162 KEPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



appreciative constituency and there is much demand for its work and 



advice. There is all the more need, therefore, that every obstacle to 



its development to the fullest extent of the funds at its disposal 



should be removed. 



VIRGINIA. 



Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station, Blacksburg. 



Department of Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic 



Institute. 



A. M. SouLE, B. S. A., Director. 



The work of the Virginia Station has developed during the year, 

 and will be further strengthened by the completion of the agricul- 

 tural building now in process of erection, as this will permit greater 

 concentration of the various departments. Some special facilities 

 have been provided, including a refrigerating plant for cold-storage 

 tests, a battery of five greenhouses, and two large fermentation cellars 

 for the mycological investigations on the production of cider, vinegar, 

 and other fruit by-products. A number of changes in the staff have 

 taken place, among them the retirement of R. J. Davidson as chemist, 

 after many years' service, and the promotion of the assistant chemist 

 to this position. 



The last legislature made an annual appropriation of $5,000 for the 

 maintenance and support of the station. About half of this fund is 

 being expended in tobacco investigations in cooperation with the 

 Bureau of Soils. Work has been undertaken at AVest Appomattox in 

 the dark tobacco belt and at Chatham in the light tobacco belt. The 

 problems being investigated are soil preparation, cultivation, and 

 fertilization. Some work is also being done on the selection and 

 improvement of tobacco, and especially as to the handling and curing 

 of the crop. 



A portion of the fund is also being used for horticultural work and 

 in experiments relating to the feeding and nutrition of beef cattle. 

 The horticulturist is devoting considerable attention to dwarf nursery 

 stock and now has orchards of both dwarf and standard varieties. 

 Fertilizer trials are proceeding with both sorts, and breeding work on 

 the application of Mendel's law to tomatoes has been taken uj). Some 

 feeding trials with pigs are being carried on, and an experiment in 

 finishing steers on various roughages has been completed. The im- 

 provement of grade cattle is being sought through breeding to selected 

 bulls. 



In the field work the comparison of different varieties of grain as 

 to stooling has shown a great ditference in the effect of the improve- 

 ment and selection of seed. There have also been studies of the prev- 

 alence of barren stalks of corn, and work on seed potatoes, seed corn 

 improvement, inoculation for cowpeas and soy beans, and fertilizer 



