MISSISSIPPI. 137 



foofliii>i' jiiid carino- for ])uro-l)rofl cows and in liandliiiL;" dairy ])r()ducts 

 arc rcccivinji' attention. Kocent cxjx'rinuMits w itli a Hock of altoiit 45 

 sluH'i) indicate that tlicse animals arc well suited to the conditions 

 existinj^- in the State and desirable in farm practice. Work has also 

 been started with swine and with brood mares for raisino- nudes. The 

 woi'k with soils has included analytical work, the improvement of 

 pastures, and a soil survey in cooperation Avith the Bureau of Soils 

 of this Department. The entomolog-ist has published results of his 

 work with chicken mites and the Colorado l)eetle, and is giving con- 

 siderable attention to the harlequin cabbage bug, San Jose scale, l)ean 

 leaf beetle, and the cotton ])()11 weevil. These investigations are in 

 cooperation with the Division of Entomology of this Department. 



The investigations with fertilizers have been conducted mainh' at 

 the McNeill Substation, although some work of this kind has l>een 

 done in connection with the horticultural work at the station, and 

 some in cooperation with farmers. The McNeill Su))station is located 

 in the longleaf pine region of southern Mississippi, where the soils 

 are unproductive without the use of fertilizers of some sort. The 

 results obtained with fertilizers under several different crops last 3'ear 

 indicated a need for superphosphates and nitrogenous fertilizers, Ixit 

 not for potash. Green manuring tests, pasturing experiments, and 

 rotation experiments are also being made at the substation. 



The Mississippi Station has a considerable amount of \aluable work 

 in progress in all of its departments. A new science building for 

 the college will give the stiition better querters for its departments of 

 agriculture, horticulture, and entomology. During the \'ear there has 

 been considerable progress in making a clearer difl'erentiation of col- 

 lege and station work with definite assignments of land for experimental 

 work in horticulture, agronomy, animal production, and dairying, and 

 a lessening of the college duties of station men, with readjustment of 

 salaries to the advantage of the station. The station is, therefore, in 

 a much better position to conduct investigations of real and permanent 

 value to the agriculture of the State. The State is showing its appre- 

 ciation of the work of the station by more liberal contributions to its 

 resources, but considering the predominant agricultural interests of 

 Mississippi, the opeiations of the station could be profitably conducted 

 on a larger scale than its present revenues will permit. 



LINES OF WORK. 



The principal lines of work conducted by the Mississippi Station 

 during the past year were as follows: Soils — restoring and maintain- 

 ing fertility, study of artesian waters, methods of preventing erosion, 

 and restoring washed soils; fertilizers; field experiments — growing 

 pasturage and forage crops, testing varieties of wheat, oat.s, and 

 cotton; horticulture; animal husbandry — beef production, combined 



