18 Agricultural Experiment Station, Ithaca, N. Y. 



thi'ow new light upon the morphology of the nitrogen collecting 

 organisms of Legiminous tubercles. 



The experience here during the past three months has suggest(»d 

 the desii-abOity of several things. 



A small sink and water connection in the culture chamber 

 would be of gi*eat service, since whenever fresh water is desirc^l, 

 or waste to be discarded, the room must be opened and the watt?r 

 caiTied fi*om a sinl^ at the farther end of the laboratory. Another 

 sink is also needed in the large table in the center of the laboratory, 

 the one in the corner being too small and the passage too crowded. 



At present very much of my time is tiaken up with purely mech- 

 anical work, such as the preparation of culture media vessels, 

 transplanting of cultures, etc. A portion of this work is now done 

 by an assistant who devotes a small amount of time in the labora- 

 tory. An efficient assistant who could devote more time to the 

 work would do it to better advantage than myself, and x>ermit 

 the more satisfactory and sucoassful carrying on of the more tech- 

 nical and difficult phases of the investigations. It frequently haj)- 

 pens that good opportunities for taking in hand some important 

 study are lost because so much time is required for the mechanical 

 operations. 



A well-fitted dark-room for photographic work, and an outfit for 

 photographing large objects as well as for microscopic work is 

 greatly needed for the complete prosecution of most of the 

 investigations. 



Finally, there should be somewhere several small compartments 

 for growing plants under experiment whei'e temperature and 

 moisture conditions can be controlled without interference with 

 the plants in the botanical conservatory or in the forcing-houses, 

 and also where inoculations could be made with g(^nns which 

 it is not desirable to introduce into any of the plant-houses now at 

 the disposal of the station. Such c/)mpart/mentis would be 

 immeasurably useful, and the more so as they art^ in close proximity 

 to the cryptogamic laboratory, where the ex|X"i'ilraent could be 

 under close and continued observation. 



Very respectfully submitted, 



GEOi F. ATKINSON!, 



CryptogamiG Botanist. 



