MISSISSIPPI. 91 



MISSISSIPPI. 



Mississippi Agricultural Experiment Station, AfiricuUural CoUege.<i 



Departuieut of Mississippi Agricultural and Mechanical College. 



AV. L. ITuTCHTNsoN, M. S., Director. 



GENERAL Ol'TLOOK. 



The Mississippi Station has made marked progress in carrying on 

 investigations bearing on the improvement of agricultural practice 

 in the South. The feeding work of the station has been materially 

 strengthened and is yielding imi)ortant results. The station has 

 demonstrated that a i)rofit of $10.70 a head can be made on baby 

 beef, including one year's keep of the dam, and that stockers can be 

 produced at a profit of from $15 to $20 a head. This is one of the 

 most important things the station has done in feeding. It has also 

 demonstrated the need of good cattle for profital>le work. Silage has 

 been found cheaper and better than cotton-seed hulls. The station 

 has been the pioneer in silo building in that section, and its work 

 has led the farmers to take it up, especially for dairy work. In an 

 experiment in grazing hogs on cowpeas last fall 483 pounds of pork 

 was made to the acre of peas, without corn or any other feed. 

 Alfalfa was tried, but not found so good. Experiments with cul- 

 tures of nitrogen-fixing bacteria from this Deijartment gave excel- 

 lent results. The poultry Avork now includes feeding for ogg and 

 meat production with 10 breeds of chickens. 



The horticulturist secured from the orchard last year the largest 

 profit since it was planted, the shippers' net returns from the 

 acres being nearly $1,800. The agronomy work of the station is now 

 better defined than formerly and includes breeding work with corn 

 and cotton. The other investigations have been continued as for- 

 merly. 



The college has built several new barns, some of which give the 

 station better facilities. These include a $7,000 dairy barn, a $4,000 

 l>arn for beef cattle, and new barns for work animals and for imple- 

 ments. Work has been started on a new dairy building to cost about 

 $10,000. Considerable interest in teaching agriculture in the rural 

 schools is being taken by the college authorities. The professor of 

 agriculture is devoting much time to this work. A sunmier school 

 for teachers was held at the college in June and July with an enroll- 

 ment of over 200 teachers, many of whom took courses in agricul- 

 ture, horticulture, nature study, and school gardening. 



Work has progressed at the three substations supported by State 



o Telegraph address, fitarkviUc; express and post-office address, Agricultural 

 College; freight address, .1. and M. College Station. 



