184 KKl'OKT (»K <»I''KI(^K <>K KXI'EKIMI'^NT STATIONS. 



I'liiiit Industry of lliis DopartnuMit. Closely i-clatcd to this work is 

 tlic cll'oi't to (l('t(MMiiiMc I he inlliu'iicc of (lillcrciit iiiotluxls of soil trcat- 

 iiifiit on ci'oj) product ion iiiid the Ix'st means of im])T'()viii<4" land tlirouj^h 

 irraziiiiT. Tlie liorticulturist is doiiijr some woi'k with insecticides and 

 with fruits and ve*jetal)les under fertilizers. 'Vho chemist is dcvotinjj 

 considerable attention to fertilizei's and soils and has conducted some 

 dijjestion experiments in connection with the foraj^e and feediu"^ 

 experiments. 



The f(M-tilizcr inspection has been turned over to the station by the 

 Commissioner of Agriculture and a sepai-ate laboratory for tlie pur- 

 pose lias l)een titted up. A tw'o-story feeding- barn for cattle has ))een 

 erected on the university farm. The farm has been increased to an 

 area of 145 acres by the purchase of adjoinini;- land, and as a result 

 the field and feeding experiments have been reorganized and a per- 

 manent rotation on the farm established. These improvements were 

 made possible through a special appropriation of $1(),()00 for the pur- 

 pose by the last legislature. This is the first appropriation the station 

 has ever had from the State. The library of the station has been con- 

 sidera])h' enlai'ged during the year. The Summer School of the South, 

 conducted und(M- the auspices of the University of Tennessee, had a 

 total enrollment this year (the second of its existence) of 2,150, of 

 whom 1,246 are employed as teachers this A^ear. In the courses given 

 much attention was devoted to rural school subjects, nature study, 

 agriculture, horticulture, and domestic science. 



The Tennessee Station is strengthening its staff, systematizing its 

 investigations, and extending its facilities for work. Members of the 

 staff, in addition to their station duties, assist the Commissioner of 

 Agriculture in farmers' institute work. In this way and by means of 

 press bulletins, and a j^earbook which is issued annually without ex- 

 pense to the station, its influence is ])eing extended, and it is gradually 

 gaining the su})port of a large num])er of farmers. There are many 

 agricultural prol)lems in urgent need of investigation in Tennessee and 

 the resources of the State are sufficiently great to warrant a much 

 more liberal support to both the university and the station. 



LINES OF WORK. 



The principal lines of work conducted at the Tennessee Station 

 during the past year were as follows: Chemistry — pot and other 

 experiments with soils, digestion experiments, anal^^tical work; fer- 

 tilizers; field experiments — selection of cereals and legumes, experi- 

 ments with forage crops for soiling and silage, methods of cultivation, 

 green manuring, tests of meadow grasses, grazing experiments, 

 etc. ; horticulture — cultural fertilizer and gi-af ting experiments with 

 orchard and small fruits and vegetables; seeds; weeds; diseases of 

 plants; feeding experiments^ — l)eef and daily cattle and hogs; ento- 

 molog3" and dairying. 



