22 



jind thai a few soils fonlain organisms which decompose 

 benzidine, caft'ein, pyridine and (luinoline. No soils ex- 

 amined contain organisms whicli decompose hydrochinone 

 sa.icylic ahlehyde, or oxalic acid. 



(2) Sweet Potato Project. In view of tlie loss of sweet 

 potatoes during the winter of 1!) 17-1 8 on account of chilling 

 it seemed desirable to make a study of the changes undergone 

 by sweet potatoes during storage under various controlled con- 

 ditions. Investigations of the changes in cell walls and cell 

 contents of sweet potatoes stored under various conditions 

 and subjected to change of temperature are already under 

 way. An attempt wall be made to show which processes and 

 conditions are responsible for the injur> due to chilling and 

 what agencies actually cause the injury. 

 Hatch Fund Projects. 



No projects have been definitely outlined under the Hatch 

 Fund. Some work has been done on each of the following: 



(1) The ellect of certain factors in the digestion of cellulose 

 by Penicillium species. 



(2) Manganese poisoning of plants. 



The experiment station projects in the Botany Department are: 



(1) Soil toxin project, Adams Fund. 



(2) Sweet Potato project, Adams Fund. 



(8) Miscellaneous botanical investigations, Hatch Fund. 



Respectfully submitted, 

 WRIGHT A. GARDNER, 

 ' Botanist. 



