NEW MEXICO 159 



Of the Adams fund projects, the investigations on cacti were about 

 completed. The breeding and selection work with Mexican chili was 

 continued, but some difficulty was experienced in attacks of a disease 

 which killed or injured some of the original strains. In the work on 

 crown gall of grapes about 100 varieties reached the stage at which 

 it was proposed to dig them out to note the relative resistance of the 

 varieties preliminary to further study of the disease and its trans- 

 mission. The work on the failure of potatoes to produce tubers was 

 continued on different soils and with different fertilizers in pots, field 

 plats, and the greenhouse. 



The irrigation project included studies of the movement and utili- 

 zation of the water in the soil and of the effect on the water table by 

 pumping from a varying number of wells at the same time. Some 

 new equipment was provided for these studies. 



A study of the nutritive effect of feeds for beef production was 

 begun with 10 yearling and 2-year-old range steers in convenient 

 stalls and yards built for the purpose. In this connection digestion 

 experiments were conducted with two yearlings and two 2-year-old 

 steers with a ration of alfalfa. 



Investigations on the codling moth were actively carried on, and 

 included, in addition to studies on life history and habits similar to 

 those of previous years, observations on the effect of electric lights on 

 the night movements of the larvae. 



Under the Hatch fund the work in agronomy included a test of 

 duty of water for alfalfa, following the ordinary methods of irriga- 

 tion practiced in the locality, but measuring the water and the crop, 

 variety studies of wheat, oats, corn, barley, rye, and nonsaccharine 

 sorghums, together with a comparative study of spring and winter 

 wheats, and of variety work with alfalfa, including a test on the 

 time of seeding. More than 20 varieties of wheat were under observa- 

 tion for the selection of pure strains for breeding purposes. Winter 

 seeding was compared with spring seeding of wheat with results indi- 

 cating that winter seeding may be preferable to the accepted method 

 of spring seeding. Work was also carried on with short-staple and 

 long-staple cotton. A series of experiments with potassium sulphate, 

 acid jDhosphate, and manure on alfalfa was undertaken, as well as 

 a test of fertilizers on a rotation with leguminous crops. A rotation 

 of alfalfa, wheat, beans, and late corn was laid out, and tests were 

 made of alfalfa as a nurse crop for wheat. A large number of non- 

 saccharine sorghums were grown, and some high-yielding, quick- 

 maturing strains were selected. Varieties of corn were studied with a 

 view to selecting improved strains, and a number of miscellaneous 

 tests with minor crops were carried on. 



A number of important lines of work were followed in the horti- 

 cultural department, A comparison of ditch and well water for 



