REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURIST. 



To the Director of the Cornell University Agricultural Experi- 

 ment Station. 



Sir : — 



Since my last report to you two bulletins have been published 

 by the Department, No. 130, Potato Culture, and No. 135, 

 Forage Crops. These bulletins give the results of experi- 

 ments extending over a period of two years. To verify the results 

 published, the experiments are being repeated this year and the 

 results will probably be published as a supplementary bulletin. 

 An interesting line of work, and one which now promises well, 

 is the intro-culture of grain crops. For three years the experi- 

 ment has been conducted with wheat and this year it has been 

 extended to oats. A question which is seriously puzzling the 

 farmers of the State is how they can best control the wild carrot, 

 the mustard and the cress, all of which have been abundant in 

 the oat fields the past season. We believe that a practical so- 

 lution of the question will be found in intro-culture. It remains 

 now to have manufactured some implement so that the work can 

 be performed cheaply and efficiently by horse-hoe tillage. 



The study of leguminous plants and their comparative value 

 as nitrogen gatherers, commenced last year, is being continued. 

 An effort is being made to determine what portion of the nitro- 

 gen stored up by the clover plant is actually taken from the at- 

 mosphere and what from the soil. The investigation in connec- 

 tion with this work will necessarily have to be extended over 

 a series of years. 



Certain leguminous plants which in their native soil and 

 climate produce root tubercles have been found not to produce 

 them here. By a system of soil inoculation it is hoped that 

 these nodules or tubercles may be induced to grow and that 



