ILLINOIS. 103 



lot there are 600 two-year-old trees grown from buds selected from 

 five different parts of the tree, 946 one-year-old trees, and 1,240 bud- 

 grafted on seedling stocks during this past year. The amounts of 

 annual growth were measured and selection was practiced. Crosses 

 were made among standard varieties. 



In the study of the injury to foliage of apple trees by spraying 

 materials attention was given to the relation of dew as a possible 

 factor in rendering the copper soluble. The sprays used mainly dur- 

 ing the year were Bordeaux mixture and a combination of lime and 

 sulphur with Bordeaux mixture. The results of this work have 

 indicated that brown spotting was caused by the presence of copper 

 in soluble form and by free soluble arsenic, but the manner of action 

 has not yet been worked out. Some headway was also made in the 

 study of the yellowing of leaves, but definite results have not as yet 

 been secured. 



In statistical studies in heredity, investigations were prosecuted 

 on the effect of the fertility of the land upon the type and varia- 

 bility of characters in Indian corn and upon the effect of selection for 

 chemical composition upon the length of ear, size of kernel, and 

 number of rows. Preliminary investigations were made in the 

 inheritance of certain characters as well as their correlation as be- 

 tween parent and offspring. 



Under the Hatch and miscellaneous funds the activities of the 

 station were quite extensive. The old soil-experiment fields were 

 continued and three new ones were established. Ten different farms 

 consisting of 20 acres each were donated to the university for soil 

 and crop experiment purposes, the land having been purchased by 

 local subscription and deeded to the institution. In addition three 

 small farms were deeded by individuals. The soil surve}'^ was carried 

 forward and 6 counties were finished during the year, making in all 

 37 counties now completed. Much of this effort is in the nature of 

 extension work, and the field men employed in it do much personal 

 work with individuals, especially during the winter. The experi- 

 ment fields are operated in connection with the soil survey. There 

 are 31 of these experimental fields over the State, and of these about 

 15 are permanent, while the others are conducted on leased land. 

 Experiments were also in progress to determine the extent of wash- 

 ing on southern Illinois lands. 



The corn-breeding work of the station has shown that during the 

 past six years the four strains of corn selected for high protein, high 

 oil, low protein, and low oil are significantly different from each 

 other with respect to length, weight, and circumference of ears and 

 number of rows of kernels in the ear. It was found that the oil 

 strains were a little more prominent than the protein strains. Selec- 



