320 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



cropping to peanuts; however, the farmers are now planting cowpeas 

 and practicing crop rotation, 



Durir.g the coming year it is proposed to continue the work already 

 under way. The demands for information and demonstration con- 

 tinue and it is the purpose to guide and control the movement where 

 it has become established rather than to encourage plantings in new 

 territory, except for stock-feeding purposes. Problems connected 

 with the market end of the industry are being investigated, and in 

 solving them the hearty cooperation of the trade is assured. Investi- 

 gation has shown that the acreage and production of the Virginia or 

 " Jumbo " peanuts is not increasing in proportion to the trade de- 

 mands, while the increase in the production of Spanish peanuts is 

 soon liable to exceed present demands. In order to maintain uni- 

 form marketing conditions, experiments are under way for the pur- 

 pose of devising means for the employment of a larger proportion 

 of Spanish stock in the manufacture of peanut products. It has been 

 found that by removing about 5 per cent of the oil from the cleaned 

 meats of this stock the resulting meal makes a butter having about 

 the proper consistency. 



Sweet potatoes. — In the work with sweet potatoes the study of 

 varieties and their adaptation to various localities has been contin- 

 ued, several hundred small lots of seed having been sent out for trial. 

 The problems involved in the storage of sweet potatoes have been 

 under investigation, especially the determination of proper tempera- 

 tures. At present considerable quantities of sweet potatoes are 

 being grown for use in dehydrating tests to demonstrate the value 

 of this crop as a stock food. Tests have shown that dried sweet 

 potatoes have a feeding value almost equal to that of corn meal. 



Onions. — The work already under way looking to the establish- 

 ment of the Denia or Spanish onion in the United States has gone 

 steadily forward. One experimenter in eastern Texas produced 

 these onions at the rate of 36,000 pounds to the acre and sold them 

 at 3 cents, or at the rate of $1,080 an acre. Another experimenter 

 successfully grew the seed, and now has a crop growing from this 

 seed. The character of the product from this American-grown seed 

 seems to be fully equal to that grown from the original importation. 

 This appears to indicate with reasonable certainty the success of the 

 Denia onion industry in this country. In the Bermuda onion dis- 

 trict of Texas problems relative to fertilizers, crop rotation, and 

 general soil technique are being investigated. 



Celery. — The investigation of problems with celery include the 

 substitution of paper for lumber in the blanching process, observa- 

 tions relative to the excessive use of highly concentrated fertilizers 

 in the production of the crop, and the after eflPects upon the land. 

 Various questions relative to the storage and marketing of celery 

 are being investigated ; also experiments with machines designed for 

 setting celery plants in the field. 



Vegetable breeding. — Vegetable crops have received more atten- 

 tion in the bureau during the year than at any previous time. The 

 work of breeding and standardizing the leading commercial groups 

 of vegetables is now under the direct supervision of Dr. W. W. 

 Tracy, Dr. D. N. Shoemaker, and Mr. N. H. Grubb. 



