VERMONT AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 91 



observed. Four instructors were employed under the super- 

 vision of Prof. Hills who outlines the work. Lectures were 

 given by members of the Board of Agriculture and other pro- 

 minent speakers. The expense of the dairy school is borne by 

 the College. 



A bee house was built in 1894, and experiments are con- 

 ducted under the direction of the Beekeepers' Association and 

 results reported at its annual meeting. There are now thirty- 

 two colonies of bees in the station apiary. 



The National Congress passed an act in 1887, known as 

 the " Hatch Act," providing that $5,000 be paid annually to 

 each of the States and Territories to carry on much the same 

 line of work already begun in Vermont under the act of the 

 State Legislature of 1886 ; hence in 1S88 the section of the act 

 of 1886, granting the appropriation of S3, 500 annually, was 

 repealed, leaving the balance of the act in force. Since the 

 passage of the Hatch Act the State has not contributed to the 

 support of the experiment station. 



The sampling and testing of commercial fertilizers was 

 placed in charge of the Director of the experiment station 

 by an act passed in 188S. The expenses thus incurred, amount- 

 ing to several hundreds of dollars annually, were met by the 

 station from the proceeds of farm sales, until 1894, when the 

 act was amended by providing that the expense should be paid 

 from funds received from licenses granted. 



One thousand dollars annually was appropriated at the ses- 

 sion of 189S to the experiment station for printing and distri- 

 buting reports and bulletins. This session also passed " An 

 Act to Regulate the Sale of Concentrated Commercial Feeding 

 Stuffs," also " An Act for the Protection of Dairymen, relat- 

 ing to testing of milk and cream." The director of the station 

 is made the executive officer in both acts. 



The experiment farm contains 130 acres, eighty acres under 

 tillage and fifty in pasture. The pasture and meadow lying at 

 the east have a light soil, while the balance is heavy loam 

 with a strong mixture of clay. The apple orchard, which was 

 top grafted two years ago, is looking fairly well, and there is a 

 good supply of the small fruits. 



The past season sixteen acres of corn produced 100 tons of 

 ensilage, and eight acres of oats harvested sixty bushels to the 

 acre The oats were sowed in drills, three bushels to the acre, 

 grass seed sown broadcast, fifteen pounds alsike clover and ten 

 pounds of timothy to the acre Corn was raised on this land 

 the previous year, it being fertilized with barn manure. From 

 fifteen to twenty hogs are kept in the cellar and the manure 

 is drawn out each week and spread broadcast Cut straw and 

 saw-dust are used for bedding. 



