VIRGINIA. 141 



nial nutrition and soil improvement. Tliere are also fertilizer tests 

 and rotation experiments with the principal farm crops. In the de- 

 partment of animal husbandry experiments have been undertaken to 

 determine as far as possible the relative feeding value of silage made 

 from ditt'erent crops when fed with various combinations of meal, the 

 comparative value of various forms of roughage for beef and dairy 

 cattle, and the relative merits of different classes and grades of stock 

 for l)eef and dairy purposes. A systematic plan of cross-breeding 

 experiments has been inaugurated for the purpose of studying the 

 various fundamental laws governing breeding. 



During the year several additions have been made to the equipment 

 of the station. A cattle feeding barn, which will accommodate 100 

 beef cattle, has been erected at a cost of $1,500, and a barn for the 

 department of agronomy at a cost of $2,500. The foundations for a 

 new $100,000 agricultural building for the college and station were 

 laid last spring, and the work of construction is now going on. The 

 work of the station is being actively pushed, and different depart- 

 ments are making plans of work to cover a series of five years. 

 Much work that will enlist the sympathy and support of the farmers 

 in different parts of the State is being done, and the outlook for the 

 station is in the main very promising. 



With the jjrospect which this State has of great increase in its 

 agricultural interests in the near future, which may be materially 

 stinudated and augmented by the general adoption of up-to-date 

 methods of farm practice, the agricultural college and experiment 

 station may easily be a very important factor in building up this 

 industry and adding to the general prosperity of the State. The col- 

 lege and station should therefore receive the hearty support of the 

 l^eople of the State, and every effort should be made to put their work 

 on the most efficient basis. The progress recently made in this direc- 

 tion is very gratifying. 



LINES OK WORK. 



The principal lines of work conducted at the Virginia Station dur- 

 ing the past year were as follows: Chemistry — study of soils, fertil- 

 izers, and field crops; geology; field experiments — study of forage 

 plants, corn, and other crops, including seed selection and breeding, 

 tillage and manurial exi)ei-iments, and rotations; analysis of foods; 

 inspection of orchards; horticulture; bactei-iology — of milk ami 

 soils, critical study of nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria; animal 

 husbandry — breeding experiments, feeding exi)eriments with beef and 

 dairy cattle and swine, study of silage, corn stover, wheat straw, 

 cotton-seed hulls, etc., as substitutes for hay; dairying; veterinary 

 science; entomolog}'; cider and vinegar making; biology, and study 

 of ferments. 



