116 EEPOET OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



respectively. Since the close of the year J. H. Kastle was appointed 

 biological chemist. With a State appropriation received bst year for 

 a hog-cholera serum laboratory, a bleeding house, a cremator}^, and a 

 number of small hog cots were provided. 



Under the Adams fund the investigations relative to infectious 

 abortion in cows were continued and some promising and leading 

 data were secured. The organism studied was tested on various 

 kinds of animals and valuable infomiation was obtained. The 

 etiology of the disease was also studied in aborting mares and jennets, 

 and observations on the physiological characteristics of two germs 

 isolated in this connection w^ere made. Preliminary work was done 

 on the cause and treatment of white scours in calves, particular at- 

 tention being given to determining the effect of feed on the disease. 

 Work on milk fever was prosecuted quite actively. The urine of 

 cows was studied to establish a normal for urine, analyses being made 

 m about 100 cases, and to disclose the effect of the disease on this 

 body Avaste. 



The investigation of the nodule organisms of leguminous plants 

 included some 34 experiments in transferring the organisms from one 

 plant to another. The work has thus far been done on alfalfa, vetch, 

 clover, field pea, cowpea, garden peas, soy bean, and a field bean. The 

 organisms from certain plants were found to be identical and trans- 

 ferable, while in other cases they were found to be identical morpho- 

 logically and physiologically, but were not transferable. The organ-' 

 isms of alfalfa and sweet clover were shown to be identical and that 

 they could not be transferred to red clover. 



Work was continued on the corn-ear-worm project with special 

 reference to parasites and predaceous enemies. The study of a bac- 

 terial disease of tobacco was not actively prosecuted during the lat- 

 ter part of the year on account of the nonappearance of the disease. 

 Soil studies by the chemist were continued in joot cultures, the work 

 centering on soils responding to applications of potash. 



The Avork of the station conducted with Hatch funds included feed- 

 ing experiments by the department of animal husbandry, Avith forage 

 crops pastured off by hogs, and a comparison of various grains and 

 other feeding stuffs in drj^-lot feeding. ' 



The department of entomology had charge of nursery inspection 

 under a State fund, conducted some experiments in spraying tobacco 

 with different insecticides, and worked on the life history of the 

 large slug. This department also carried on some lines of work in 

 agronomy. 



The chemical department made analyses of limestones and phos- 

 phate rock to determine their value for agricultural use, and studied 

 methods for the anal3^sis of phosphate rock and certain insecticides 

 and for the determination of potash in soils and fertilizers. Deter- i 



