Agronomy, 33 



fibres as well as fabrics, nuts, spices and dyes. This collection 

 offers useful laboratory material for the course in tropical agricul- 

 ture. 



The department collection of soil-type samples has been enlarged 

 by a number of accessions from dift'erent parts of the State and by 

 twenty-five samples representing important soil formations through 

 the United States, presented by the Bureau of Soils. 



Of the 93 areas of arable land under the supervision of the 

 Department of Agronomy, 36 are devoted to experiments, leaving 

 57 for growing general farm crops, nearly one-half of which is 

 planted to corn the present season for the production of silage. 

 Great difficulty has been experienced in providing land for the 

 various important enterprises connected with the work of the col- 

 lege. Aside from its own lands used by the Department of Agron- 

 omy. 41 acres are leased from neighboring farms which are worked 

 on shares. It seemed to be impossible to provide on the University 

 farm lands to meet the requirements of Professor Webber except 

 so far as the breeding plats for oats and for forage plants are con- 

 cerned. It therefore became necessary to look for lands elsewhere 

 and the following areas were secured from Professor Warren : 



4^ acres devoted to a test of foundation stocks in corn-breeding. 

 2 acres to an isolated breeding patch of Reid's Yellow Dent corn. 

 I acre of an isolated breeding patch of Clarage corn. 

 I acre of an isolated breeding patch of Pride of the North corn. 

 I acre was also secured of Mr. Tailby for an isolated breeding 

 plat of Sturgis hybrid corn. 



An earnest eft'ort was made to find eight or ten acres of land that 

 might be available, which Dr. Lyon could start the preliminary 

 investigations necessary to establishing his work in the soil investi- 

 gation. No suitable area seemed to be available and the effort 

 finally was abandoned. 



V. Personnel. 



The work of the department has been carried forward by the 

 following persons : 



T. L. Lyon, Professor of Experimental Agronomy. 

 John L. Stone, Assistant Professor of Agronomy. 

 E. O. Pippin, Assistant Professor of Agronomy with reference 

 to Soils. 



John W. Gilmore, Assistant Professor of Agronomy. 

 George F. Warren, Assistant Professor of Agronomy. 



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