90 EEPOET OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



gations. The oil content of a considerable number of samples of 

 seeds from the cotton-breeding plats was determined by the chemist. 



In studying the insecticidal efficiency of hydrocyanic-acid gas and 

 carbon bisuli^hid, chief emphasis was laid during the past year on 

 the investigations with the bisul2:)hid. This work was done in co- 

 ojieration with the chemist and the botanist. The effects of the 

 gas on plant life and the influence of light and other factors on 

 the resistance of plants treated with the gas were studied. 



It was found that the insecticidal power of carbon bisulphid was 

 only a little over GO per cent and that moisture in relation to its effi- 

 ciency was not so important as temperature. Both plants and insects 

 were observed to show differences in resistance. In evaporation and 

 diffusion tests with the gas it was found that it had penetrated verti- 

 cally to 10 feet in depth of shelled corn and cottonseed in 24 hours, 

 but horizontally only 3 feet in the corn. As the height of the con- 

 tainer increased, the evaporation of the gas was found to be slower. 

 The rice-weevil investigations included studies of life histories and 

 feeding habits, the effect of weevil injury on the germinating power 

 of corn, and of methods of handling and storing corn to reduce the 

 ravages of the insect. It was found that there is a safe margin of 

 heat between the destruction of the insect and injury to corn. It was 

 also observed that severely cold winter weather reduced the number 

 if insects. 



In connection with the study of fertilizer requirements of the soil 

 for cotton by analysis of the cotton plants grown upon it, soil sam- 

 jales were collected from field experiments with the crop in different 

 parts of the State. Analyses were made of cotton plants at the four- 

 leaf stage with special reference to potash. The results secured indi- 

 cated that on some soils the fertilizers used increased the potash 

 content of the plant much more than on others. For a further study 

 of this project experiments with three types of soils placed in cyl- 

 inders 20 inches in diameter were begim. 



In the study of the effect of different foods upon quality of pork, 

 cottonseed meal, tankage, soy beans, peanuts, corn, and other feeding 

 stuffs were fed, and the fats in the pork produced were studied chem- 

 ically. Fifty or sixty pigs were used in this work at Auburn, and for 

 the coming year arrangements have been made to carrj^ on this work 

 in cooperation with tlie Bureau of Animal Industry and to use from 

 300 to 400 pigs in the experiment. The work on the toxic effect of 

 cottonseed meal on hogs was expanded to include work with 2 horses 

 and 1 mule, which were fed on cottonseed meal and hulls, to which 

 afterwards hay was added. Considerable work was also done with 

 pigs, and the results were studied with reference to their relation to 

 the work of other investigators. 



