INDIANA. 105 



added during the year. Another, reLiting to a phase of butter mak- 

 ing, was added at the close of the year. The investigations on rusts 

 were carried forward along the original lines, special studies being 

 made during the year on the rusts attacking timothy. By means of 

 culture and other experiments, the life histories of a considerable 

 number of rusts have been worked out. Results from the hog-cholera 

 investigation indicated that dieting is very desirable in connection 

 Avith serum treatment. The manufacture and standardization of 

 serum is provided for by state funds. Xo work was done in 1900 on 

 the cornstalk-disease project. 



Among the lines of experimentation carried on under the Hatch 

 and other funds, the agriculturist reports breeding experiments by 

 hybridization and selection with cereals, alfalfa, soy beans, and cow- 

 peas, tests of various cropping systems, cooperative work with about 

 1,000 farmers in testing improved varieties of grain, experiments in the 

 introduction of forage crops, and tests of implements for corn culture. 

 The dili'erent experiments with corn in progress involved the type 

 of ear for seed corn, effect of detasseling, relative value of seed corn, 

 harvesting at different stages of maturity, and similar questions. 

 The results of cooperative tests of varieties of corn, wheat, oats, soy 

 beans, and cowpeas in 1908 were jMiblished during the year. The 

 object of this work is to compare the several varieties in each test 

 under the same conditions without any special effort to secure large 

 yields. 



In animal husbandry the studies of beef and pork production and 

 the maintenance of breeding ewes and brood sows were continued. 

 The results of three experiments indicated that corn silage may profit- 

 ably be used as a portion of the ration in finishing steers. The addi- 

 tion of corn silage to a ration of shelled corn and clover hay resulted 

 in a more rapid and a cheaper gain, although a larger gain was se- 

 cured when no corn silage was fed. A comparison of short and long 

 feeding periods is also in progress. 



The horticultural work of the station was largely confined to 

 experiments in spraying for insect pests and fungus di.seases and to 

 studies of certain problems in orchard management. Some coopera- 

 tive work with melons, especially cantaloups, was carried on. and 

 experiments with onions, tomatoes, and other special crops, and with 

 growing catalpa and locust trees for fence posts, were made. The 

 chemical department cooperated with the other departments in ex- 

 periments on the fertilizer requirements of crops, soil-improvement 

 work, studies on soil acidity, and the effect of methods of application 

 of fertilizers on the composition of potatoes and the protein content 

 of corn. In the state chemical laboratory, investigations were made 

 on feeding stuffs and fertilizers, and 2 bulletins on these subjects 

 were issued during the year. 



