316 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



suitable for experimental purposes has been assigned and unless 

 arrangements can be made to reclaim the marsh or otherwise extend 

 the farm area it will be impossible to meet the demands for increased 

 acreage. 



General I^rpRO^^:l^rENTS. — The appropriation has not increased 

 proportionately to the increased cost of maintenance due to the rapid 

 development of the farm and the high state of cultivation which it 

 has been necessary to maintain; hence comparatively little has been 

 expended for buildin<T purposes. A small gravity-brine cold-storage 

 plant, having a capacity of about 7,000 cubic feet, was installed early 

 in the year and operated about six months for the storage of potatx> 

 collections. This has proved an exceedingly useful and satisfactory 

 improvement. The heating plant has been improved by the con- 

 struction of a radial brick chimney 3i feet in diameter and 60 feet 

 high to replace three individual metal stacks which had become unfit 

 for further service. This chimney will provide for the installation 

 of additional boilers as they may be required. A 5-horsepower elec- 

 tric motor automatically controlled by float switches was installed 

 for pumping purposes in maintaining a water supply, the 4-inch 

 water main was extended to the north line of the barn and shop build- 

 ing, and three 2-inch fire plugs installed. Other minor improve- 

 ments, such as the laying of about 4,000 feet of tile, the extension of 

 gravel drives about the grounds and buildings, and some little grading 

 and drainage work, were made during the year. 



Soil impro\'ement. — The soil-improvement work, using leguminous 

 crops, lime, and phosphoric acid as soil improvers, has been continued 

 as in the past and supplemented by the application of about 417 loads 

 of manure obtained from the Fort Mj^er military post. Much of the 

 area which is not adapted to experimental purposes has now been 

 sufficiently improved to grow grass and is devoted to meadows. This 

 enables the farm to produce forage for its animals and at the same 

 time improve quite rapidly the areas thus occupied. 



Greenhouses. — The greenhouse work at the farm has been continued 

 along the lines previousl}^ outlined. Special attention has been given 

 to plant-nutrition studies and the improvement of forcing-house crops 

 by seed selection from individual type plants. Two units were de- 

 voted to the propagation of roses, two to carnations, and two to bed- 

 ding and shrubbery plants. Thirteen units were devoted to vegetable 

 seed selection, two to cabbage, four to cauliflower, one to cucumbers, 

 two to lettuce, two to tomatoes, and two to miscellaneous vegetable 

 seed and plant selection. One unit was again assigned to the Forest 

 Service for a germination test of forest-tree seeds. 



Nursery. — The nursery work has been conducted as heretofore. 

 A great many plants have been removed for use in the grounds and 

 for the variety orchard collections, and these have been replaced by 

 new varieties and species. There are now in the nursery about 2,775 

 herbaceous plants in 119 varieties, 14,000 privet cuttings, 2,311 other 

 shrubbery plants in 111 varieties, 3,023 ornamental trees in 83 varie- 

 ties, 674 apple trees in 86 varieties, 21 plums in 6 varieties, 105 pears 

 in 5 varieties, and 172 figs in 64 varieties. 



Lawns. — The landscape work at the farm has followed the lines 

 previously outlined and, while the lawn areas have not been increased, 



