312 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Feeding experiments were begun with all the stock to determine 

 the rations necessary under Guam conditions, and preliminary results 

 of these experiments show a favorable result in increased weight of 

 all horses and cattle. During the year an arsenical dip was used to 

 free the station cattle of ticks, and good results are reported from the 

 preliminary experiments. None of the treated cattle showed the high 

 temperatures previously reported. The work with poultry was quite 

 satisfactory during the year, and by better methods of handling the 

 mortality of chicks was greatly reduced and egg production increased. 

 A number of losses were reported among the goats, due to the nodular 

 disease, and all of the goat-breeding stock was sent to the Cotot farm, 

 where it is believed the chances for infestation are somewhat less than 

 at the main station. The sires of the station herds have been placed 

 for breeding purposes with good results at accessible places on the 

 island, and this plan will be extended as far as possible. 



The field-crop work was largely concerned with corn improve- 

 ment, experiments with cotton, rice, tobacco, forage crops, etc. Ear- 

 to-row selection plantings Avith corn have already developed some 

 valuable strains that far outyield the ordinary Guam variety. The 

 experiments with cotton included ratoon crops and plantings at dif- 

 ferent times during the year. In 1916 yields of over 1.000 pounds 

 of seed cotton per acre of some Upland varieties were secured from 

 ratoon crops and yields of 1,800 pounds for the first crop of newly 

 planted varieties were obtained. Later plantings did not yield so 

 well. The Egyptian, Sea-Island, and Caravonica cottons did not 

 yield very well during the past year, due partly to late seeding and 

 heavy storms. Cooperative work with cotton has been begun with 

 seme of the more progressive natives, with very promising results. 

 The work with rice was only begun this year, and while some very 

 striking results were secured in the fertilizer and variety tests it 

 is too soon to draw any conclusions from them. The forage-plant 

 work included experiments with alfalfa, cowpeas, soy beans, vel- 

 vet beans, and with Kafir, feterita, and milo, in addition to Para 

 grass, guinea grass, and Paspalum dilatatum. The cowpeas, espe- 

 cially when inoculated, and some of the velvet beans gave excellent 

 returns of forage and grain. Kafir and feterita as soiling and grain 

 crops are new to the island, but they have proved valuable, the grain 

 being particularly so for poultry feed, an important consideration in 

 Guam. Planting the stems of Para grass in furrows proved a cheap, 

 rapid, and efficient method of establishing this introduced grass. 



The horticultural investigations are largely devoted to testing and 

 distributing tropical fruit trees, ornamentals, and vegetables. Over 

 31,000 fruit and ornamental trees and a large amount of vegetable 

 and field-crop seed were distributed during the year. The station is 

 cooperating with the Department of Education of the island in the 

 distribution of garden seed, every school in the island now being pro- 

 vided with its garden. The station's plantings have been consider- 

 ably increased and an experiment in coconut improvement has been 

 begun to develop a better yielding strain that will give a larger 

 percentage of copra than the average now produced in Guam. 



The relations between the station and the naval government of 

 Guam have been very cordial, and the cooperative arrangements be- 

 tween them have been carried out with success. 



