188 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



cral siu'li institutions liavo already l)i'i'n established in difTercnt sec- 

 tions of the State and lil)ernl donations in the way of lands and bnild- 

 inirs were made to each of them. The State also appropriated $7,000 

 for the maintenance and suj)port of the Beeville and Troupe s\ib- 

 stations. The new ap^ricultural building (PI. IV, fig. 2). costing 

 about $45,000, will be c(mipleted January 1, 1910, and will afford 

 ample working space for the several departments of the station. 



The Adams fund investigations, described in jorevious reports, 

 have nearly all made progress during the year and some of them 

 have reached a stage justifying a partial or a preliminary report of 

 the data obtained. In the breeding "work with dewberries, rasp- 

 berries, and other species of Rubus, from 400 to 500 crosses and selec- 

 tions are under observation. The object of the work in general is 

 the elimination of spines and the improvement of vigor, growth, and 

 quality. The project on the digestibility of some Texas feeding stuffs 

 was partly reported upon in a bulletin issued during the year, and a 

 preliminary report on nitrification was also issued, in which the 

 conditions influencing the production of available nitrogen as 

 observed are set forth. In the soil studies up to this time, attention 

 was chiefly given to phosphoric acid, humus, and nitrogen, but 

 studies on potash and soil acidit}^ have now been taken up in addi- 

 tion. The data thus far secured in the investigation of swamp fever 

 in horses and mules were also published. It was found that the 

 infection which occurs in the blood can be conveyed by subcutaneous 

 or intravenous injection, and that the specific germ seems to be ultra- 

 microscopic. Attempts to convey the disease to cattle, sheep, goats, 

 pigs, or dogs were unsuccessful. The project on the nitrogen-fixing 

 bacteria of leguminous plants has progressed, and a preliminary 

 report upon it has been made. 



The more important of the extensive and varied lines of work fol- 

 lowed in addition to the Adams fund investigations are here briefly 

 outlined. The horticulturist is carrying on work in forestry by 

 studying the planting of pines and the value of wind-breaks. Among 

 horticultural lines, crossing experiments with tomatoes are in 

 progress. 



The department of animal husbandry is making a comparison of 

 the cost of pork production in well-bred or improved types of hogs 

 and in scrubs or razorback hogs. Experiments are also being con- 

 ducted to determine the comparative feeding values of corn, rice 

 bran, and Spanish peanuts in pork production. 



The chemist is carrying on G5 cooperative fertilizer experiments, 

 making analyses of feeding stuffs and miscellaneous materials, and is 

 studying pecan oil, paints, the effect of heating on cotton-seed meal, 

 and the composition of some typical Texas soils. 



