EXPERIMENT STATION REPORTS. 229 



KEPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE EXPERIMENT STATION. 



To President F. S. Kedzie. 



During the year conditions were favorable for the reestablishment of 

 work seriously interfered with during the period of the war. Aanong 

 the most important developments are included tlie establishment of ex- 

 tensive field experiments throughout the State in connection with fer- 

 tility tests and trials of crop varieties. Investigational work in farm 

 mechanics relating to farm building construction and farm power ma- 

 chinery, were set in motion during the year. 



Satisfactory progress was made at the Graham Station by way of 

 the establishment of newly planted orchards covering most of the area 

 now available. We are glad to record the purchase of an adjoining 

 tract of land of fifty acres, thus bringing the total area up to 100 

 acres. Landscape plans have been prepared and some of the necessary 

 buildings are now being built. 



In connection with the Upper Peninsula Station at Chatham which 

 already comprised 720 acres, an additional 40 acre tract, lying direct- 

 ly across the road from the original farm, has been purchased. The 

 building construction work which began several years ago was prac- 

 tically completed this year. As soon as statistics are available from 

 the present crop season, it is the plan to issue a special report of in- 

 vestigational work at this station for the past two years. 



In view of the fact that nearly all of the college farm is used at one 

 time or another it is very necessary that attention should be given im- 

 mediately to the improvement of the farm drainage system. At pres- 

 ent a single eiglit inch trunk line drain is required to carry the drain- 

 age water off an area of more than 300 acres, which it is unable to do 

 rapidly enough in the spring season. In order to correct these unsatis- 

 factory conditions an additional twelve inch trunk line drain is need- 

 ed from the forestry nursery to the Grand Trunk railroad. 



Detailed statements of the work of the various sections is included 

 elsewhere. The following statement includes the funds disbursed dur- 

 ing the year indicating their source: 



Hatch Funds |15,000 00 



Adams Funds 15,000 00 



State Funds 137,211 67 



Total $107,241.67 



The State fund included the sums expended at the sub stations dur- 

 ing the vear, viz.: Upper Peninsula !i?31,276.00, Graham Station 

 $4,237.31 and South Haven |2,21S.OO. 



The following list includes all IniUetins issued by the Station dining 

 tlie year: 



Popular: 



285 — Commercial Feeding Stuffs. 



286— Studies in the Cost of Milk Production, Np. 2. 



287 — Fertilizer Analvses. 



