VERMONT AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 47 



a result of the investigations by the Department, many of the 

 diseases are now successfully controlled and the way is opened 

 for farmers and fruit growers to greatly increase the value of 

 their crops at comparatively small expense. 



The investigations carried on in connection with this 

 work lead into many side paths: For example, one of the 

 surest way of overcoming many of the difficulties met in the 

 growth of plants in so extensive and diversified a country as 

 this, is to develop strains and varieties adapted partiularly to 

 the region in which they are grown. This may be done by 

 breeding and selection. For example, through the crossing 

 of a hardy, non-edible orange with an edible variety of the 

 South, some forms have been obtained which it is believed 

 will be resistant to the freezes which occasionally sweep over 

 the southern section of our country. If these varieties prove 

 to be all that we confidently expect, the growing of citrous 

 fruits in the United States will receive a great impetus. 



Of more direct interest to the people of the middle West 

 and West is the work on the breeding of cereals, which is also 

 carried on in connection with the work on diseases affecting 

 such crops. Efforts are being made to increase the food value 

 of corn by breeding and already some interesting results have 

 been obtained. The nitrogen contents of this crop being va- 

 riable, it affords good opportunity for developing varieties 

 containing a hig'h per cent of this important material. 



There have recently been collected from Russia and oth- 

 er sections some varieties of wheat which it is believed will 

 prove of great value to various parts of our country. These 

 varieties are to be used pincipally as a basis for cossing with 

 some of our well-known sorts, and it is confidently believed 

 that the yield of many of the varieties now grown in the 

 South can be materially increased and at the same time forms 

 developed especially adapted to many other sections of the 

 country. Great interest is being awakened in the possibili- 

 ties of producing varieties for certain purposes, such as for 

 the manufacture of macaroni, cracker-making, etc. It is to 

 -accomplish these ends that this work is tending, and at the 

 same time every effort is being made to obtain varieties and 

 forms which will be able to resist unfavorable conditions of 

 climate and the man}" diseases which are intimately connected 

 with the same. 



No part of the"^ country is neglected in this particular 

 kind of work. Investigations are being made in the South for 

 the purpose of improving the many varieties of cotton. Work 

 is under way in the great timber belts for the purpose of ob- 

 taining accurate knowledge as to the causes of loss in our 

 valuable timber lands through diseases. Investigations are 



