48 Report of the Director. 



The Department of Agronomy is endeavoring to grow some easily 

 digested food of proper composition to take tlie place of western 

 grains and by-products. In this connection, analyses have been 

 made of 87 samples of cabbage and root crops. There have also been 

 examined for this department, 112 samples of soils and eight samples 

 of potatoes. 



2. EXTENSION WORK. 



In response to requests from various sections of the state, analyses 

 have been made of nine samples of lime, eight samples fertilizers, 18 

 samples feeds, three samples soil and two samples weed destroyer. 

 Analyses of 17 samples of apples were made for the department of 

 horticulture in connection with the orchard survey of Wayne county. 



3. WORK IN PROGRESS. 



This Department is co-operating with the Department of Agronomy 

 in soil and inoculation experiments with alfalfa in an effort to corre- 

 late the amoimts of soluble plant food of the soil with the differences 

 in growth of this crop. 



During the year, a stud}' will also be made of the conditions under 

 Avhich the oat crop has failed in different parts of the state. 



GEO. W. CAVANAUGH, 

 Assistant Professor of Chemistry in its Relations with Agriculture. 



JAS. A. BIZZELL, 

 Assistant Chemist to the Experiment Station. 



VI. BOTANY. 



I present herewith the annual report of the Botanical Division of 

 the Federal Experiment Station for the year ending June 30, 1905. 



CULTURE OF MUSHROQMS. 

 Some investigations have been carried on for the purpose of deter- 

 mining conditions for growing mushrooms in a simple way, in cellars 

 or basements of buildings, and under benches in greenhouses. The 

 results the past year were very successful and a large yield for the 

 space occupied was obtained under benches in the greenhouse con- 

 nected with the department of botany and in the basement of the 

 building. The mushrooms were also of excellent quality. An 

 account of these experiments^ was published as Bulletin No. 227, 

 Mushroom Growing for Amateurs, March, 1905. 



