BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY. 391 



believed, Avill in part meet the pressing demands which have been 

 made on the dei)artment for an extension of this work throughout 

 the Southern Slates. 



ENCOURAGING INVESTIGATIONAL WORK. 



While the field of usefulness in connection with the farm-manage- 

 ment work and the Farmers' Cooperative Demonstration "Work is 

 great, the fact that the future success of agriculture in this country is 

 dependent in large measure on the discovery and application of fun- 

 damental principles should be kept in mind. The various labora- 

 tories of the bureau engaged in important research need full support. 

 An increase in the funds devoted to several items in this field have 

 been submitted and it is hoped that Congress mav approve the same. 



Fruit-disease investigations. — The work in connection with fruit- 

 disease investigations has resulted in working out effective methods 

 of controlling fruit diseases which are saving to the farmers of the 

 country tremendous sums of money annuallv. To enlarge tliis work 

 and render it more efficient, an increase of $5,000 has been asked for 

 in the estimates. 



Cotton and truck-disease investigations. — The demands for 

 investigations of diseases afl'ecting horticultural crops, particularly 

 in trucking regions where wilt and other diseases are doing serious 

 damage, are very pressing, and it is believed that the increase of 

 $S.000 which was included in the estimates is highly important to the 

 best conduct of the work. 



Soil bacteriology and plant-nutrition in\testigations. — During 

 the coming year it is proposed to enlarge some important investiga- 

 tions in connection with soil bacteriology, especially with reference 

 to humus formation and nitrogen production; also to conduct an 

 investigation of the organisms associated w'ith plants growing in 

 acid soils. It has been definitely proved that certain fungous organ- 

 isms are present and are associated with the best production of such 

 plants. It is proposed to make a careful laboratory study of these 

 organisms with a view to determining their value and usefulness as 

 nitrogen fixers. For this work additional funds are needed, and an 

 increase of $10,000 has been included in the estimates. 



Crop-piiysiology investigations. — It is desired to enlarge the scope 

 of the investigations of dates and figs and work on cotton with the 

 Indians in the Southwest in cooperation with other offices of the 

 bureau. The results of these investigations have been highly satis- 

 factory, and in order to carry on the work effectively more funds wall 

 be required. 



Crop acclimatization and adaptation investigations. — The devel- 

 opment of connnunity work in the growing of cotton is of vital 

 importance to the cotton growers of the South, and steps have been 

 taken toward enlarging this phase of the cotton work, for which an 

 increase of $10,000 has been asked. 



Drug and poisonous plant investigations. — One of the most 

 im})oi'ti)iit eflfects of the woi-k on drugs ha? been the jiopularizing of 

 drug -plant production. In several sections new industries have Ijeeu 

 established, as, for example, the growing of red pepper in South 



