RHODE ISLAND. 177 



GENEllAL OUTLOOK. 



The features of work at tlie Rhode Island Station do not differ 

 materially from those mentioned in the last report of this Ottice, The 

 most importiint line of work continues to be its tield experiments in 

 studying the relation of fertilizers and soil conditions to fertility. 

 This has included a stud}' of the replacing- power of potash and soda, 

 which has indicated that with certain crops, notahly root crops, soda 

 conserves the soil potash. Results have been obtained indicating that 

 ignited alumina phosphate is of little or no value to most crops when 

 used upon a very acid soil. This substance shows a high percentage 

 of reverted phosphoric acid and is said to be used (^uite extensively in 

 certain read3'-mixed counuercial fertilizers, upon which account these 

 results are considered particularly valuable. Great success has been 

 had in bringing up the poor land of the station farm with a fertilizer 

 fornuila, which has been worked out at the station, and the use of lime, 

 and it is asserted that with this treatment any of the poor land of the 

 State which is not too sandy can be brought up so as to produce 8^ 

 tons of ha}' to the acre. The old worn-out acid soil of the station farm 

 has been renovated by the use of lime and commercial fertilizers in an 

 entirely economical wa}'. The bacteriological flora of limed and 

 unlimed plats is being studied. The horticulturist has begun the selec- 

 tion of red clover with a view to improving it and is testing the effect 

 of tobacco shade cloth on strawberries and a variety of vegetal )les, also 

 the effect of adding new soil and infusions to supply the bacteria to 

 sterilized soils. In the latter experiments nodules were formed oidy 

 upon the roots of the soy beans inoculated by applying new soil. In the 

 biological division studies on the blackhead of turke3's have l)een con- 

 tinued, ))ut without definite results. It is now thought that the disease 

 is transmitted through the egg, although this has not been full}' demon- 

 strated. Increased facilities have been furnished this division by the 

 installation of additional inclosures for chicks, a new heating apparatus 

 for the incubator house, and a very complete outfit for the biological 

 laboratory. 



Expei-iments in grass culture in cooperation with farmers give 

 promise of results of great practical value. In cooperation with the 

 Bureau of Chemistry of this Department the station has tested the 

 effect of Paris green containing free arsenic, with results very dele- 

 terious to the trees where large amounts of arsenic were present. The 

 agricultural demonstrator employed for th(^ three sunnner months with 

 a Sbite appn^piiation was very successful. He went out to the farm- 

 ers in response to calls, and during the sunnner months there were 

 more demands for his services than could be met. He freciuently 

 visited fonr or five farms on the same day to give advice and demon- 

 strations in spraying, the ti'eatmcnt of soils, and other ])ractical tpies- 



.S. Doc. 148, nS-2 12 



