70 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Mr. E. G. Hamlin was appointed Half-time Graduate Assistant in 

 Forestry in September and resigned in May to go to the Officers' Training 

 Camp at Fort Sheridan. While connected with the College he began a 

 very complete series of experiments on the control of damping-off of 

 coniferous seedlings, which may be easily completed and will be of 

 value, as this is a disease which does much damage each year in forest 

 nurseries. 



The appointment of Mr. E, C. Mandenberg as Extension Specialist 

 in Foresty in September greatl}' relieved the strain upon the depart- 

 ment in attempting to carry on the teaching and field work at the 

 same time. An increasing number of calls for assistance in forestry 

 work are coming in and with Mr. Mandenberg's assistance excellent 

 service is being given. 



The maple sugar bush in the River Woodlot was operated successfully, 

 about seven hundred trees being tapped. The experimental work in the 

 sugar bush was continued for the third year. After one more season's 

 run sufficient data will have been collected to warrant publication of 

 the results. The experimental work with basket Avillows was also con- 

 tinued. The size of the College willow holt was considerably increased 

 and a large number of cuttings have been furnished at cost to residents 

 of the state. 



The Forest Nursery has been operated successfully, planting stock 

 amounting to 95,000 trees having been shipped during the year. A 

 large number of these trees have been, used for sand dune planting, 

 which work has been pushed by the department. Owing to depredations 

 b}^ one of the poplar borers it became necessary to destroy all the small 

 Carolina poplars in the nursery, approximately 10,000 small trees being 

 removed. 



The planting experiment in cooperation with the United States Forest 

 Service on lands adjacent to the College lands near East Tawas, which 

 was started on a small scale last year, is being continued. 



The department has given up a number of rooms to the Ph3'sics depart- 

 ment. The work of the department is necessarily somewhat handicapped 

 by the resultant crowding and it is hoped that the space may be 

 restored within due time. 



Respectfully submitted, 



A. K. CHITTENDEN, 



Professor of Forestry. 



East Lansing, Mich., June 30, 1917. 



