142 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



United States Dopartment of Aj^riciilture for irrij^ation and dry 

 farming under the North Phitte rechiniation project. The supple- 

 mental report shoAvs that at the Central Station $2!),000 was expended 

 outside of Hatch and Adams funds. 



The princii)al chanj^e in the personnel of the station was caused by 

 the resignation of Dr. A. T. Peters, who is now in charge of the 

 Illinois State Biological Laboratory. J. H. Gain was promoted to 

 the head of the department of pathology and veterinary science. 

 E. A. Burnett, associate dean in the industrial college, was made dean 

 of the college of agriculture, a position established under a recent 

 reorganization of the university. A number of changes also took 

 place in the corps of assistants. 



The work on the Adams fund projects during the year was pro- 

 gressive and productive of results. A large amount of data were 

 se'^ured in studying the problem whether corn uses up the soil mois- 

 ture according to the weight or leaf area of the plant. The results 

 for the year are of special interest on account of the injury to the 

 corn crop in that region by drought. In observing the effect of thick- 

 ness of stand, it was found that in thickly planted wheat and oats 

 about 50 per cent of the young i)lants are eliminated. In the case 

 of corn the greatest average yield has so far been from the thick 

 planting. 



A study on the close breeding of maize to determine whether it is 

 advantageous to increase corn indefinitely from the single ear was 

 systematically pursued and a considerable amount of data obtained. 

 Observations in regard to the effect of soil moisture on the winter 

 injury of fruit trees indicated a definite relation between these two 

 factors. A temperature of — 9° C. killed all the seedlings regardless 

 of moisture. The study of heredity in plants has brought out many 

 points of interest and of value. Work was also continued on the 

 project of tuberculosis in swine, and in an effort to find a practical 

 test for the disease, the precipitate method was tried. Progress in 

 the study of plant diseases is reported in the twenty-second annual 

 report. 



The study of laboratory methods for determining humus was 

 completed, and the investigations on the strength of bone as affected 

 by feeds were continued. Results recently reported" seem to indicate 

 that foods rich in phosphates and mineral matter strengthen the bones. 

 An investigation of SAvamp fever is also in progress, and efforts were 

 made to determine the role of flies in spreading this disease. 



Progress is further reported in numerous lines of work carried on 

 under the Hatch Act. The work of the horticultural department 

 included a study of different methods of culture on orchard plats, a 



"Nebraska Sta. Bui. 107. 



