FLORIDA. 117 



of $47,500, including equipment, was practically completed (PI. I, 

 fig. 2). This 3-story brick building provides quarters for the sta- 

 tion stafi' and for tlie extension and farmers' institute force. All of 

 the exjoerimental work of the station is organized on a project basis, 

 each project being submitted to the director for approval before 

 being taken up. A number of changes, mainly in the minor positions 

 on the station staff, occurred during the year. 



Progress was made on all Adams-fund projects. In the soil- 

 project work the pineapple investigations were practicall}^ brought 

 to a close. A bulletin published on the study reports that the amount 

 of sugar and acid in the juice of pineapples is not sufficiently affected 

 b}^ the fertilizer used to influence the eating quality of the fruit. 

 The large fruits examined contained a greater percentage of sugar 

 and a slightly smaller percentage of acid than was found in the 

 small fruits, and the ratio of reducing sugars to sucrose was greater 

 in the large fruits than in the small ones. In addition to securing 

 these results a survey of the principal pineapple soils of the State, 

 including the analyses of soil samples from nearly all of the pine- 

 apple-growing sections, was made. Seventeen varieties of pineapples 

 were described and 12 varieties were analyzed. 



The results of fertilizer experiments further showed that fine- 

 ground steamed bone and slag phosphate were the best sources of 

 phosphoric acid; cottonseed meal, dried blood, and castor pomace, 

 the best sources of nitrogen; and high-grade and low-grade potash, 

 the best sources of potash. The analyses of a large number of pine- 

 apple plants showed that they contained sufficient plant food to make 

 them valuable for fertilizing purposes. The nitrates in the soil 

 increased with an increase of nitrogenous fertilizers and were found 

 most abundant at the immediate surface, the amount below 1 foot in 

 depth being very smaU. "Wliere the surface of the ground was not 

 protected, the nitrates were much less abundant than where plants 

 and decaying leaves covered the soil. 



Similar work to that with pineapples was inaugurated with citrus 

 fruits at Lake Harris, where favorable soil and climatic conditions 

 prevail (figs. 1 and 2). Additional problems studied in these experi- 

 ments were the influence of organic fertilizers on the quality of 

 oranges, the proper time for the application of fertilizers, the effect 

 of lime on the quality of fi'uit and on the availability of phosphoric 

 acid applied as a fertilizer, and the effect of clean culture. Obser- 

 vations were also regularly made on air and soil temperatures and 

 on rainfall. 



Studies of scaly bark, gummosis, and stem-end rot formed the 

 more prominent features of the work on the diseases of citrus trees 

 undertaken the past year. It was found that both scaly bark and 

 stem-end rot are due to fungus attacks. The investigation of the 



