MAINE. 81 



good chicks, and 10 chicks were obtained from 21 eggs laid on the 

 third day after the males were put in the breeding pens. It was also 

 found that hens will continue to yield fertile eggs for seventeen days 

 after separation from the male. 



The horticultural work of the station is being continued as out- 

 lined in previous reports. Some of the blueberry seedlings are noAv 

 fruiting, and seed from the best individual plants has been ])lanted. 

 Orchard investigations are being conducted largely in a cooperative 

 way at Manchester, New Gloucester, and other places. The horti- 

 culturist is also testing varieties of vegetables for the Bureau of Plant 

 Industry of this Department. The station has also done some work 

 with alfalfa and in testing cultures of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in 

 cooperation with the Bureau of Plant Industry; in determining 

 the effect of climate on sweet corn in cooperation with the Bureau of 

 Chemistry, and is continuing its cooperation Avith this Office in nutri- 

 tion investigations. There is no field work in agriculture at Orono, 

 work of this nature being conducted in a cooperative way in Aroos- 

 took County, at Holton and other places in the State. The work in 

 Aroostook County is with potatoes, and includes spraying, fertilizer 

 experiments, and breeding to secure blight-resistant strains. The 

 inspection work of the station has been added to by the requirements 

 of a pure-food law, which puts the execution of all work, except that 

 upon dairy products, in the hands of the station officials. 



The station work is develoi)ing somewhat and the demands on it 

 are increasing. Its correspondence grows and its demonstration 

 work about the State is meeting with a good deal of success. For 

 example, five years ago there were only two men in Aroostook County 

 who sprayed their potatoes. Last year eighteen carloads of 20 tons 

 each Qf copper sulphate were sold in that county for spraying pota- 

 toes. The credit for this undoubtedly belongs to the station. The 

 station is in need of additional funds from the State in order that its 

 work may bo extendefl in a number of lines. 



LINES OF WORK. 



The principal lines of work conducted at the Maine Station during 

 the past year were as follows: Chemistry — study of feeding stuffs 

 and various fertilizers and miscellaneous analytical work; botany; 

 inspection of fertilizers, foods, concentrated commercial feeding 

 stuffs, seeds, and creamery glassware; horticulture — experiments in 

 the selection, propagation, and improvement of blueberries, orchard 

 experiments, and study of hardy fruits and vegetables; diseases of 

 plants — fungus diseases of potatoes and other plants: food and nutri- 

 tion of man and animals; poultry investigations — breeding, feeding, 

 and housing experiments; diseases of animals; entomology; and 

 dairying. 



II. Doc. 924, 59-1 6 



