520 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



methods of tillage have been consistent and in general accord with 

 the results of previous years. A bulletin is now in press containing 

 the most important results and tentative conclusions reached in the 

 investigations up to the close of the year lOOi). 



Summer tillage and alternate cropping have generally given larger 

 yields than continuous cropping or crop rotations. These increased 

 yields have not generally been sufficient, however, to make the practice 

 of summer tillage profitable when the extra cost of this system as 

 compared with rotation or green manuring is taken into considera- 

 tion. In some instances quite as good yields have been obtained from 

 properly planned rotations as from alternate cropping and summer 

 tillage. Green manuring has also given excellent results in many 

 instances. 



Development of the work. — The interest shown by the local farm- 

 ing communities in the work of the several stations is very gratifying, 

 and it is believed that this phase of the work can be still further 

 developed to the mutual advantage of the farmers and the station 

 workers. It is planned to strengthen the work in crop rotation and 

 cultivation methods by increasing the number of rotations, using 

 fertilizers of various kinds, and in other respects more fully meeting 

 the local demands which have become more apparent since the work 

 was begim. The close and cordial cooperative relations which have 

 heretofore existed with other offices and with several of the state ex- 

 periment stations have been continued, and there is urgent need of 

 still further extension and coordination of these cooperative relations. 



No new stations have been established nor have any been discon- 

 tinued during the past year. It is deemed desirable, however, to 

 extend the work to one new station at Hettinger, N. Dak., in cooper- 

 ation with the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station. It 

 is also hoped that the entire work may be strengthened by employing 

 an additional traveling field assistant to aid Mr. J. S. Cole, Expert, 

 in that important work. The staff now engaged in the work includes 

 J. M. Stephens, Special Agent ; Fritz Knorr and O. R. Mathews, 

 Experts; and W. W. Burr, E. F. Chilcott, O. J. Grace, A. L. Hallsted, 

 F. L. Kennard, C. H. Plath, J. C. Thysell, and W. O. Whitcomb; 

 Assistants. 



WESTERN AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION. 



The Office of Western Agricultural Extension, under the direction 

 of Mr. Carl S. Scofield, Agriculturist, has been engaged during the 

 past year in the operation of a number of field stations for the 

 Bureau of Plant Industry at various points in the Western States. 

 With the exception of the station near San Antonio, Tex., these field 

 J«'tations are located on reclamation projects of the Department of the 

 Interior. The lines of work underway have had to do with local 

 problems of crop production. By cooperative arrangement much of 

 the investigational work conducted at these field stations is planned 

 and, to a certain extent, supervised by members of the investigational 

 staff of the Bureau. It is the aim to make these stations the centers 

 for the investigation of local crop and tillage problems and to apply 

 the results of scientific investigation by actual field practice in the 

 various localities. Four of the stations, which will be first mentioned 



