10 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



We find the grounds, buildings and live stock well kept and 

 in good condition. 



We are pleased to note the number of important improve- 

 ments in the equipment of the College made during the past year, 

 among which may be mentioned: 



The farm machinery laboratory, a substantial stone structure, 

 commodious, and apparently well designed for its purpose. 



The hog house, which is now nearing completion, seems to 

 be well adapted to the purposes for which it is designed. 



A much needed plant house for the Department of Botany 

 is now in process of erection. 



It is with especial pleasure that we note the improvement in 

 the number and character of the live stock used for instructional 

 purposes on the farm. This includes additions to the Shorthorn 

 and Hereford breeding herds, to the different breeds of hogs, the 

 addition of a number of draft horses, and improvement in the 

 flocks of sheep. While we are pleased to note these improvements, 

 we strongly urge still larger expenditures along these lines. 



The character of the cattle and sheep used for experimental 

 work now in progress could scarcely be improved upon. 



Soil Survey. — We especially desire to commend the progress 

 made in the State Soil Survey. We find that the preliminary sur- 

 vey has covered practically the whole of South Missouri, that more 

 than 200 samples of soil have been collected, representing all the 

 principal types in this portion of the State, nearly one-half of 

 which have already been analyzed, including samples from the fol- 

 lowing counties: Barry, Barton, Bates, Cape Girardeau, Cass, 

 Cedar, Christian, Crawford, Dent, Dunklin, Franklin, Gasconade, 

 Hickory, Jefferson, Johnson, Lawrence, McDonald, Maries, Morgan, 

 Nodaway, Pemiscot, Phelps, Polk, Pulaski, Reynolds, Shannon, 

 Texas, Vernon, Washington, Wright, 



We observe, further, that experimental fields for a more ex- 

 tensive study of the crops best adapted to these different soils, 

 their fertilizer requirements and the best crop rotations, have been 

 established as follows: Monroe City, Monroe County; Unionville, 

 Putnam county; Billings, Christian county; Purdy, Barry county; 

 from all of which the College already has two years' results. One 

 year's results have been obtained from experimental fields at La- 

 mar, Barton county; Adrian, Bates county; Cuba, Crawford county; 

 Dixon, Pulaski county, and Poplar Bluff, Butler countj^ 



It is of interest to note also that there have been established 

 special experiments to determine the feasibility and profitableness 



