MASSACHUSETTS. 123 



A report of the receipts and expenditures for the United States 

 funds has been rendered in accordance with the schedules prescribed 

 1)V this Department and has been approved. 



Witli the aid of substantial support from the State, steady progress 

 Avas made during the year at the Maryland Station in developing 

 experimental wovk and in disseminating the practical results of the 

 work among the farmers of the State. 



MASSACHUSETTS. 



Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station, Amherst. 



Department of the Massachusetts Agricultural College. 



\V. 1'. Bkook.s. I'll. D., Director. 



But little change was made in the lines of work of the Massa- 

 chusetts Station during this year and no new members were added 

 to the station statt'. C. S. Pomeroy, assistant horticulturist, resigned 

 in October, and R. D. McLaurin at the close of the college year. 

 The State made an appropriation of $80,000 for a building for the 

 departments of entomology and zoology, which is now in process of 

 construction and is to be completed in 1910. 



In all the various lines of investigation under the Adams fund 

 satisfactory progress was made. The inquiry into the relation of 

 plant-food elements to the characteristics and growth of asparagus 

 was carried on cooperatively by the agricultural and chemical de- 

 partments. Breeding asparagus for rust resistance is carried on 

 in cooperation with the Bureau of Plant Industry of this Department. 

 The investigation upon the principles underlying the fertilizing of 

 the cranl)erry has made progress and a chemical study of the soils 

 has also been undertaken. The department of botany is investigat- 

 ing the effects of meteorological conditions on plant growth and 

 plant diseases. In the greenhouse these investigations concern the 

 influence of light, moisture, heat, and ventilation on the growth of 

 crops and their susceptibility to disease. In the outdoor work records 

 are made of the time of blossoming, prevalence of diseases, earliness 

 or lateness of crops, and the influence of climatic conditions on the 

 plants during winter and summer. 



The department of chemistry made successful progress in working 

 out a method for the quantitative analysis of the diff'erent insoluble 

 latty acids of butter fat. Results secured with reference to the con- 

 stitution of fats, arid the effect of molasses on the digestibilitv of 

 hay and other feeding stuffs, are being prepared for publication. 

 Analyses of asparagus roots and of cranberry soils were made, and 

 insecticides were studied in cooperation with the department of 

 entomology. In addition to the latter, the department of entomology 

 is pursuing work on the project relating to the digger wasps for 



