300 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



PoisoNOUs-PLANT INVESTIGATIONS. — Work OH poisonoiis plants has 

 met with nuicli np]:>i-eciati()ii from stockmen, ospocially in the <5i-azin«>^ 

 States, and the calls for investi<2;ations hoth in the held and in the 

 laboratory have overtaxed the present resources of the organization. 

 The cooperative Avork with the Forest Service in the matter of stock 

 jioisoning by plants has opened up an oppoi-tnnity for great use- 

 fulness. In order to attain the best results the laboratory Avork must 

 keep pace with the field investigations. 



Study of crop utilization. — An important line of work in crop 

 utilization should be undertaken during the ensuing year. Special 

 characteristics are souglit by the users of many farm products whicli 

 go into the hands of manufacturers. The exact nature of these quali- 

 ties is at times not clearly known to the man who finds difficulty in 

 getting an article having the requirements sought. Between the user 

 with his special needs and the general grower of crops there is an 

 unbridged space. It should be the function of an investigator along 

 this line to learn the requirements of the utilizer in exact and scien- 

 tific terms, and to study the agricultural conditions under which the 

 crops can be grown to fulfill these conditions. These investigations 

 will be of a technical nature, looking on the one side toward the 

 special demands of the utilizers and on the other toward the agricul- 

 tural conditions in their bearing on the production of the desired 

 qualities. Investigations in this direction are urgently needed at the 

 present time and could be well combined with the other lines of work 

 of this office. 



AGRICULTURAL-TECHNOLOGY INVESTIGATIONS. 



The investigations of problems in agricultural technology, includ- 

 ing cotton grading and paper-plant investigations, have continued 

 under the direction of Dr. N. A. Cobb, Agricultural Technologist, 

 assisted by Mr. Charles J. Brand, Physiologist, in charge of paper- 

 plant investigations; by Mr. Wingate P. Barbot, Mr. W. E. Chambers, 

 Prof. R. L. Bennett, and Mr. D. E. Earle in cotton standardization; 

 and by Dr. Albert Mann in general technological and microscopic 

 work. 



COTTON standardization. 



Much time and energy have been devoted to the work on cotton 

 standardization during the past year. Sets of the official cotton 

 grades to the number of 175 have been prepared, of which 25 sets 

 were for preservation in vacuum storage and 50 sets for placing with 

 the principal growers', merchants', and manufacturers' associations 

 in various parts of the country, the remaining sets to be sold. Orders 

 received in advance more than covered all of the sets prepared. The 

 sets so far issued have been received with general favor, so far as is 

 known. In numerous instances highly commendatory letters have 

 been received by the Department concerning them. 



Method of preparing official cotton grades. — It is believed that 

 the official grades have been prepared with greater care and precision 

 than has ever been attained before in connection with similar work. 

 The object of the officers in charge has been to copy as closely as pos- 

 sible the types submitted by the Committee on National Standards, 



