60 STATE BOARD OP AGRICULTURE. 



The declaratiou of war with Germany increased, rather than decreased, 

 interest in the spring conrses. Members of tlie class prepared numerous 

 articles on timely croi)S subjects for jmblicniion in their home papers, 

 accomi)anie(l by personal letters. A number enlisted in the Ollicers' 

 Training Camp, returned to the farm, or took up constructive agri- 

 cultural work in the state toward the end of the term. 



Special attention Avas given in the spring to the planting of instruction- 

 al ])]ats used as a basis for study in the lield of various crops, and to 

 furnish an ample supply of crops material for class room and exhibit 

 purposes. 



Provision is made in all courses given by the department for labora- 

 toiy and field work, except in Farm Crops II, and it is hoped that satis- 

 factory arrangements will be made to strengthen this course by proper 

 laboratoiy work before it is again repeated. 



As rapidly as possible, crop samples, exhibits, and illustrative material 

 are being added to the collection of the department to further strengthen 

 the teaching work. 



Owing to the hearty cooperation of all in the department, I take 

 pleasure in reporting progress for the last year. 



Very truly yours, 



J. F. COX, 

 Acting Head, Department of Farm Crops. 



East Lansing, Mich., June 30, 1917. 



REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SOILS. 



President F. S. Kedzie, Michigan Agricultural College. 



Again it is gi'atifying to report favorably upon the progress of 

 the departmental activities. As predicted in last year's report the 

 courses offered by the various members of this department were made 

 somewhat stronger than previously, yet our plans for the ensuing year 

 are such that greater efficiency should result. 



The department has received a few requests from other institutions 

 for men to take up college and station work, invariably men of thorough 

 training in the sciences being sought. It is unquestionably true that 

 the importance of a working knowledge of these subjects is being more 

 strongly emphasized than previously. We again desire to lay emphasis 

 on this phase of the educational activities of the institution, being firmly 

 convinced that students should be encouraged to thoroughly ground 

 themselves along these lines. Moreover, the time has doubtless passed 

 when a student is able to master all phases of agriculture together with 

 the necessary courses in other lines, in four years. In fact, we are rapidly 

 coming to the conclusion that students are required to scatter their 

 energies in too many directions and that slight changes could be made 

 that would result very favorably. 



During the year extension work was conducted by means of cor- 

 respondence; a few lectures to institutes and in addition, about five 

 hundred samples of soil and marl were examined and reported upon. 



