186 KEPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



ments similar to those with apples were undertaken with peaches, 

 the work being done in a private orchard of 6 acres leased for 10 

 years with privilege of renewal. 



Some progress was made in general and preliminary work on two 

 other projects based on the soils of the old rotation plats, and in- 

 cluding a study of the bacterial flora of certain of the general fer- 

 tilizer plats and a comparison of effects of certain calcium and 

 magnesium compounds upon the activity of the principal organisms 

 of nitrification. 



Considerable work supported by Hatch and State funds was in 

 progress. This included a continuation of tests of varieties, fer- 

 tilizers, methods of culture, and of improvement of strains of cab- 

 bage, tomatoes, and asparagus. The experiments with asparagus 

 have shown that the yield and quality can be greatly improved by 

 careful grading of crowns at the time of transplanting. A large 

 amount of work was done in developing improved strains of early 

 and late cabbage. The work with tomatoes included strain and 

 variety tests and production of pure-bred seed. Varieties of straw- 

 berries were tested on limestone soil. 



In vegetable pathology attention was given to apple canker, collar 

 rot, winter rot of greenhouse tomatoes, winter blight or spring dis- 

 ease of tomatoes, and to a continuation of a study of clover diseases. 



In dairy husbandry an experiment was begun to compare the food 

 requirements of milch cows in an open shed and when kept in the 

 ordinary basement stable. Investigations were also made on the 

 increase in bacterial content of market milk from producer to con- 

 sumer, the increase of bacteria in aerated and nonaerated'milk, but- 

 termilk substitutes, and on methods of making Swiss cheese. This 

 department has also undertaken a large cooperative demonstration 

 to determine whether a system of farming, including dairying, may 

 be introduced which will prove profitable under the conditions. 



The work in animal husbandry included tests of outdoor and in- 

 door feeding, comparison of roughage and concentrates for finish- 

 ing cattle, feeding exj)eriments with draft geldings mainly to test 

 substitutes for the ordinary corn, oats, and hay ration, and to study 

 the effects of feed on the conformation of horses. The department 

 also undertook experiments with 10 colts to obtain data on the cost 

 of producing draft horses. Large additions were made to the live 

 stock, including hogs, sheep, and cattle, during the year. The poultry 

 work included feeding for egg production, methods of feeding, and 

 a study of factors affecting eggs held for hatching. 



In agronomy, experiments were made in the improvement of wheat 

 and barle}' and on methods of plowing and subsoiling, together with 

 studies of various phases of the effect of fertilizers and crop rotations 

 on soil fertility. Cooperation was carried on with this department 



