44 Agronomy. 



Year begun 



Timothy, rate of seeding 1904 



Timothy, fertilizer treatment 1904 



Timothy, size of seed 1904 



Alfalfa, lime and inoculation 1904 



Timothy selection 1905 



Timothy selected for vigor question 1904 



Root crops, selection of mother cabbages 1906 



Do. mangel 1906 



Root crops 1906 



Root crops, late planted 1905 



Alfalfa inoculated and fertilization 1905 



Corn, varieties 1905 



As you well know the field expenses of these investigations have 

 been paid for principally out of appropriations made by the Board 

 of Trustees from their general funds, the appropriation available 

 from the Federal fund being entirely inadequate for this purpose. 

 Unless otherwise directed it will be the policy of this Department to 

 pay the field expenses of these experiments largely out of State funds 

 set aside for the maintenance of the Department of Agronomy. 



During the past three years certain investigations have been in 

 progress in the Department of Agronomy in connection with the 

 Department of Agricultural Chemistry, which have sought to deter- 

 mine what are the difi'erenccs in the essential factors of plant growth, 

 under normal field conditions caused by different methods of fer- 

 tilization and different cultural methods. Last winter the Depart- 

 ment also had the assistance of the U. S. Bureau of Soils through 

 a detail of men who worked upon certain phages of this problem. 

 The investigations thus far made have led to some important sug- 

 gestions. It is now the purpose of Dr. Lyon to conduct a series of 

 field and laboratory researches upon these fundamental questions. The 

 nature of these investigation's is indicated in the following titles, viz. :^ 

 ( I ) to study methods for determining the fertilizer requirements of 

 soils; (2) an examination of soil sohitions under different methods 

 of soil treatment; (3) inquiry into certain soil conditions detri- 

 mental to crop production. At present Dr. Lyon ha^ no laboratory 

 in which to conduct the laboratory side of these investigations. It 

 is proposed as soon as the new agronomy building is ready, to use 

 $500 to $Soo of the $1,500 set aside from the l-'ederal fund for the 

 maintenance of the investigations in agronomy in equi])ping a labora- 

 tory and conducting the experiments outlined by Dr. Lyon. 



