53 



Elective courses are ottered as follows: 



''Methods of investigation with soils. A stud}^ in detail of 

 reported experiments, the object ])einu- to familiarize the 

 student with the methods of scientific investigation in the 

 subject under discussion. 



"Methods of investigation with ti(>ld crops. Conducted 

 similarly to the above. 



■'Plant food in the soil; a series of pot experiments. 



'' Production and movement of crops as affecting- prices. 



'•Sugar-l)eet culture. History of the culture of the sugai- 

 beet. Etl'ect upon general agriculture of sugar-beet culture. 

 Varieties of the sugar beet. Types. Composition and struc- 

 tui-(^ of the ])eet plant. Soils and climatic conditions adapted 

 to raising sugar l)eets. Preparation of the soil. Planting the 

 seed. Cultivation. Harvesting. Siloing. Seed pro- 

 duction; breeding, establishing- of strain. Position of 

 the beet cu-op in the S3^stem of crop rotation. 

 . ' ' The laboratory work [in soils] consists of the follow- 

 ing- demonstrations: Determination of specific gravity 

 of soils; determination of the volume weight of soils; 

 power of loose soils to retain moisture; the power of 

 compact soils to retain moisture; rate of per- 

 colatioB of watei' through soils ; rate of perco- 

 lation of air through soils; etl'ect of mulches 

 on evaporation of water from soils; l)ehavior 

 of the soil toward gases; capillary attraction 

 of the soil ; the power of soils to fix auuuonia. ", 



Instruction for students in these courses is 

 b}'^ means of lectures and laboratory practice, 

 using books of reference throughout almost 

 the entire course. In the study of field crops 

 the experiment station pul)lications are used 

 very freely. Students fitting tliemselves to 

 be instructors in agricultural sulijects or to 

 be experiment station workers are g-iven 

 every opportunit}^ to study the methods of 

 agricultural investigations at the agricultural 

 experiment station farm. 



Class rooms and laboratories used for in- 

 struction in agronomy arc in the general agri- 

 cultural })uilding(Pl. IX). Onc^ class room, 33 

 by 20 feet (Pi. X, tig. 1), contains specimens 

 of plants, seeds, etc. , used for purposes of in- 

 struction in field crops. One laboratory, 33 

 by 20 feet (PL X, fig. 2), is used for demon- 

 strations of various properties of soils. 



B 



A 



C 



Fig. S. — Moviiblo soil thonnoiiu'ter: 

 A, hollow steel tube, i inch inter- 

 nal diameter, 15 inches long; R, 

 solidsteel plunger, 19 inehes long, 

 which closely tits the tube A; (', 

 long stem (lis inches) thermome- 

 ter which closely tits the tube A. 



