114 EEPOET OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



periods when animals were slaughtered for the purpose. Consider- 

 able analytical work was done on the study of the digestibility of 

 Kansas feeding stujffs. 



The work conducted with Hatch and State funds was very exten- 

 sive. A new farm of 320 acres turned over to the dei:iartment of 

 agronomy, and 10 acres of the old fann now used for plant-breeding 

 work were given up entirely to work with field cmps. This con- 

 sisted of rotation, cultivation, and fertilizer experiments on all lead- 

 ing crops. Special work was in progress with broom corn, selection 

 with forage plants, sorghum selection and testing, and Kafir corn 

 breeding for forage and for seed. The drought of 1911 seriously in- 

 terfered with all crop experiments. The soil investigations in prog- 

 ress included studies on the influence of tl^e seed bed on nitrates, 

 moisture, bacteria, and other factors. Cooperative experiments 

 financed by special State appropriation were participated in by over 

 300 cooperators working with corn, wheat, oats, and other farm crops. 



The animal husbandry department carried on some feeding experi- 

 ments with pigs, in which corn and various supplements were fed to 

 determine the effect of feeds on the carcass. A study was further 

 made of alfalfa feeding of sheep in relation to lambing. A compre- 

 hensive experiment in horse feeding was conducted at Fort Riley, 

 in which 1,000 horses were fed to test corn and alfalfa as compared 

 with the Army ration of oats and timothy or prairie hay. The re- 

 sults were very favorable to the use of corn and alfalfa for cavalry 

 horses. Some experiments were in progress on calf feeding; silage 

 crops and sweet clover were tested with the herd. The dairy herd 

 was considerably enlarged and the barn and yards rearranged. 



Data were collected on the cost of spraying, efficiency of spraying 

 apparatus, and the comparative value of lime-sulphur and Bordeaux 

 mixtures. A trial of orchard heaters for protection against frost 

 was made, and studies on the influence of pruning on fruit and bud 

 formation, grape pruning, home-grown versus Minnesota potatoes 

 for planting, causes of unproductiveness of tomatoes, and the effect 

 of a Fusarium in seed potatoes. Tree planting was conducted in 

 western Kansas to test species for windbreaks and other purposes, and 

 a test was made of curing posts of Osage orange and honey locust. 



The veterinarian conducted investigations on hog-cholera serum, 

 blackleg vaccine, bacterins, and on the possibility of the use of muscle 

 extract for inoculation purposes. The hog-cholera serum prepared is 

 sold and the returns about support the work. During an extensive 

 outbreak of hog cholera during the summer over 1,000,000 cubic cen- 

 timeters of serum were sent out in one month. 



The corn-ear worm was studied with special reference to its life 

 history and field experiments made for its control. Observations 

 were also made on methods of controlling the chinch bug and differ- 



