62 STATE BOARD 01^' AGKICULTURE 



SOIL TEST ON MUCK LAND. 



A portion of muck in Field 13 is being treated with a variety of appli- 

 cations to determine its requirements and the crops best adapted to it 

 under the various treatments. This soil is similar to large tracts of muck 

 land in the State, which, though subdued and planted do not respond 

 with profitable crops, and the department proposes to carry out the work 

 on this line until some definite results are obtained. 



The care and supervision of the College woods and pine plantations 

 occupy a portion of the time of the agriculturist and his working force. 

 The dead and dying trees are being cut into wood, and the young trees 

 allowed to grow. The pines receive frequent cultivation, and are growing 

 nicely. 



SUGAR BEET EXPERIMENTS. 



Investigations looking to the solution of manj^ of the problems con- 

 nected with the sugar beet industry are being made. Testing of varieties, 

 and methods of cultivation, the fertilizer problems and the growing of 

 beets for seed are the principal lines of work being carried forward this 

 season. 



During the winter of 1898-9 the Agriculturist devoted nine weeks of his 

 time to Farmers' Institute w^ork. 



Kespectfullv submitted, 



J. D. TOWAR, 



Agriculturists 

 Agricultural College, Mich., 

 June 30, 1S99. 



REPORT OF EXPERIMENTER WITH LIVE STOCK. 



To the Director: 



I have the honor to submit the following, concerning Live Stock Experi- 

 ments for the year ending June 30, 1899. 



The question is often asked to what extent can silage and sugar beets 

 be fed to pregnant breeding ewes without being followed with unwanted 

 results. It has recently been a question of dispute as to whether roots 

 or silage are best for breeding ewes, taking everything into consideration. 



It was to discover data leading up to the solution of these two ques- 

 tions that the undersigned planned an experiment as follows: Twenty- 

 four Shropshire cmcs were separated into two pens of twelve each. One 

 pen was fed, in addition to a grain ration and hay, sugar beets. The 

 other pen, silage. ^ 



Observations as fo general health and condition, loss or gain in live 

 weight, were frequently taken. The ewes were carried through the 

 critical time of lambing so that we might observe deleterious influences 

 if they were exerted by the feeding of the succulent foods named above. 

 The quantity of roots and silage varied, but on the whole averaged 

 about three pounds per head per day. 



