RHODE ISLAND. 191 



Xhe trend of agriculture in Porto Rico is toward intensive culture 

 and, as a result, the station is looked to for information along many 

 lines. The increased correspondence, station visitors, requests for 

 publications, etc., all indicate that the station is growing in the ap- 

 preciation of the people of the island. 



RHODE ISLAND. 



Rhode Island Agricultural Experiment Station, Kingston. 



Department of Rhode Island College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, 



H. J. Wheklkr, I'h. 1).. L). Sc, Director. 



At the Rhode Island station no changes occurred in the heads of 

 departments during the past year, but a number of changes took place 

 in minor positions. Several donations were made to the station for 

 the purpose of assisting in its work an^ of furthering the agricultural 

 interests of the State. 



Good progress was reported on the Adams fund projects, and some 

 of the results heretofore obtained were presented in some of the recent 

 station publications. In following the work on the losses of broiler 

 chicks, feeding experiments were made in accordance with the orig- 

 inal plan of the investigation, and on this phase of the study Bulletin 

 145 was issued during the year. The' work included a comparison of 

 protein concentrates, especially beef scrap and cotton seed, and in this 

 connection slaughter tests and chemical examinations of the chickens 

 were made. Studies were also made of egg infection and the in- 

 fluence of different kinds of litter in the brooders. All the eggs of a 

 certain number of fowls were examined bacterially for a vear, and in 

 many cases young fowls regularly produced eggs without bacteria. 

 The influence of artificial bacteremias upon egg infection was studied 

 by inoculating fowls Avitli ]:)ure cultures of organisms derived from 

 eggs, dead embryos, and chicks. 



The results of the study on the effect of given crops upon the crops 

 which follow showed that buckwheat, cabbage, Swedish turnip, and 

 mangel-wurzels were not good crops to precede onions. Oats as a 

 crop preceding onions gave better results than rye, and redtop proved 

 better than timothy, Avhile millet was found quite satisfactory^ Other 

 facts were observed in this study of crop successions, and the attem]:>t 

 was made by experiments in pots and otherwise to ascertain the reason 

 for some of these observed differences. 



The work of the year on the blackhead of turkeys embraced a study 

 of the morphology and biology oitEimeria avium. The role of the 

 flagellated organisms in the production of blackhead was further 

 studied and attention was given to securing proof of lung infection 

 of yoimg chicks by a green mold. A study was also made of the 



