COLOEADO. 87 



general j^urposes. One of the great needs of this station, viz, im- 

 proved facilities for field work under more perfect control of the 

 central station has, however, in large measure been met. 



COLORADO. 



Agricultural Experiment Station, Fort Collins. 



Department of the State Agricultural College of Colorado. 



L. G. Carpenter, M. S., Director. 



The principal lines of work of the Colorado Station have remained 

 substantially the same as in previous years. The most notable recent 

 development has been of what are termed " western-slope fruit inves- 

 tigations " at Grand Junction. These include a variety of studies on 

 diseases, insects, and cultural methods, as well as seepage and drain- 

 age investigatibns. This work is done in cooperation with local fruit 

 growers and fruit growers' associations, who have contributed about 

 $1,500 besides the use of lands and orchards. A field entomologist 

 has been employed for this work and the assistant horticulturist has 

 been transferred to it. 



Steady progress has been made in the horse-breeding investiga- 

 tions in cooperation with the Bureau of Animal Industry, in deter- 

 miniup- the value of the American trotter as foundation stock for an 

 American carriage breed. Thirteen of the 19 mares now have fine 

 colts by Carmon, the head of the stud, some of which give excellent 

 promise as material for the continuation of the investigations. Addi- 

 tional mountain pasture land has been secured for the breeding stock, 

 making about 900 acres now available, and a horse-breeding stable 

 has been erected at a cost of about $5,500. In other lines of animal 

 industry experiments have been carried on in the wintering of steers, 

 feeding experiments with pigs and sheep, and studies of the cause and 

 nature of loco poisoning. 



In entomology especial attention has been given to the pine and 

 spruce lice, the potato flea-beetle, the codling moth, and local insects. 

 The chemist is continuing studies on the deterioration of manure 

 under Colorado conditions, the digestibility and available energy of 

 Colorado hays, and on alkali. 



The tract of 73 acres of land recently secured near the station for 

 experimental purposes has been systematically laid out for work 

 in agronomy, including variety, breeding, fertilizer, irrigation, and 

 culture tests of cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, alfalfa and other for- 

 age plants. The effect of alkali and other conditions on the brewing 

 quality of barley is being studied, and attempts are being made to 

 breed a winter durum wlieat and better seed-producing and disease- 

 resisting alfalfa. Cooperative experiments with farmers in the 

 improvement of potatoes, with a view to producing local-grown seed 



