DEPARTMENT REPORTS. 53 



QUESTIONS ASKED. 



The number of questions has increased during the past year. These have 

 all received prompt replies. A glance at those asked the Professor of botany 

 will show that he has done considerable work which properly belongs to an 

 experiment station. 



It is not at all uncommon to receive ten letters a day, and sometimes fifteen 

 letters, and some cards have been received. These inquiries have come from 

 all parts of the United States, some from Canada, and a few from Europe. 

 To save room, I omit the names of the States, and for other reasons, omit the 

 names of the persons asking questions: "I wish to be instructed in the scien- 

 tific method of hybridizing portulacca." "What handling is necessary in 

 order to procure seed of asters that will be sure to produce double flowers?" 

 "Are you acquainted with Henderson's Hand-Book of Plants, and is it desira- 

 ble?" "Where can I obtain some cotton-wood tree seeds, or young trees?" 

 A president of au agricultural college wants to know "if there are parties 

 who take the Job of constructing greenhouses?" "Will you give me the 

 names of some reliable firms that I may correspond with?" "Do such firms 

 put up iron frame houses?" "Would you advise a curvilinear roof, or square 

 roof ?" "How many barrels of salt will be required to kill quack-grass on an 

 acre of ground?" "Should it be put on all at once, or at different times?" 

 "Can it be killed by cultivation?" "Will you give me an account of the labor 

 system at your agricultural college, and also of your course in horticulture?" 

 This was asked by a Professor of horticulture. "What, in your opinion, are 

 the best methods to pursue in order to overcome the prejudices existing among 

 the farmers of the south, with reference to the education of their children?" 

 "What is the mailing price of the report of the Michigan State Board of 

 Agriculture." "Can you give remedies to keep apple trees from splitting and 

 dying?" "Is the 'tare' vicia sativa, adapted for soiling purposes?" "What 

 is the name of the enclosed grass?" (oat-grass). "Is it foreign or native?" 

 "Will you kindly give the name of the enclosed buckwheat shaped seed, if 

 possible? We are unable to determine it?" A Professor in an agricultural 

 college asks: "Would it be better, in building a cheap greenhouse, to employ 

 a firm that makes that kind of work a specialty, or ordinary mechanics?" 

 "Are there any grasses that will do better than June grass and Orchard grass 

 for grazing purposes, on land in southeastern Missouri?" "There is something 

 the matter with my peach trees (the leaves)." "Is it what is called the ctirled 

 leaf." "Has it any relations to the Yellows?" "What will be the final out- 

 come of the disease, and is there any remedy?" "Where can I find any liter- 

 ature on the subject?" " I send you the enclosed plant {tradescantia virgin- 

 ica), for name." "Can you give remedy for red rust on blackberry? also for 

 small steel beetles on grapes? also rose chaffers?" "Please send name of 

 the enclosed grass, (phalaris arundinacea). "Please give name of the two 

 enclosed grasses." "What is the difference between June grass and Kentucky 

 Blue grass?" "What is the name of the enclosed grass {hordeum jubatum), 

 and is it likely to become a pest like the quack grass?" "Please name the 

 enclosed plaut, {cenothera biennis), and state whether it would be a desirable 

 plant for ornamenting public grounds?" "The director of an experiment 

 station asks: "What do you think of the propriety of giving two botanical 

 names to well marked races of agricultural plants?" "Please name the 

 enclosed grass, {quack-grass). It is becoming a great pest." " What is the 



