought out very forcibly the value of crop rotation and the use of varieties adapted to the different .regions. It has also shown that the soils of the State in general are short in their supply of phosphoric acid, while the supply of potash in nitrogen is apparently strong at the present time. The following publications were received from this station during the year: Bulletins 88, Windbreaks and Hedges; 89, Wheat Investi- gations — Milling, Baking, and Chemical Tests; Special Food Bulle- tins 24-30; Paint Bulletins 4 and 5; the Annual Report for 1910; and the Annual Reports of the Dickinson Substation for 1909 and 1910. The income of the station during the past fiscal year was as follows: United States appropriation, Ilatcli Act $14,447.72 United States appropriation, xVdanis Act 15,000.00 Balance from United States appropriation, Hatcli fund- 552. 28 State appropriation, including balance from previous year 26, 88.5. 45 Miscellaneous, including balance from previous year 3,834.09 Total „ ^ GO, 719. 54 176 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. The work of the North Dakota station includes a number of important lines of investigation of scientific interest and practical importance. Much field work was lost during the past year through the severe drought, but this also gave an additional test to some of the experiments in hand. The progress of the station would be materially aided by more direct support from the State. OHIO. Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station, Wooster. C. E. Thorne, M. S. a., Director. The changes on the staff of the Ohio station included a number of resignations and appointments in the corps of assistants and the appointment of J. AV. Smith as climatologist. For the fiscal year 1912 the last general assembly appropriated the following amounts for the different station departments: Administration, $35,500: agronomy, $18,000; animal husbandry, $20,000; botany, $10,000; co- operation, $30,000; entomolog^^ $8,000; forestry, $12,000; soils, $20,000; chemistry, $5,000; horticulture, $17,000: animal nutrition, $8,000 ; and dairying, $10,000, or a total of $193,500. A survey of the soil types of the State and studies on wool were begun during the year, and work with poultry and in soil bacteri- ology was undertaken. The nutrition building with equipment was completed at a cost of $22,000. (PI. VIII, fig. 1.) This is a two- story structure 40 by CO feet in size, containing rooms for metabolism experiments wdth animals, slaughtering and curing rooms, ma- chinery for handling and working up carcasses, and a 20-ton ice machine. Considerable time was also given to the fitting up of the new soils building and the greenhouses. (PL VIII, fig. 2.) At the southeastern test farm a sheep and storage barn 60 by 68 feet, Avith a wing 24 by 72 feet, w^as erected to facilitate the work in sheep hus- bandry. At this farm there was also erected a laying house 20 by 60 feet in size for extensions in poultry w^ork. The facilities for poultry Avork Avere also somewhat enlarged at Wooster. The Adams fund Avork was centered on three projects. The study of the relation of lime and phosphorus to the maintenance of soil fertility was continued at the station and at Strongsville. The phosphorus content of the soils of the State and the fonns in which this element is present and the forms best adapted to different soils were studied, as well as the chemical composition of crops grown on differently treated plats. The investigation on the increase in fixation of desirable properties in i^lants Avas continued Avith pure lines of different crops to ascer- tain whether heritable A^ariations occur in pure lines of self -fertilized plants. Starting Avith single heads of Avheat, a study was made of OHIO. 177 the variation in size of the kernel and the possibility of permanently changing the size of the kernels by planting the small and large ker- nels from the same head. In the project on the role of phosphoric acid and other mineral elements, the nutritive value of different phosphorus compounds when fed to swine was studied. The results, obtained thus far have con- tributed materially to a knowledge of the subject, but further work is required, tog'^ther with a greater' refinement and elaboration of method than anyone has so far bestowed upon it. The methods for the estimation of inorganic phosphorus in vegetable and animal sub- stances, published in Bulletin 215 of the station, have received wide recognition. Complete ash analyses of a considerable number of foods and feeding stuffs were made, together with a continued searcli for improved methods of chemical analysis. In connection with this investigation, a review of the literature of phosphorus metabolism has been undertaken. Under Hatch and other funds the chemist studied the effect of the treatment of the different fertilizer plats on the composition of the crops and published Bulletin 222 relating to this work on wheat. Work in plant physiological chemistry included the study of the absorption of plant nutrients by cereals, on which a report was pre- sented in Bulletin 221 of the station. A study was also made of the influence of the sulphur supply in the soil on the protein content of leguminous plants. Cooperative analyses were made for the depart- ments of agronomy, animal husbandry, horticulture, and soil fertility. In agronomy, cultural, plant breeding, and seed tests were con- ducted with alfalfa, and varietal, cultural, and breeding work with clover, corn, oats, and soy beans. Work with special forage crops in- cluded a variety test with peas, beans, and millets ; tests of peas and oats at different rates of seeding, and tests of various leguminous plants, including special tests with hairy vetch seeded alone and with rye. A comparison was made of 10 prominent meadow grasses, of 20 different crops and crop combinations seeded in corn at the last culti- vation, and of live stock and grain farming. Wheat experiments included one-tenth-acre plat tests of over 60 varieties and one-hun- dredth-acre plat tests of over 100 varieties in pure-line strains. The department of animal husbandry continued the comparison of corn and oats as feeds for work horses, and conducted an experiment in fattening draft horses for market. Different proportions of grain and roughage and a ration of corn and clover hay with one of corn, cottonseed meal, and clover hay for beef production were compared. A number of supplements were used in different proportions with corn in dry-lot feeding of hogs and green feeds were compared with each other and with dry feeds. The production of wool and mutton 56096°— 12 12 178 EEPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. received more attention than in previous years and preparations were made for the establishment of a wool laboratorv and scouring plant. The work of the department of botany was continued during the past year as outlined in the previous report. It included the exami- nation of seeds for purity .and germination, the identification of weeds, with suggestions for weed control, an investigation of plant diseases and methods for their control, and plant-breeding work with tobacco and . certain wheat hybrids. Some definite results secured in the weed-spraying work were published in Circular 102. This department also published Bulletins 228 and 229, both dealing with plant diseases. Attention was also given to the canker dis- eases affecting apple and pear trees and to diseases of forest and shade trees. Plant-breeding work on tobacco was continued in co- operation with this department. The department of entomology supervised the spraying of 125 acres or more of bearing orchards and made observations on the cost of spraying, the increase in yield, and the improvement in quality. Observations were also made on the efficiency of different spraying materials and their adaptation to the different orchard fruits. The studies of this department further included mill insects, bark beetles, wheat jointworm, the Hessian fly, chinch bug, insects attacking the sugar beet, the sod webworm, and the woolly aphis. Some of the re- sults of this work have already been made public. The de]Dartment of forestry', which has a special annual appropria- tion of $19,400. Avorked on a forest survey of the State, cooperated with State institutions in the improvement of existing forests and the establishment of new plants, and continued to extend nursery plantings and the distribution of trees. The department of horticulture gave attention chiefly to the solu- tion of problems in apple culture. In the station orchards varieties were studied and work in spraying, thinning, and cultural methods was carried on at the same time. A closely planted apple orchard of early bearing sorts and an orchard of dwarf apples were set out. The work of this department in rejuvenation of old orchards was partly reported upon in Bulletins 217 and 224. Orchard heating was given attention and results determining the practicability of such work were secured. Plant breeding Avas carried on with vegetables, both in the greenhouse and in the garden, and the collections of orna- mental trees, shrubs, and other plants on the station grounds were increased. During the past year the department of nutrition published in Bulletin 222 the results of a study of the mineral nutrients in blue grass, showing that the differences in mineral imtrients were due to differences in the soils upon which the grasses were grown. It Avas OHIO. 179 also found that the content of blue grass in mineral nutrients may be very greatly increased by the use of fertilizers. The department of cooperation conducted extensive cooperative field experiments in farm management and farm practice studies, observations on the production of milk in farm dairies, and studies concerning the swine and poultry industries. Two county experiment farms, established this year under a recent Jaw, were placed in charge of the station. One of these farms, in Miami County, contains 123 acres and is located about 2 miles nortli- w^est of Troy, and the other, the Paulding County farm, containing 92 acres, lies 1^ miles south of Paulding. General schemes of experi- mentation were proposed for these two county farms and approved by the county boards of agriculture. The publications received from this station during the year were as follows: Bulletins 214, A Brief Handbook of the Diseases of Cul- tivated Plants in Ohio; 215, Methods for the Quantitative Estima- tion of Inorganic Phosphorus in Vegetable and Animal Substances; 216, Spraying Machinery; 217, Apple Culture in Ohio; 218, The Status of the Potato-growdng Industry in Ohio — Seasonal Xotes on Potatoes; 219, The Relative Durability of Post Timbers; 220, Tw^enty- ]iinth Annual Report, 1910; 221, The Composition of ^Vheat; 222, The Mineral Nutrients in Blue Grass ; 223, Fourth Annual Report on Forest Conditions in Ohio; 224, The Rejuvenation of Orchards; 225, The Farm Grasses of Ohio; 226, The Wheat Jointworm; 228, Two Recent Important Cabbage Diseases of Ohio ; Circulars 82, rev.. Cooperative Forestry Work; 98, Minor Items of Farm Equipment; 101, Illustrative Exhibits at State and County Fairs; 102, Spraying to Kill Weeds — Some Useful Methods; 103, Autumn Meeting of the Ohio State Horticultural Society; 104, Plans and Summary Tables of the Experiments at the Central Farm, Wooster, on the Maintenance of Soil Fertility; 105, Floats; 106, Seeding Lawns and Permanent Pastures; 107, A Successful Alfalfa and Truck Farm in Southeastern Ohio; 108, Orchard Practice; 109, Orchard Spraying Suggestions for 1911; 110, Treatment of Artificial Tree Plantation; 111, The manage- ment of Clover in Corn-belt Rotations; and 112, Commercial Apple Orcharding in Ohio. The income of the station during the past fiscal year was as fol- lows: United States appropriation, Hatch Act _ -$15,000.00 United States appropriation, Adams Act.- 15,000.00 State appropriation 200,090.00 Farm products . 10,892.51 Miscellaneous 14,879. 6" Balance from previous year 145,496.85 Total 401, 359. 03 180 EEPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. The Ohio station is conducting a great campaign in which demon- stration and cooperation form a prominent part. It serves as a bureau of information for the farmers and agricultural interests of the State, and it is reaching and aiding the farmer in a very large and effective way. OKLAHOMA. Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station, ^tilhcater. Department of Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College. J. A. Wilson, B. Agr., Director. In addition to the new appointments made at the beginning of the year and mentioned in the previous report, C. K. Francis was ap- pointed chemist and O. O. Churchill, agronomist, on the staff of the Oklahoma station during the year. Since the close of the fiscal year a number of other appointments were made. The building operations were mainly confined to the construction of a commodious and well- arranged greenhouse and a hog-cholera barn. Good progress was made on the two Adams fund projects under the direction of the veterinarian. Two reports on the work on arti- ficial impregnation, and dealing more particularly Avith the vitality of the germ, were prepared for publication during the year. In studying the effect of cottonseed meal and other highly nitrogenous feeds on breeding stock, experiments were conducted with six hogs. The station chemist cooperated to some extent with the veterinarian in these investigations. The work on breeding drought-resistant corn was a failure, due to severity of drought both at Stillwater and Good well, where the outside work of the project was pursued. Better results were ob- tained with milo maize grown at Goodwell in the work of breeding drought-resistant sorghums. The chemist cooperated with the agronomist to the extent of making a study of the chemical composi- tion of the drought-resistant crops, particularly Kafir corn. The study of a f ujigus disease of San Jose scale was brought to a close after the efficiency of the disease in the mycelium stage under certain conditions in the field had been demonstrated. The spore stage of this fungus, it was found, does not develop as far north as Oklahoma. The sheep-breeding project was continued, and lambs from Shrop- shire, Merino, and Dorset crosses were obtained during the past year. Careful records, including data as to character of animals and avooI, were made. The new sheep barn and lots furnished ample and excel- lent facilities for this work. Under the Hatch fund the horticulturist made some fruit and pecan plantings and compiled information regarding the culture of these crops in the State. OKLAHOMA. 181 The agronomist carried forward the permanent plat work with various field crops which has been in progress at the station for a number of years and introduced a new series of rotation experiments. A good system of card records was kept of this work, which included variety tests of corn, Kafir corn, wheat, oats, and cotton, breeding cotton for yield and quality of fiber, breeding corn for yield, continu- ous culture versus three-year and five-year rotations, tests of winter oats, fertility requirements of alfalfa and plant food requirements of Oklahoma crops in general in cooperation with the chemist, and tests of fertilizers in a new six-year rotation of crops. The animal husbandman made experiments with alfalfa, rape, and other forage plants, especially fall-grown crops with and without grain for hogs, but the work was interfered with by hog cholera. The veterinarian continued the study of the relation of bacteria to flavor and keeping quality of dairy products. He further continued the manufacture of hog-cholera serum with a biennial State appro- priation of $7,500, of which $3,000 was available for a hog-cholera plant. In connection with this work some studies were made on the attenuation of the serum by heat. The entomologist made some preliminary observations on the prevalence and transmission of chinch-bug infection and of the life history and treatment of the melon louse, locust borer, and false chinch bug. He also undertook a study the past season of the alfalfa webworm and of food plants of bees. In connection with the work on the food plants of l3ees the development of improved strains of bees was attempted. The publications received from this station during the year were as follows : Bulletins 89, The Chemistry of the Kafir Corn Kernel ; 90, A Study of Bermuda Grass. The income of the station during the past fiscal year was as follows : United States appropriation, Hatch Act $15,000.00 United States appropriation, Adams Act 14,639.05 Balance from United States appropriation, Adams fund- 3G0. 95 Miscellaneous 3, 764. 64 Total 33, 764. 64 The Oklahoma station has made progress in the reorganization of its work and its staff, following the extensive changes in personnel Avhich occurred at the close of the previous year. It is hoped that its affairs will now run smoothly and without interruption. 182 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. OREGON. Oregon Experiment Station, CorvalUs. Department of Oregon State Agricultural College. James Withtcombe, M. Agr., Director. The number of changes occurring on the staff of the Oregon station during the past year, which were for the greater part enumerated in the previous report, included the resignation of C. E. Bradley, the chemist, who entered commercial work. The State legislature made the following appropriations for the biennium : General station work, $20,000; investigation of crop and fruit pests and diseases and horti- cultural problems in the State, $30,000 ; Eastern Oregon substation at Union, $15,000; dry-farming substation at Moro, $5,000; substation for horticultural and irrigation investigations at Hermiston, $0,000; establishing and maintaining a new substation in southern Oregon, $10,000; establishing and maintaining a dry-farming substation in the Harney Valley, $G,000 ; a total of $92,000 for the two years. During the past year the Adams fund work of the station was more clearly diiTerentiated than heretofore and Avas strengthened in a number of other w^ays. In connection with the work on soil leaching the tank experiments were continued with different tyjDes of soil from different parts of the State. Various fertilizers were studied as to their effect on leaching. Absorption tests were continued, samples of water from the Columbia and \Yillamette Rivers were analyzed, and pot experiments were conducted with wheat and vetch on clay-loam and red-hill soils, with special reference to the effects of lime and gyj^sum. The work on this project was completed and the results were prepared for publication. The study of lupulin in hops was continued, including its dis- tribution in different parts, stages of growth, and varieties of the plant. The effect of kiln drying and the use of different fertilizers on the composition of hops was also studied. Considerable study was devoted to the testing and improvement of methods of analysis of hops, especially the resins. Practically all the field work in the project on the pollination of the apple and conditions affecting it was completed, and the data ob- tained related to sterility and fertility of varieties of apples and pears and the determination of mutual affinities. This work was conducted at Medford, Hood River, Freewater, IMilton, and Corvallis. In this connection attention was also given to the cause of the striping or banding of fruits, such as occurs on the apple and the pear. The study of the irrigation of fruit in the Rogue River Valley was continued in two oi'chards, the number of trees under observation in each being increased. The station is now ready to publish the results OREGON. 183 of five years of work, which has dealt with the effect of water on the soil, the trees, and the fruit ; the relation of water to color, size, and yield of fruits; and the formation of buds as related to the succeeding crop. The station chemists studied the composition of apples as com- pared with those grown in the Willamette Valley without irrigation. Work on gummosis of the cherry was pursued by the department of botany and plant pathology which was established July 1, 1910. The project was written up as a thesis, dated June 1, 1911, A more complete description of the organism isolated considered to be the cause of the disease will be included in the final report. In further study of apple-tree anthracnose, the perfect stage of the organism causing this trouble was found and the results of field work on means of combating the disease favored Bordeaux mixture as a fungicide. In studying lime-sulphur spray an effort was made to determine the mgredients injuring the foliage and a method of preventing their in- jurious effect. The relative fungicidal and insecticidal value of each element or compound, as well as their effects upon the host plant, were studied. The work was pursued in the laboratory and green- houses and in different orchards in the Hood River district. A large amount of work was done on the incubation of hens' eggs during the past year and data on moisture, carbon dioxid, ventilation, and other factors as related to size, weight, and death rate of chicks were collected. The lime content and moisture content of the chicks as related to the lime and moisture content of the eggs were deter- mined, and a study was made of the influence of oil from the hen on the hatching of chicks. Numerous lines of work were carried on the past season with Hatch and other funds. The department of agronomy made variety tests of wheat, vetches, soy beans, corn, barley, oats, and other crops. Selections of Vicm sativa with reference to protein content were made and ear-to-row tests, with corn were conducted. The irrigation work of the department was extended to cover 3 to -1 acres with a pumping plant. Kale, beets, potatoes, alfalfa, squash, beans, and rice were grown with different amounts of water applied at different times. With the support of the State appropriation, the horticultural work Avas extended. The department continued its tests of varieties of strawberries and undertook breeding studies, 1,500 seedlings^ of known parentage being under observation. Work in cherry breeding was carried on to obtain a late-maturing strain of Royal Ann, the leading canning variety. With prunes a similar breeding experiment is followed to obtain early varieties, and a prune survey of the State was undertaken as a basis of study of problems relating to this crop. 184 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. The subject of frost control was studied in the Rogue River Valley, and a report prepared upon the work. Culture work with vegetables was conducted, partly in cooperation, including irrigation experi- ments. In entomology work was done on several insects injurious to fruits, including the brown aphis of the apple. For the entomological work $5,000 of the State appropriation is available for crop-pest studies. In animal husbandry attention was principally given to the feed- ing of hogs. Experiments were conducted in which tankage versus barley and tankage, and barley versus skim milk and barley, were tested. The poultry work of the station included experiments in egg production, and an experiment on pasturing cockerels on wheat- stubble fields to utilize the waste grain. The bacteriologist made studies of diphtheria in fowls, the rela- tion of bacteria to chicken mortality, and bacterial studies of legumi- nous plants with a bearing on the inoculation of Oregon soils. The principal line of work carried on at the Hermiston substa- tion was on the irrigation of fruit, the main problem being to get organic matter into the soil cheaply, to increase the duty of water, and to keep the soil from shifting. At the Dry Farming station at Moro wheat and supplementary crops, especially legumes, were grown. The Union substation conducted experiments in hog raising, cereal breeding, and testing hardy varieties of vegetables. The Har- ney Valley substation was located at Burns and has an elevation of 4,100 feet. Dry-farming experiments, including variety tests, cul- tural methods, and other studies, were in progress. The substation at Tolo in Jackson Count)% near Medford, is to be devoted to fruit and poultry, the land, having been donated for the purpose. The publications received from this station during the year were as follows: Bulletin 109, A Preliminary Report on the Vegetable Growing Industry in Oregon; Circulars 7, Fire Blight of Pear and Apple; 9, Iron Cow Stall — Hoard-Schulmerich Stall; 10, Produc- tive Qualities of Fowls; 11, Garden Management, I; 12, Three Spe- cies of Apple Plant Lice in Oregon ; and 13, Orchard Spraying. The income of the station during the past fiscal year was as fol- lows: ^ United" States appropriation, Hatch Act $13, 524. 82 United States appropriation, Adams Act 15, 000. (X) Balance from United States appi'opriation. Hatch fund- 1, 475. IS State appropriation, including balance from previous I year 58,057.03 Farm products, including balance from previous year_ S, 151. 75 Miscellaneous 4. 0(X). 00 Total 100, 208. 78 PENNSYLVANIA. 185 There was much improvement in the affairs of the Oregon station during the past year, and a much hirger amount of experimental AYork was done than formerly. The generous appropriations from the State have been of great assistance, and show the interest and sympathy in the work of the station. PENNSYLVANIA. The Pennsylvania State College Agricultural Experiment Station, State College. ^ T. F. Hunt, D. Agr., D. Sc, Director. The staff of the Pennsylvania station was strengthened during the year by the addition of a large number of assistants in different de- partments. Otherwise there were few changes of importance on the staff. The facilities for investigation were increased by the con- struction during the year of an open shed suitable for conducting experiments with a comparatively large number of steers, and by the renting of an additional farm, which made possible the con- struction of an open shed for milch cows, A series of six lots adapted to experimental work in fattening hogs was also provided on this farm. The construction of two ranges of greenhouses, each 30 by 100 feet, with a suitable head house, added to the facilities of the department of horticulture. As in previous years, the Adams fund was used principally in three general lines of investigation, conducted by the Institute of Animal Nutrition, the department of experimental pomology, and the departments of experimental chemistry and agronom3\ The studies of the effect of fertilizers, manures, and lime on the soil and crops in the long-term rotation plats were continued, partly in co- operation with this department, and certain parts of the work were completed. The results secured have been embodied in 24 papers, which have appeared for the most part in the last four annual re- ports of the station. Fertilizer experiments similar to those on the rotation plats have been laid out on permanent pasture and the different lines of investigation were extended to these plats. The year's work on the animal metabolism project was mainly along the line of making improvements in accessory features of the respiration calorimeter and in working up the results of previous work. The investigations on the causes affecting yield and quality of apples were extended to include 12 orchards, covering 91 acres in different parts of the State, besides the new 29-acre station orchard. The results thus far secured in these investigations indicated nitro- gen to be the limiting factor in apple-orchard fertilization. Experi- 186 KEPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. ments similar to those with apples were undertaken with peaches, the work being done in a private orchard of 6 acres leased for 10 years with privilege of renewal. Some progress was made in general and preliminary work on two other projects based on the soils of the old rotation plats, and in- cluding a study of the bacterial flora of certain of the general fer- tilizer plats and a comparison of effects of certain calcium and magnesium compounds upon the activity of the principal organisms of nitrification. Considerable work supported by Hatch and State funds was in progress. This included a continuation of tests of varieties, fer- tilizers, methods of culture, and of improvement of strains of cab- bage, tomatoes, and asparagus. The experiments with asparagus have shown that the yield and quality can be greatly improved by careful grading of crowns at the time of transplanting. A large amount of work was done in developing improved strains of early and late cabbage. The work with tomatoes included strain and variety tests and production of pure-bred seed. Varieties of straw- berries were tested on limestone soil. In vegetable pathology attention was given to apple canker, collar rot, winter rot of greenhouse tomatoes, winter blight or spring dis- ease of tomatoes, and to a continuation of a study of clover diseases. In dairy husbandry an experiment was begun to compare the food requirements of milch cows in an open shed and when kept in the ordinary basement stable. Investigations were also made on the increase in bacterial content of market milk from producer to con- sumer, the increase of bacteria in aerated and nonaerated'milk, but- termilk substitutes, and on methods of making Swiss cheese. This department has also undertaken a large cooperative demonstration to determine whether a system of farming, including dairying, may be introduced which will prove profitable under the conditions. The work in animal husbandry included tests of outdoor and in- door feeding, comparison of roughage and concentrates for finish- ing cattle, feeding exj)eriments with draft geldings mainly to test substitutes for the ordinary corn, oats, and hay ration, and to study the effects of feed on the conformation of horses. The department also undertook experiments with 10 colts to obtain data on the cost of producing draft horses. Large additions were made to the live stock, including hogs, sheep, and cattle, during the year. The poultry work included feeding for egg production, methods of feeding, and a study of factors affecting eggs held for hatching. In agronomy, experiments were made in the improvement of wheat and barle}' and on methods of plowing and subsoiling, together with studies of various phases of the effect of fertilizers and crop rotations on soil fertility. Cooperation was carried on with this department PENNSYLVANIA. 187 in a survey of the fruit soils of the State and of soil surveys in two counties. Experiments in the improvement of tobacco and in testing Davis, Mexican, and Connecticut seed leaf hybrid tobaccos and varieties of cigar-filler tobaccos were continued by the chemist in Lancaster County, with a State appropriation, in cooperation with this de- partment. The chemist also continued work on the limestone soils of the State, on the value of acidulated hair, hoof, and leather refuse as sources of nitrogen in mixed fertilizers, and on various miscel- laneous inquiries. In the forestry department work was continued on timber pres- ervation and methods of tree planting and propagation. Much of this work was done in cooperation with this department and with private owners. Comparative tests of different kinds of shingles with and without preservatives were in progress. The station cooperated w^ith the division of farmers' institutes of the State department of agriculture, and exhibited certain lines of its work at 11 county fairs. Eighty cooperative tests in 26 counties were conducted during the year, chiefly by ex-students. The publications received from this station during the year were as follows: Bulletins 101, Meadows and Pastures; 102, Methods of Fattening Steers; 103, The Lighting of Farm Houses; 104, The Respiration Calorimeter at the Institute of Animal Nutrition of the Pennsylvania State College ; 105, Influence of Type and of Age upon the Utilization of Feed by Cattle ; 106, The Apple in Pennsylvania — Varieties, Planting, and General Care; 107, Poultry Experiments and Management; 108, Variety Tests of Oats; 109, Some Soiling Crops for Pennsylvania ; and the Annual Report for 1909. The income of the station during the past fiscal year was as follows : United States appropriation, Hatch Act $15,000.00 United States appropriation, Adams Act 1. 5, 000. 00 Balance from previous year, State appropriation 2, 465. 57 Fees 17, 705. 00 Farm products, including balance from previous year 15, 277. 65 Total 65, 448. 22 The Pennsylvania station has grown rapidly in recent years, and its activities have increased in variety and in scope. The}^ now include most of the lines of work of greatest importance to the agri- culture of the State, and are thus widening the interest and support of the farming population. The Pennsylvania State College Institute of Animal Nutrition, State College. H. P. ARM.SBY, Ph. D., LL. D.. Director. The year's work of the institute was devoted mainl}' to putting results of previous investigations in shape for publication and in 188 EEPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPEEIMENT STATIONS. making certain improvements in the accessory parts of the respiration calorimeter, inchicling especially electric parts of a new combustion furnace and improvements in devices for sampling the air current and for measuring separately the heat and carbon dioxid produced while the animal is lying and standing in the respiration chamber. During the year progress was made in bringing up the arrears of computation upon previous work. Discussion of the results of the experiments made in the years 1904—1907 was completed and the full report upon them was published as a supplement to the annual report of the experiment station for 1910-11, under the title of " Influence of Type and of Age upon the Utilization of Feed by Cattle," and also as Bulletin 128 of the Bureau of Animal Industry of this department. During the year bulletins were also prepared upon " The Nutritive Value of the Nonprotein in Feeding Stuffs " and upon " The Maintenance Requirements of Farm Animals," both including a full review of the literature, and published as Bulletins 139 and 143 of the Bureau of Animal Industry. Two papers were also prepared for the Second International Congress of Alimentary Hygiene and of the Rational Feeding of Man, at the request of the American committee, viz, " Influence of Type and of Age upon the Utilization of Feed by Cattle," containing a summar}^ of the more important points of the full report upon the same subject, and " The Respiration Calorimeter at the Institute of Animal Nutrition of the Pennsylvania State College." These papers have also been published as Bulletins 104 and 105 of the experiment station. The cooperation with this department was continued during the year. PORTO RICO. Porto Rico Agricultural Experiment Station, Mnyaguez. Under the supervision of A. C. True, Director. Office of Experiment Stations, United States Department of Agriculture. D. W. May, M. Agr., Special Agent in Charge. The work of the Porto Rico station during the year was continued along the well-planned lines previously described. Only few changes were made in the personnel of the station staff. The coffee investi- gations carried on for nearly 10 years on the Carmelita plantation were brought to a close and the work was transferred nearer to the station. The low portions of the fields were drained with earthen tile made on the premises and a machine was purchased for the manu- facture of cement tile to facilitate future work of this kind. In the act of Congress making appropriations for the station for the fiscal year, special provisions were made for coffee investigations. A 95-acre coffee plantation was placed at the disposal of the station for experiments in renovating an old plantation and for studies on PORTO EICO. 189 coffee diseases, insect pests, coffee improvement, and other phases of the coffee industry. The introduction of the higher priced coffees was continued and some of the Java varieties came into bearing. Some 3-year-old trees bore at the rate of 800 pounds merchantable coffee per acre, while the average of the island is only about 200 pounds per acre. Experiments were in progress in transplanting coffee trees and studies were made on the vitality of coffee seeds, the most economical and effective means of improving the productivity of coffee plantations, diseases and insect pests, and other problems of a similar nature. Among the coffee diseases, a root disease, a leaf spot, and a spotting of the fruit received most attention. A number of minor coffee diseases, together with some of the fungus and other troubles of cacao, coconuts, and bananas were also investigated, and a bud rot of coconut trees found at various places on the island was studied to determine the causative organism. Other work of the pathologist included the study of citrus diseases, especially gummosis, and of the nodules on the roots of the royal palm to determine some facts regarding their origin and function. The station was active in interesting the people of the island in apiculture not only for the production of honey but also for the greater fertilization of flowers in citrus orchards and coffee planta- tions brought about by the bee visitors. Further attention was given to the insects affecting citrus fruits, although less injuiy was reported than formerly. A number of pests of the mango was investigated with a view to controlling them, and studies were also made of the coffee ant. insect pests of guavas, and of mosquito breeding. The entomologist found that mosquitoes did not breed in the mangrove swamps near San Juan. The horticultural work was considerably extended and the study of stocks, fertilizers, and cover crops for citrus fruits was continued. Attention was given to varieties of citrus fruits adapted to Porto Rico, and data were collected to determine the causes of their great variation in productivity, character of fruit, and other features. Ex- periments were conducted on the introduction and propagation of the better varieties of mangoes, and definite consideration was given to the question of shade and leguminous cover crops in pineapple cul- ture. The station had 27 varieties of pineapples under observation, and carried on experiments on the fumigation of pineapple slips be- fore planting for the destruction of mealy bugs. The banana planta- tion was moved to more suitable ground, and of a large number of varieties 25 were selected for further study. Work was underway on the improvement of yams, yautias, sweet potatoes, pigeon peas, beans, and other commonly grown crops. The work with vegetables was continued to determine the cause of rapid 190 KEPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. deterioration in quality. Some attention was given to ornamental trees and shrubs and hardwood and nut-bearing trees. The chemical department made decided progress during the year, a large amount of analytical Avork was completed, and a number of important lines of investigation was continued. These included studies on soil disinfection, the availability of nitrogen, and phos- phoric acid in the native bat guanos, the effect of strongly calcare- ous soils on the groAvth and composition of plants, the action of lime in inducing chlorosis of plants, and the effect of various ratios of lime and magnesia on tlie growth of plants. In the study of the cause of chlorosis of pineapples it was found that the trouble was brought about by too much carbonate of lime in the soil, 2 or more per cent of this substance proving detrimental. The work in animal husbandry Avas considerably broadened and it now includes horse breeding to improve size and conformation, breed- ing for work oxen, breeding of dairy cattle as well as the introduction and breeding of hogs, sheep, and poultry. Investigations on the min- eral nutrition of pigs indicated that calcium chlorid can profitably be used Avith rations deficient in lime. The Avork begun in dairying was confined to the more sanitary handling of milk. Some pre- liminary Avork in the production of forage crops Avas begun and a variety of sorghum introduced from Barbados gaA^e heaA-y yields on dry hilly lands. AVork in maldng and feeding silage Avas continued and apparently the production of good silage offers fcAver obstacles than in a temperate climate. The cooperative work with planters and orchardists was extended in many parts of the island and experiments on various types of soil, the effect of climatic conditions, and other factors Avere included. During the past year a number of planters spent several Aveeks at the station studying improA'ed methods of agricultural practice. An association of the sugar planters of the island established durijig the past year an experiment station to take up the study of the peculiar problems relative to the production and manufactui-e of sugar. This movement Avill relieve the Federal station of much work with this crop. Some cane breeding and a fcAv cooperative studies begun some years ago Avill be continued, but otherAvise inves- tigations on this crop Avill be concluded. The publications received from this station during the year Avere as folloAvs: liulletins 9 (Spanish edition). Sugar Cane in Porto Kico; and 10, Insects Injurious to Citrus Fruits and Methods for Com- bating Them. The income of the station during the past fiscal jeAr Avas as follows : United States appropriation $28,000.00 Sales and other funds 2,382.81 Total 30, 382. 81 RHODE ISLAND. 191 Xhe trend of agriculture in Porto Rico is toward intensive culture and, as a result, the station is looked to for information along many lines. The increased correspondence, station visitors, requests for publications, etc., all indicate that the station is growing in the ap- preciation of the people of the island. RHODE ISLAND. Rhode Island Agricultural Experiment Station, Kingston. Department of Rhode Island College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, H. J. Wheklkr, I'h. 1).. L). Sc, Director. At the Rhode Island station no changes occurred in the heads of departments during the past year, but a number of changes took place in minor positions. Several donations were made to the station for the purpose of assisting in its work an^ of furthering the agricultural interests of the State. Good progress was reported on the Adams fund projects, and some of the results heretofore obtained were presented in some of the recent station publications. In following the work on the losses of broiler chicks, feeding experiments were made in accordance with the orig- inal plan of the investigation, and on this phase of the study Bulletin 145 was issued during the year. The' work included a comparison of protein concentrates, especially beef scrap and cotton seed, and in this connection slaughter tests and chemical examinations of the chickens were made. Studies were also made of egg infection and the in- fluence of different kinds of litter in the brooders. All the eggs of a certain number of fowls were examined bacterially for a vear, and in many cases young fowls regularly produced eggs without bacteria. The influence of artificial bacteremias upon egg infection was studied by inoculating fowls Avitli ]:)ure cultures of organisms derived from eggs, dead embryos, and chicks. The results of the study on the effect of given crops upon the crops which follow showed that buckwheat, cabbage, Swedish turnip, and mangel-wurzels were not good crops to precede onions. Oats as a crop preceding onions gave better results than rye, and redtop proved better than timothy, Avhile millet was found quite satisfactory^ Other facts were observed in this study of crop successions, and the attem]:>t was made by experiments in pots and otherwise to ascertain the reason for some of these observed differences. The work of the year on the blackhead of turkeys embraced a study of the morphology and biology oitEimeria avium. The role of the flagellated organisms in the production of blackhead was further studied and attention was given to securing proof of lung infection of yoimg chicks by a green mold. A study was also made of the 192 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. effect of difl'erent litter upon the presence of white diarrhea among brooder chicks. The analysis of flat turnips as a means of determining the lack of phosphoric acid in the soils upon which they were grown Avas con- tinued at the station and in other sections of the State, the station being assisted in this work by the Rhode Island Experimental Union. The influence of sodium salts upon the constituents of plants was studied as in previous years. Some of the more recent field results have been published and other detailed phases of the more scientific side of the investigation have been reported in several of the recent annual reports. Out of this work there was developed an investiga- tion on the efi^ect of the varying nitrogen content of seed potato tubers upon the crop yield. A special study was made the past season of the possible eifect exerted by sodium salts upon the total sugar and reducing sugar in the mangel-wurzel. A study of physical soil factors and various chemicais in their rela- tion to the growth of vegetables and flowering plants under glass was continued in the greenhouse with roses and carnations. Different forms of jihosphorus and potash, sphagnum moss, clover, stable ma- nure, and other substances were used. Field and pot experiments were conducted in studying the physio- logical effect of sodium salts arid the relation of iron and other com- pounds to toxic conditions of certain soils. Some of these substances were used in different amounts on rye and barley in pot experiments, and special attention was given to a study of the soil solutions. The study of laws goA'erning the breeding of domestic birds in- cluded work Avith pigeons, with special reference to morphological and phj^siological characters, hybridization work, which resulted in one new pheasant fowl hybrid, the father being an English ring- neck and the mother a buff silky bantam, and an investigation of the cause of barring in the Plymouth Rock breed. Studies were also continued on the inheritance of the ability to lay large or small eggs. The study of lime and magnesia requirements of plants included work upon six plats upon which ground limestone, ground mag- nesian limestone, slaked lime, and slaked magnesian lime were com- pared. Where these forms of lime Avere used before seeding there was in all cases a fine stand of timothy and clover Avith but very little redtop, but Avhere the same complete fertilizer was used without lime the crop of 1911 Avas almost absolutely redtop of good size. These results Avere secured in the preliminary work, and other determina- tions remain to be made. The year's work on fowl cholera inv^oh^ed a biological study of 11 organisms secured from cholera-like diseases in poultry. This work established a basis for immunological studies, Avhich Avere undertaken KHODE ISLAND. 193 with reference to active immunity in rabbits. Part of the results of this work was published in Bulletins 144 and 146 of the station. The lines of work carried on under the Hatch fund by the depart- ment of agronomy included a study of crop rotations to ascertain the most economical methods of fertilizing and cropping Rhode Island soils when but little stable manure is available. A study was made of 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 year crop rotations in this connection and the efficiency of each in the improvement of the soil was observed. In addition to this work observations were made on a market-garden rotation, an experiment was conducted in continuous corn culture, and attention was given to problems in grass, alfalfa, and com cul- ture and the use of different phosphates. The results of the con- tinuous corn-culture experiments indicated the value of sowing crim- son clover at the last cultivation of corn as compared with the use of winter rye in this connection. The experiments in grass culture were continued mainly to determine the best top dressing for grass land when chemical fertilizers only are available. The availability and the residual effect of phosphoric acid applied in the forms of double phosphate, raw iron and aluminum phosphate, roasted iron and aluminum phosphate, floats, basic slag meal, fine-ground bone, acid phosphate, dissolved bone, and dissolved bone black were compared. In the selection and breeding of sweet com further comparisons were made of the sweet corn which had been under selection for several years and of commercial strains of the same variety. Work on methods of planting com consisted of planting 2, 3, 4, 5, and G corn kernels in the hill in comparison with the same number of kernels planted equidistant in drills. The use of fertilizers in the different rotations mentioned above was studied to ascertain the greatest possi- bilities of profit rather than the greatest possible crops. Successful tests of soil inoculation and of alfalfa seedings are reported. Fer- tilizer experiments with grasses for lawn purposes showed that sheep fescues and Rhode Island bent grasses persist where acid fertilizers are used, but that Kentucky blue grass disappears under these condi- tions, while it remains the prominent grass when alkaline fertilizers are employed. Experiments in the artificial growing of the swamp blueberry were continued in cooperation with this department, and tests were made in spraying cucumbers and cantaloups with a view to controlling a bacterial disease attacking these plants. The chemist made a study of the availability of the nitrogen in certain materials used for fertilizing purposes, of the phosphoms and potassium requirements of plants at different stages of growth, the influence of crops on each other when supplied with deficient and optimum amounts of nitrogen, nitrogen-gathering value of legimii- nous plants, the relative growth of different kinds of plants on a 56(i96°— 12 13 194 KEPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. soil when deficient in the three principal plant-food elements., and the availability of floats when mixed with cow dung at the time of planting, when mixed with it several months previously, and when used without dung. The chemist cooperated with the agronomist to the extent of analyzing the materials used in the conduct of the fi