10r> KErOKT OF OKFICK OK KXI'KKIMENT STATIONS. 



(JKNKKAL OUTLOOK. 



Tlir work of the \\'('s( \'ii"»;-iiiiii Still i<>ii with Few cxtH'ptioiis has 

 hern a (h'\ chtitiiiciil and coiitiiiuatioii (»!' the lines of work outlined in 

 tliflast icporl of this (Xlicc. Tlir holt iciilt iiral inscstie-ations have 

 1)0011 seriously intorfcrod with Ity fre(|uent chanj^-es in the position of 

 hortieultui'ist. The horticulturist appointed loss than a year a«^"o has 

 roc'ontly aeeeptod a position in (•liai"<jf(r of oxtension work at Cornell 

 l^ni\orsity. and the work of the department is now in charj^o of an 

 assistant. The poultry invostiyations are heiuj^" continued and hroad- 

 oned, and the plat oxp(M'iinents are beino- carried on systoinatically. 

 New a})paratus has ))oon dcvisod for the investijj^ations on the effect of 

 pressure on the preservation of food products, and these investij^ations 

 are being- continued. Plans are beint^ made for the inauguration of 

 irrit^ation exi)eriments in the Ohio Valley. The station is cooperat- 

 ing- with the Bureau of Plant Industry of this Department in studying 

 the influence of various combinations of the three important elements 

 of plant food — nitrogen, potash, and phosphoric acid, and with the 

 Oflice of Public Road Incpiiries in building an expei-imontal macadam 

 road. 



The resources of the station have been considerably increased 

 through the operation of State inspection laws. The receipts from the 

 sale of products and the fertilizer control during the past year were over 

 $15,000, and there was an appropriation of $5,000 for nursery inspec- 

 tion. University fvmds amounting to $2,500 were also available for 

 pi'inting. A bacteriologist has recently l)een appointed to have charge 

 of investigations in vegeta])le pathology. He has begun his work b}'' 

 making definite inquiries regarding the diseases of fruit most preva- 

 lent in the State, and Avill conduct investigations on some of them. 

 There is an increasing interest in agriculture in the university and 

 among its constituency. The last legislature of the State made an 

 appropriation of $5,000 for the maintenance of a department of dairy- 

 ing, and the regents of the university have established the department, 

 with W. K. Brainerd, a graduate of the Michigan Agricultural Col- 

 lege, in charge. A dairy herd has been secured and two rooms in the 

 basement of one of the universit}' buildings have been fitted up with 

 modern apparatus for home dairying and for a working laboratory in 

 this department. This is an important and wise venture, oAving to the 

 fact that milk and dairy products are bringing high prices in the State 

 and that there are so few up-to-date, well-managed dairies. 



LINES or WORK. 



The principal lines of work conducted at the West Virginia Station 

 during the past year were as follows: Chemistry — study of insecticides 

 and fungicides, including various crude petroleums, analytical work 



