BEPOBT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 123 



GUAM. 



Guam Agricultural Experiment Station. 



Under the suporvision of A. C. True, Director, Office of Experiment Stations, 

 United States Department of Agriculture. 



John B. Thompson, B. S., Special Agent in Charge. 



The Guam station now owns the property on which it is located, 

 the sale having been completed during the past year. The land has 

 been cleared of its tropical growth, fenced, roads constructed, and 

 some necessary buildings erected. Of the 32 acres adapted to general 

 agriculture all but 5 or 6 are now under cultivation. A water supply 

 for the station has been secured by the digging of a well, the con- 

 struction of a reservoir, and the installation of an engine, pump, 

 and pipes. 



The greater portion of the available land has been planted to 

 forage crops of various kinds, and comparisons are being made of 

 Kafir corn, Egyptian corn, broom corn, sorghum, milo maize, John- 

 son grass, Guinea grass, Paspahim dilatatum, peanuts, mung beans, 

 jack beans, cowpeas, soy beans, and velvet beans. Kafir corn has 

 produced large yields of green feed, and when cut the plants send 

 out new shoots, quickly producing a second crop. This rattooning 

 habit has been found to apply to a number of crops in Guam that are 

 ordinarily grown as annuals. The experiments with leguminous 

 jjlants are proving quite successful, so far as the growing of the 

 plants and the amount of forage produced are concerned. A variety 

 of bush Lima beans has been secured which produces a large amount 

 of forage and at the same time is more easily plowed under than 

 cowpeas or velvet beans. 



Some attention is being given to corn culture and methods for 

 improving it, and the special agent has introduced a small hand mill 

 for grinding corn to take the place of the usual laborious method. 

 Experiments were conducted to determine practicable methods for 

 storing corn and other grains, and it was found that by kiln-drying 

 and sealing the grain in tanks it could be preserved against loss for 

 future use. 



The introduction of fruits and vegetables will be made an impor- 

 l ant part of the work of the station. A number of varieties introduced 

 through the Hawaii Experiment Station have proved superior to 

 anything previously grown in Guam. 



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



United States appropriation $15,000.00 



Sales and other funds 23.41 



Total 15, 023. 41 



