Agronomy. 45 



During the year there has been constructed on the experimental 

 grounds at the Mitchell farm a small bungalow for the use of those 

 having charge of field experiments. This structure is looked upon 

 only as a temporary affair. As soon as the policy is settled as to the 

 place of field experiments an adequate field laboratory should be 

 constructed for those in charge of the field work. This should be a 

 plain brick structure, two stories high, the first story having cement 

 floor and containing apparatus for the threshing and weighing of 

 seeds, grains and other products of the experiment plats ; suitable 

 accommodation for such tools as may be necessary for the daily 

 prosecution of the field work ; and a suitable place where the field 

 men can write up their daily notes: while the second floor should be 

 arranged for the storage of experimental materials that it is neces- 

 sary to keep from year to year. 



The following bulletins have been prepared by the Department of 

 Agronomy during the year : 



Bulletin 22,7, Alfalfa, Report of Progress. 



Bulletin 238, Buckwheat. 



Bulletin 241, Second Report on the Influence of Fertilizers on the Yield 



of Timothy Hay. 

 Farmer's Reading-Course Bui. Series VI, 30, Barns and Outbuildings. 



III. THE EXTENSION WORK. 



The co-operative experiments in agronomy have been carried on 

 during the past year along the lines heretofore announced. It is 

 never possible at this time of the year to summarize fully the results 

 of the year immediately preceding. The co-operative work with 

 alfalfa for the year 1905 has been summarized and published in Bul- 

 letin No. 237 of the Cornell Experiment Station. A few of the 

 features of the present year may be mentioned. The new liquid 

 method of preparing and distributing cultures by the United States 

 Department of Agriculture has been compared with soil. Liquid 

 cultures for alfalfa were sent to 59 experimenters, for soy beans and 

 other legumes to 21 ; alfalfa soil was sent to ?o experimenters and 

 soy bean soil to 7. The reports from these experimenters indicate 

 briefly that in a few instances cultures seem to have produced an 

 increase in the abundance of nodules and in still fewer cases in the 

 vigor of the plants, but usually no result whatever was obtained 

 from the use of cultures. Dressings of soil uniformly produced an 

 abundance of nodules and almost always increased vigor of plants. 



