I7y KKI'OUT OK OFFICE OF KXPKKIMENT STATIONS. 



tions. lit' carried the work of (lie stiition clircrtly to the farmers and 

 also l»roii«,'-lit tlie faiiners iiilo closor touch with tlic colicf^-e l»y cxplaiii- 

 iiiu' till' <»|)i)(>i-tiinitiivs which it all'ordod for aj^ricultural instruction. 

 The work of tiiis otlicer was the more important from the fact that 

 the State has no or<iaui/ed farmers'' institutes. The vacancy in the 

 olhce of the ])resi(U'nt of the colh'«;e has been tilled b}' the election of 

 K(>nyon L. Butterlield, of Michijran. 



The KluKle Island Station is unable with its present funds to under- 

 take many of the pioblems in soil renovation and restoration which 

 are in need of solution. One of the first thin<»s which it would under- 

 take if additional funds were provided would be a study of the role 

 of potash and soda in certain ])lants to see what functions the soda 

 accom})lislu\s when it a])pears to replace a certain amount of potash. 

 The materials are at hand for this i)urpose, and the theme woidd 

 undoul)tedly make a very })rotitable one for investigation of the physi- 

 ological role of these constituents. 



LINES OF WORK. 



The principal lines of work conducted at the Rhode Island Station 

 during the past year were as follows: Chemistry — analytical work in 

 connection with other experimental investigations; meteorology; soils; 

 analysis and inspection of fertilizers and feeding stuffs; field and pot 

 experiments — fertilizers, rotations v. continuous cropping, variety 

 t(\sts, experiments with grasses, comparati\'e tests of insecticides and 

 fungicides; liorticulture^ — rejuvenation of old orchards, manurial 

 experiments with bush fruits, selection and breeding of fruits and 

 vegetables, orchard cover crops, artificial propagation of blackberries, 

 breeding experiments Avith raspberries and black])erries, study of 

 forest conditions, combating insect pests, experiments in grafting; and 

 poultr}' experiments — diseases, brooding, incubation, et€. 



INCOME. 



The income of the station during the past fiscal year was as follows: 



Uniti'd States appropriation $15, 000. 00 



Farm i)ni(hictH 1, 227. 92 



Miscellaneous, including balance from previous year 1, 251. 50 



Total 17, 479. 42 



A report of the receipts and expenditures for the United States fund 

 has been rendered in accordance with the schedules prescribed by thi.'s 

 Department, and has been approved. 



PUBLICATIONS. 



The publications of this station received during the past fiscal year 

 were Bulletins 83-92. on improving an orchard, poultry feeding, 

 analyses of commercial fertilize rs, goose septicemia, fowl typhoid, the 



